April 30, 2010
A Maudlin Aside
Comes now the hot, hard days of summer. Just around the bend. I have been privileged to witness, if privileged is the proper term, great hatred, and vitriol, and animosity amongst us, even during the dry winter season, when passions generally run to the complacent. People of nominal political persuasion castigating their fellow man. Folk who normally only gin up the requisite civic duty on a four year cycle gnashing teeth at their perceived enemy. It is unbespoke, unholy, and highly unusual.
It is also a good thing.
I personally could never be truly beholden to a position, be it political or personal, that did not infuriate someone, somewhere. Pissing off one's fellow man is the essence of liberty and freedom. And if one is not pissing off someone, then one is without true conviction.
Here's a thought: when I was eighteen years old I found myself standing in a train station in Malaga, Spain, there to take a short trip to the Spanish Riviera resort of Torremolinos. I held thirteen dollars in my pocket, and a bottle of the local skullpop, and felt myself the poorest man in the world. Until I felt a squishy aberration underfoot, and looked down to see I was standing upon the rubber waders of a young Spaniard, about my own age, who possessed no legs. The rubber waders he apparently attached to himself for the sole benefit of dragging himself around train depots so as to entangle himself with potential benefactors.
I gave the poor brute a pull of my skullpop and five of my dollars, and hefted him to a nearby bench. Not because I was a good man. I was not. I still presume I am not. I gave it to him to alleviate my momentary guilt, and because it was something my mother would have expected me to do.
My mother was very big on doing nice things for those unfortunate people she found herself surrounded with at times. She'd grown up poor in south Georgia in the Depression, and she liked to do nice things for people later when she had the money and opportunity.
She still considered them niggers, of course, but she never said that outright (very often), and I think her heart was in the right place.
So: what ties polemical acerbity with noblesse oblige to an unknown, legless Spaniard? Or a poor black lady on the back of the bus? I'm not sure, other than my conviction that the institutionalisation of noblesse oblige has made us a coarser, more angry people. It all boils down to expectations.
Once a hapless citizen is denied the kindness of a stranger because he possesses the expectation that the Government Integral will dispense it in lieu of the stranger, along with a salt tablet and a quarter of cheese, the social compact has been broken. Kindness is no longer required, nor is thanks.
It's all of a thing. Today I would likely direct that Spaniard to a help booth. There's an app for that, you poor legless fuck. Get on board. Just don't look to me for help. I gave at the 15th of April festivities. Nothing here for you now.
It's a sad thing, but it was inevitable. There ain't nothing we can do as individuals that the government can't do more poorly, more insensitively, and more inefficiently.
It's the American Way.
Keep at it, brotha. You got the direction down, you just need the horsepower now.
Posted by: og at May 1, 2010 10:41 AMTake it easy with those castigations. We have enough sopranos as it is.
Posted by: Cappy at May 1, 2010 11:41 AMPrecisely it. That's exactly what I've been feeling for awhile now. When charity is expected from the government, we've all given at the office so we are more distant and uncaring of each other.
Posted by: Nicole at May 1, 2010 1:25 PMIn Mexico some unnatural mothers purposely lame the feet of their child and teach them to beg from the tourists. This can afford a family a modicum of comfort, while the tender mercies of their Socialism leaves them utterly destitute.
You'll never see a Mexican give them a dime, however.
Posted by: Joan of Argghh! at May 1, 2010 8:48 PM"There ain't nothing we can do as individuals that the government can't do more poorly, more insensitively, and more inefficiently."
Damn, I'm gonna laminate that for my wallet.
Posted by: Jim - PRS at May 1, 2010 10:26 PMThere are several money quotes in this piece, Jim. You could keep that laminator busy for a while.
Posted by: Elisson at May 2, 2010 4:42 PMI have that same attitude these days, it is somewhat liberating. Whenever I get approached by some skank asking for change in the Sam's Club parking lot, all I see is an Obama voter. It takes all the self control I have to avoid telling them to fuck off.
Posted by: Cocklebur at May 3, 2010 1:55 PMHi guys!
Posted by: alaska kim at May 3, 2010 6:14 PMVery well put and said!
Posted by: rdennis at May 3, 2010 8:16 PMAnd thus is revealed, under the scab; the raw, oozing pustule at the core of liberalism.
Damn well said sir, in damn few words. W.F. Buckley could have written a book on it, and not have said it half as well.
This needs to be read aloud, verbatim, at tea parties far and wide.
Just to watch liberals heads explode.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
"There ain't nothing we can do as individuals that the government can't do more poorly, more insensitively, and more inefficiently.
It's the American Way."
Au contraire, mon frère. It's not just the American Way, it's the Governemnt Way, irrespective of nationality.
Posted by: CenTexTim at May 5, 2010 7:48 PMHow does one perchance upon a legless Spaniard with rubber waders in a train station? That's gotta be an 'only you' thing, right?
Posted by: Andy at May 6, 2010 12:58 PMBEAUTIFUL!!!!
Posted by: Barbara at May 9, 2010 1:31 PMIt is said that one time at Jekyll Island, Velociman happened upon another legless individual, a young lady who sat, weeping piteously, by the seashore. Not only was she legless, she had no arms.
"Why, what's wrong, young lady?" asked V-Man, moved by the sight of her tears.
"I... I'm twenty years old, and I've never been kissed," sobbed the girl. "And now that I have no arms and no legs, I see no hope of ever tasting a man's lips."
Taking pity upon the girl (in fairness, it must at this point be noted that she had a fine set of headlights), Velociman knelt down and delivered unto the young lady a long, moist, deep kiss.
As he began to walk away, he could not help but notice that she was weeping harder than ever.
"What's the problem now?"
"I... I'm twenty years old, and I've never been fucked," sobbed the girl. "And now that I have no arms and no legs..."
At this, Velociman lifted the girl up in his arms. Striding purposefully to the water's edge, he tossed her into the surf.
"Well, you're fucked now!"
Posted by: Elisson at May 10, 2010 12:22 AMThe poor girl's name? Bobbie.
Posted by: Joan of Argghh! at May 11, 2010 9:43 PMExcellent post. Get your head right, we'll be here.
Posted by: cmblake6 at May 18, 2010 8:11 PMKim Crawford's book arrived today. It took a very long time from order to delivery. However, it did arrive without having to pester the vendor. Once again, patience is rewarded.
Ellison's review did not deter me from ordering as Velocity writing is something I enjoy. Hopefully we'll see more on the site here.
Regardless - best wishes to Vman and the group that passes through - with and without commenting.
Posted by: Guaman at May 21, 2010 10:22 PMOh my. I finally restored my blogroll and arrive to see you're in a funk? Been there too often myself my friend. Sorry to hear it, but at least you still have enough spirit to bash us bleeding heart hippies. So there's that...
Posted by: Libby at June 3, 2010 12:39 AMI keep checking back to see if you've resurfaced and I swear, every single time, even though I know what it says, I read the title of this post as A Maudlin Asshole before my brain clicks in to correct it.
Posted by: Libby at June 5, 2010 3:22 PM"There ain't nothing we can do as individuals that the government can't do more poorly, more insensitively, and more inefficiently."
Perfectly stated and inevitably proved.
Thanks for the pointer Joan.
Posted by: Van at June 13, 2010 4:11 PMWhere are you? Call me, Cat.
Posted by: Catfish at June 20, 2010 4:47 AMHappy Father's Day, VMan!
Posted by: PeggyU at June 20, 2010 4:50 PMMiss you, Boss.
Hope things are going your way, wherever you are.
Posted by: apotheosis at July 20, 2010 12:08 PMGet back here, you pussy all too self reflecting motherfucker.
The goat man would laugh at your aspersions of sensitivities.
Think yourself on his goat driven cart. Subject of ridicule yet fascination. That's the life we all live. Lucid versus lunacy. Be true to your own self, man. It matters.
But let us know what you're thinking. Okay.
Posted by: Luther at July 29, 2010 12:02 AMSurely he cannot have fallen into a black hole of introspection? I think he's off having a good time somewhere. But he could at least send a postcard to gloat about it.
Posted by: PeggyU at July 30, 2010 12:33 AMI knew I should've stopped when I was in Tennessee.
Stop being a broken pussy, goddammit.
You're a man.
Write like one.
Some time ago, I really needed to buy a good house for my business but I didn't earn enough money and couldn't buy something. Thank heaven my colleague adviced to try to get the home loans at reliable creditors. Hence, I did so and was happy with my car loan.
Posted by: loans at January 7, 2012 12:49 PM