US warns of retaliation following cleric’s killing. Clearly, Obama’s assassination has made us safer. But we should still be afraid. Due process and justice? No time left for that, we’re under attack… because there’s no time left for that…
On Twitter Politico quotes from a statement issued by President Obama in response to a shooting at a public event held by Representative Giffords, which has claimed many casualties including the Congresswoman (her prognosis is reported to be surprisingly positive, having suffered a gunshot to her head) and at least a few fatalities among them as I draft this.
@politico: #Obama:
Such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free societyhttp://politi.co/fQmggR
What does that mean? Assuming even the best of intentions, does that sentiment mean much in the context of remarks from a contemporary President of the United States?
In trying to give those words meaning, these questions come to mind:
What does that imply about society? I don’t take it for granted that we live in a free one, if that was an implied premise.
Do I even agree with the statement? What does a free society need to endure, lest it stop being free?
I think we must consider the idea that a free society is going to have to accept some level of tragedy. We also need to consider how much tragedy is a function of an unfree society. I’m not sure the most vocal people who seize podiums and microphones want a free society or even understand what they want.
I just read in the New York Times that William Daley of the famous Chicago political family (and a former Clinton administration official and a JP Morgan executive) is to be named President Obama’s next Chief of Staff.
The opening graph, at the moment, reads that he’ll bring an “outsider’s voice” to the White House. In the same breath the article promotes his decades of business experience.
Since when is a former corporate executive that has previously held an executive branch appointment an outsider? The New York Times doesn’t attribute that specific term describing Daley’s anticipated role to anyone in the administration, so that’s apparently how they summarize an unchallenged view which they are echoing.
Laughable. Disgusting.