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Kerry Edwards 04
Bush Cheney 04
 

PH News: September 2004 Edition
The following is the Issue of PH News that came out in September. PH News Issues come out on the first day of every month in print. They come out a half a month or so late in electronic form.

The Bizarre Pleasure of Spite

Dirk Philipsen
Special Correspondent

The Olympics–an event that brings out any number of strong, and at times contradictory, emotions: pride and nationalism, but also an appreciation for diversity and a rooting for the underdog; intense identification with individual competitors, yet also admiration for outstanding performance.  There are favorites and those who are considered long-shots (or no-shots).  And then, particularly in the U.S., there is media coverage that makes you wonder at times whether there are other nations actually participating in the Olympics.  There is arrogance and condescension, but also occasional attempts to learn about, and appreciate, the "other"–not always very successful, mind you, but still.  A couple of days ago I watched a tennis match, scheduled for the late evening in Athens.  The floodlights were glaring down on the athletes on the court, when one player (I think he was from Chile), hesitated before serving.  The camera zoomed in on him, and viewers the world over saw that he was dealing with a rather large moth that had landed on his lower arm.  Rather than swatting at the moth, he gently tried to flick the moth away, to which the TV commentator responded, "how nice, he is trying not to kill the moth....I think I read somewhere that he is an environmentalist."  Well.

But I'm getting off topic.  What I really wanted to write about was an eerie feeling of intense pleasure, of deep satisfaction, after the conclusion of a particular basketball game.  And don't get me wrong–I had no stakes in the game, don't particularly enjoy basketball in the first place, and don't usually care very much about who wins.  But this was the "dream team," the presumably unbeatable U.S. squad, up against a group of players few had ever heard of, much less considered serious competitors: the team of Puerto Rico.  Islanders who have spent their entire lives in the suffocating shadow of their colonial power, the United States of America.  From the first minute, to everyone's astonishment, Puerto Rico led.  By halftime they were up 16 points, and the commentators waxed eloquently how the superior U.S. pro's would make a run in the second half–for clearly, the very thought of Iverson and Duncan and Co. to lose against Puerto Rico was, well, simply unthinkable.  And yes, they tried, and came within 9 points.  But then the impossible happened: Puerto Rico team played awesome defense, took the wind out of the sails of the American team, and scored on almost every possession they had.  The final score: 92 Puerto Rico, 73 U.S.  The dream team was not only beat, they were clobbered (or, as some would see it, humiliated.)  And I was elated, more satisfied by this result than I ever remember being after a sporting event.  Sure, I generally root for the underdog.  And, yes, I like unpredictable outcomes.  But there was much more to my deep sense of gratification.  The ultimate sports stars, the multi-million dollar icons of professional American basketball, the swaggering attitude and commodity peddlers of everything from cologne to sporting gear, the heroes of so many of America's youngsters, the consummate braggers of presumed invincibility....well, they had been roundly defeated; defeated by a group of players who were not even supposed to be in anything close to their league.  Now that is sweet.  The swagger of the U.S. stars was gone, the arrogance dimmed in their eyes–suddenly they were almost like real people I could relate to.  It was a good day, a tiny victory for a shared humanity, for those who had been artificially elevated to the soaring heights of arrogance, wealth, and stardom had, at least temporarily, toppled to the ground, having to breathe the same air all of us other mere mortals do.

MORE:  Game Statistics

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Dirk Philipsen is a professor of History at VSU, and founder of ISRR
 

How Dumb Is Too Dumb?
A look at the language of George W. Bush
 
Niklas Philipsen
Editor

 “One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is ‘to be prepared’.” -06/12/1993

“The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I mean in this century's history. But we all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century.” -09/15/1995

 “I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and democracy—but that could change.”-05/22/1998

“Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?” -01/11/2000

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.'' -Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001

“I think if you know what you believe, it makes it a lot easier to answer questions. I can't answer your question.” -10/04/2000           

“First, we would not accept a treaty that would not have been ratified, nor a treaty that I thought made sense for the country.” -04/24/2001

 “We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease.” -06/14/2001

"I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe — I believe what I believe is right." -Rome, July 22, 2001

There’s a huge trust. I see it all the time when people come up to me and say, ‘I don’t want you to let me down again.’ ” –Boston, Mass., October 3, 2000

 “The best way to fight evil is to do some good. Let me qualify that: The best way to fight evil at home is to do some good. The best way to fight them abroad is to unleash the military. It is so important for citizens in this country to put a face on America for the world to see—the true face.” -04/08/2002

“More and more of our imports are coming from overseas.” -09/25/2000

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." -LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000

"I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family."   -Greater Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000

"I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here." -Waco, Texas, Aug.13, 2002

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." -Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

"They misunderestimated me." -Bentonville, Ark., Nov.6, 2000

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." -Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000

MORE:  More Bushisms
_______________________________________________________________
Niklas Philipsen is the Editor of PH News and Owner of KiGOE©
 

"Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign,"
-Salih Sadir, a member of the Iraqi soccer team, after George Bush featured then in his political ads.

“I’ve reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now that the inadequate intelligence and faulty conclusions are being revealed, that all things being considered, it was a mistake to launch that military action”
-Doug Bereuter, Republican Congressman from Nebraska who had originally supported launching an attack on Iraq.

“The really rich people figure out how to dodge taxes anyway”
-George W. Bush, trying to explain why he gives tax cuts, responding to Kerry’s proposal to rescind tax cuts for the wealthy.
 

FYI:

The week before the Republican National Convention, the Greene Dragon Street Theater group will pedal down Lexington Ave. on bicycles outfitted with fake horse heads, yelling “The Republicans are coming!”

New York City’s police and fire fighters are threatening to strike during the Convention after these 9/11 heroes worked without labor contracts for two years.