What is your favorite historical speech?

Most of the time, I watch ABC, NBC or CBS News,
on seldom occasions Fox, for no particular reason.





David

You certainly do get your full daily dose of propaganda, Om. Little wonder you're so stupid.

U already know how little I esteem your opinions about (almost) everything
(tho u were right about Roosevelt and Pearl Harbor).





David

It's not my opinion that you dumb as a hammer, Sig, it's a fact that you illustrate with so many of your posts. In the case of English, I do believe it's been all your posts.

Yes, but your BELIEFS have resulted from the chaos of your hallucinations.
Thay r not credible.

It's a shame. This was going to be a great thread. Now, I'm just tired of seeing it pop up. Thumbing it down. Shame.

A
R
T

Between OmSig and JTT no thread is safe, art. It's like those spammers who'll manage to insert a plug for their product into any thread which might be read by prospective customers. Interesting thing is, neither of them realizes that they're really two of a kind, divergent poltical viewpoints notwithstanding.

If u want me to stop talking to him,
then Y don 't u just ASK ??

instead of getting mad n stomping away





David

I'm not stomping away. You're thinking of failures art. Me, I'm just commenting on the childish idiocy of this ongoing dialogue.

I was.


I agree, but its enuf just to ask in a nice way.
It 'd mean nothing to me to put him back on Ignore again.

OmSig: Thank you, thank you, Merry. You've provided me the perfect opportunity to pretend that I'm not a coward.

My, aren't we rude today!

You can be rude to a guy who delights in the deaths of millions, WM? Is that really possible?

You can be rude to a guy who thinks it cool to join in witch hunts, snitching on neighbors and helping destroy people's lives simply because of their political beliefs.

That's not rudeness, it's just pointed honesty.

Wow, you've got me at a disadvantage, JTT. I came prepared to post a humorous response to your response, but you stopped me cold with your post. I don't know what to say. I expected you to call me names and thumb down my post, but you didn't.

What can I say in David's defense? Well, on the one hand, he's a friendly guy; and some of his posts are funny. At least I think so. On the other? Well, I don't agree with all of his political views; but a lot of people wouldn't agree with some of my political views, that being the nature of politics. And I do agree with you that the United States has supported terrible dictators in other countries from time to time. (Seems like most other countries have done wrongs, too. Sometimes even relatively small countries.)

For some reason I'm not able to come up with any compelling argument to not be rude to David except to say that he is an old man who doesn't have any power to determine government policy and neither do the rest of us who post in this beloved forum.

As for me, I live in a state that is politically noncompetitive; and that is Texas, a red state if there ever was one. So, I don't vote for that reason (not to mention others). It's just a waste of time. There's no way I can affect government policy. I have enough trouble running my own life, what with my health (mental and physical) problems and all. Why, JTT, you'd hate to live here because this state's politics are so far removed from your own!

Let me see ... what sort of argument can I come up with for not being rude to David? Well, I guess it's simply because the arguments here (well, sometimes they become rather meanspirited) are of no consequence. A2K doesn't affect government policy. So, what does it matter? We're not going to influence anyone.

Anyways, I just prefer to be polite (which I have sometimes failed to do, as when I've lost my temper), as the alternative is to get upset and end up resenting one or more of the members here -- which is pointless and sort of strange since, very likely, I'll never get to meet them.

Well, that's all I've got to say. (Actually, I was rather long-winded.) Sounds lame, I know.

I believe I owe the readers of this topic an apology. I now regret submitting the post above. By responding to JTT, I contributed to the derailing of this thread, although that certainly was not my intention. I should have either contributed to the thread by citing an historical speech, or just not respond to the spat between JTT and OmSigDAVID. In a way, I guess I was rude (albeit unintentionally), too. I'll try to remember next time.

If there were an award for being NICE,
and pleasant in this forum, for sure, u 'd be rightfully entitled to it, Bill!

Offhand, I can 't think of anyone who even tries to do so.
Even if there r some who have tried, your success at niceness has been the most EXTRAORDINARY!





David

Good evening, London. I thought it time we had a little talk. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...
I suppose you're wondering why I've called you here this evening. Well you see, I'm not entirely satisfied with your performance lately…. I'm afraid your work's been slipping, and...and well, I'm afraid we've been thinking about letting you go.
Oh, I know, I know. You've been with the company a long time now. Almost...Let me see. Almost ten thousand years! My word, doesn't time fly? It seems like only yesterday… I remember the day you commenced your employment, swinging down from the trees, fresh-faced and nervous, A bone clasped in your bristling fist... "Where do I start, sir?" You asked, plaintively.
I recall my exact words: "There's a pile of dinosaur eggs over there, youngster," I said smiling paternally the while. "Get sucking."
Well, we've certainly come a long way since then, haven’t we? And yes, yes, you're right, in all that time you haven’t missed a day. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Also please don't think I've forgotten about your out-standing service record, or about all of the invaluable contributions that you've made to the company... Fire ,the wheel of agriculture...It's an impressive list, old-timer. A jolly impressive list. Don't get me wrong.
But...well, to be frank, we've had our problems ,too. There's no getting away from it. Do you know what I think a lot of it stems from? I'll tell you... It's your basic unwillingness to get on within the company. You don't seem to want to face up to any real responsibility, or to be your own boss. Lord knows, you've been given plenty of opportunities...We've offered you promotion time and time again, and each time you've turned us down. :"I couldn't handle the work, Guv'nor," you wheedled. "I know my place"
To be frank, you're not trying, are you? You see, you've been standing still for far too long, and it's starting to show in your work....And I might add, in your general standard behaviour. The constant bickering on the factory floor has not escaped my attention...Nor the recent bouts of rowdiness in the staff canteen. Then of course there's....Hmmmm. Well, I didn't really want to have to bring this up, but...Well, you see I've been hearing some disturbing rumours about your personal life.
No, never you mind who told me. No names, no pack drill...I understand that you are unable to get on with your spouse. I hear that you argue. I am told that you shout. Violence has been mentioned. I am reliably informed that you always hurt the one you love...The one you shouldn't hurt at all.
And what about the children? It's always the children who suffer, as you're well aware. Poor little mites. What are they to make of it? What are they to make of your bullying, your despair, your cowardice and all your fondly nurtured bigotries? Really, it's not good enough, is it? And it's no good blaming the drop in work standards upon bad management, either ...
Though, to be sure, the management is very bad. In fact, let us not mince words ... the management is terrible! We've had a string of embezzlers, frauds, liars and lunatics making a string of catastrophic decisions. This is plain fact.
But who elected them? It was you! You who appointed these people! You who gave them the power to make your decisions for you! While I'll admit that anyone can make a mistake once, to go on making the same lethal errors century after century seems to me nothing short of deliberate.
You have encouraged these malicious incompetents, who have made your working life a shambles. You have accepted without question their senseless orders. You have allowed them to fill your workspace with dangerous and unproven machines.
All you had to say was "NO." You have no spine. You have no pride. You are no longer an asset to the company. I will however, be generous. You will be granted two years to show me some improvement in your work. If at the end of that time you are still unwilling to make a go of it...You're fired.
That will be all. You may return to your labors.
V


[V is talking to the statue of Madame Justice atop the Old Bailey]
V: Hello, dear lady. A lovely evening, is it not? Forgive me for intruding, perhaps you were intending to take a stroll, perhaps you were merely enjoying the view. No matter, I thought that it was time we had a little chat, you and I. Ahh... I was forgetting that we are not properly introduced. I do not have a name. You can call me V. Madame Justice, this is V. V, this is Madame Justice. Hello, Madame Justice.
V: [as Madame Justice] Good evening, V.
V: There, now we know each other. Actually, I've been a fan of yours for quite some time. Oh, I know what you're thinking... "The poor boy has a crush on me... an adolescent infatuation". I beg your pardon, Madame. It isn't like that at all. I've long admired you... Albeit only from a distance. I used to stare at you from the streets below when I was a child. I'd say to my father "Who is that lady?" And he'd say "That's Madam Justice". And I'd say "Isn't she pretty?". Please don't think it was merely physical, I know you're not that sort of girl. No, I loved you as a person, as an ideal. That was a long time ago, I'm afraid there's someone else now...
Madame Justice: What? V! For shame! You have betrayed me for some harlot, some vain and pouting hussy with painted lips and a knowing smile!
V: I, Madame? I beg to differ! It was your infidelity that drove me to her arms! Ah-ha! That surprised you, didn't it! You thought I didn't know about your little fling, but I do! I know everything! Frankly, I wasn't surprised when I found out. You always did have an eye for a man in uniform.
Madame Justice: Uniform? Why, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. It was always you, V. You were the only one...
V: Liar! Slut! Whore! Deny that you let him have his way with you, him with his armbands and jackboots! Well? Cat got your tongue? I thought as much. Very well. So you stand revealed at last, you are no longer my Justice. You are his Justice now, you have bedded another. Well, two can play at that game!
Madame Justice: Sob! Choke! Wh-Who is she, V? What is her name?
V: Her name is Anarchy. And she has taught me more as a Mistress than you ever did! She has taught me that Justice is meaningless without Freedom. She is honest, she makes no promises and breaks none. Unlike you, Jezebel. I used to wonder why you could never look me in the eye. Now I know. So goodbye, dear Lady. I would be saddened by our parting, even now, save that you are no longer the woman that I once loved. Here is a final gift. I leave it at your feet.
[V leaves a small heart-shaped chocolate box at the statue's feet. As V walks away, the box explodes, destroying the Old Bailey and the statue]
V: The flames of Freedom, how lovely, how just. Ahh, my precious Anarchy... "O beauty, 'til now I never knew thee".

How long did it take you to transcribe that? I think you spent too long at Larkhill.

wikiquote is your friend

Thanks, Larkhill is very desolate actually, bang in the middle of Salisbury Plain, which is part of the country almost exclusively owned by the MOD. If you drive through there it's one of the few places in Britain you'll see this road sign.