[Mulderator]

As you know, the lefties here love to whine. Of course, they call it stating an opposing viewpoint--they call it being a "good American!". No matter how many times its explained to them that is not that you oppose, its the way you oppose!--i.e., you whine--they still don't get it. It's un-American!

I laughed out loud at this article!

Whining is un-American

Jennifer Roback Morse (archive)
September 19, 2005 | Print | Recommend to a friend

It is bad enough that the Angry Left is blaming George Bush for the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. But it is really unseemly for the Governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans to be blaming the Federal government. After all, the state and local governments in America are supposed to have the authority and the responsibility to be the first responders to natural disasters in their jurisdictions.

When I heard Mayor Nagin whining, I thought to myself, this sounds positively French. Maybe this lame attitude is part of the French heritage of Louisiana and New Orleans and all that. And then I’m chiding myself for tasteless ethnic stereotyping. And it occurs to me, I think I can recall a certain famous Frenchman who made essentially the same point.

So I go to my shelf and pick up my old friend Alexis de Tocqueville. This French aristocrat wrote his famous book, Democracy in America, after his visit to America in 1831, but his descriptions of the contrasting types of American and European attitudes still ring true. He believes that the participating in the institutions of local self-government have shaped the American character, and created a type of person unlike any that Europeans have ever seen before.

He sets up this contrast by starting with a description of the European attitude toward self-government. In Chapter 5 of Part I of the first volume, he reminds his (mostly French) readers how they view themselves in relationship to their government:

There are European nations where the inhabitant sees himself as a kind of settler, indifferent to the fate of the place he inhabits. Major changes happen there without his cooperation, he is even unaware of what precisely has happened; he is suspicious; he hears about events by chance. Worse still, the condition of his village, the policing of the roads, the fate of the churches and presbyteries scarcely bothers him; he thinks that everything is outside his concern and belongs to a powerful stranger called the government.

Honestly, doesn’t that sound like the entitlement mentality? Down to and including the superstitious attitude toward anything they don’t see for themselves. But it gets better: Tocqueville identifies the righteous indignation of the victim:

This detachment from his own fate becomes so extreme that, if his own safety or that of his children is threatened, instead of trying to ward off the danger, he folds his arms and waits for the entire nation to come to his rescue.

Had Tocqueville time-travelled to meet the current Senator and Governor of Louisiana?

The Americans Tocqueville observed in the nineteenth century were a different kettle of crawfish stew. Tocqueville saw that Americans get up and DO something. We made things happen, even back in the nineteenth century. Tocqueville is quick to defend the American character, against the European charge that we had a certain hubris about us. Yes, they evidently thought that about us, even before we were a world “hyperpower”, strong enough to bail them out of two world wars.

Thus, if he (an American) has an often exalted opinion of himself, it is at least salutary. He fearlessly trusts in his own powers, which appear to be sufficient for every eventuality. Suppose an individual thinks of some enterprise which might have some direct connection with the welfare of society. It does not occur to him to seek support from public authority. He publishes a plan, offers to carry it out, summons the help of other individuals and struggles personally against all obstacles. Doubtless, he often has less success than the state would have enjoyed in his stead, but in the longer term, the combined result of all these individual enterprises exceeds greatly what government could achieve.

And isn’t this exactly what we saw on display in the last few weeks? The Red Cross, initially turned away from New Orleans by governmental officials, has been paying the hotel bills of evacuees. Children all across America are contributing their pennies to help the Red Cross. Internet services large and small, have set up bulletin boards to coordinate volunteer efforts and housing searches. One site is calling for guys with trailers to go down and rescue animals that are trapped in kennels. Another site is calling for tradesmen, carpenters and electricians. And Americans are responding to those calls. Anne Applebaum reported that a group of citizens organized a convoy of 92 relief boats to rescue people trapped on rooftops. It did not occur to them to seek public support. Or permission. These volunteers were ultimately turned away by FEMA, because they didn’t have life jackets.

Prison Fellowship Ministries have brought help for the displaced prison population of New Orleans, temporarily housed near Baton Rouge. Volunteers are bringing toiletry items, socks and blankets from North Carolina to these prisoners. And Angel Tree is already planning ahead for how they will locate the children of prisoners in time to get them their Christmas presents. After all, the volunteers who have spent years developing these ministries to help the children of prisoners aren’t about to let a little thing like Hurricane Katrina disappoint the kids at Christmas.

Meanwhile, our French friends, I mean our Louisiana politicians , are still standing there with their arms folded, tapping their feet and waiting for federal funds to rebuild the city. Whining: it’s un-American. Tocqueville would not have been surprised.

[plschwartz]

Bush whines all the time:
Nobody tole me that AQ was a threat

Nobody told me the yellowcake story was still in the speech

Nobody told me that Katrina was a bad storm

Nobody told nme to watch NO on the tellie

et cetera et cetera et cetera

[izme]

"I Just can't take these obstructionist Democrats any longer...booohooohoo"

[bomb #21]

Originally Posted by Alexis de Tocqueville

the participating in the institutions of local self-government have shaped the American character, and created a type of person unlike any that Europeans have ever seen before

What, you mean like a busybody?

[izme]

talk about whiners

1999: Republicans Booed Clinton’s Entrance
Many Republican lawmakers gave him a cool, though not impolite, reception.
There were a smattering of boos when Clinton first entered the House
chamber, but they were quickly drowned out by applause. Some Republicans
barely applauded, or refused at all to clap. House Majority Leader Dick
Armey (R-Texas) and U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) were conspicuously silent.
[Boston Herald, 1/20/99]

1998: Republicans Booed Clinton’s Medicare Proposal
Clinton’s health-care initiatives, chiefly in the form of a medical bill of
rights, found support on both sides, especially his attack on managed-care
health-care plans. … Clinton’s proposal to expand Medicare to allow
Americans as young as 55 to buy into the system drew shouts of “no” and some
boos from Republicans during his speech. [Chicago Tribune, 1/28/98]

1997: Republican’s Booed Clinton’s Opposition to the Balanced Budget
Amendment
The Republican response was far warmer than perhaps any of Clinton’s
previous four State of the Union speeches. Time after time, Republicans
jumped to their feet to join Democrats in applauding the president. Only
once did they unmistakably and collectively show their disapproval–when
Clinton spoke disparagingly of a GOP-sponsored constitutional amendment to
balance the budget. Many Republicans hissed and some booed. [LA Times,
2/5/97]

1995: Republicans Booed Clinton and Walked Out During Speech
The upheaval wrought by the Republican election landslide was visible
throughout the president’s State of the Union address - from the moment
Speaker Newt Gingrich took the gavel to the striking silence that often
greeted Clinton from the GOP. At one point, Republicans even booed. About 20
of them left as Clinton went on and on for an hour and 20 minutes. [AP,
1/24/95]


http://www.leanleft.com/archives/2005/02/03/4009/

[katonca]

I think it's more negativity than whining. No one can accuse the left as being traditionalists either.

[izme]

Originally Posted by katonca

I think it's more negativity than whining. No one can accuse the left as being traditionalists either.

Honestly I think both sides whine

The Libs now more often?

the Republicans took over the hill etc etc

the Republicans have tons of history in the whining dept. in history also

To say whining is Unamerican is at least humorous

[jcroix2002]

Whining is universal.
By reading through these topics in civ debate,one can come to his/her own conclusion who whines the most.
maybe someone can come up with a formula for a "whining index" for civ debate

jcroix2002

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by izme

Honestly I think both sides whine

Nonsense--Republicans whine about what? Refuting liberal hysteria is not whining. Just look at all the threads started here--they are all "whine" threads--negativity. The threads started by the right are positive threads and/or threads countering the liberal hysteria. Point out to me one thread here started by a conservative that is a "whine" thread? If liberals would just shut up with their stupid ideas, the conservatives wouldn't have to bash them!

[combsdon]

[quote=Mulder] The threads started by the right are positive threads and/or threads countering the liberal hysteria. Point out to me one thread here started by a conservative that is a "whine" hread? /QUOTE]

I only went back three pages...........

Hillary why won't you meet with Cindy.........
Mulder accepts complete responsibility, blah, blah,blah......
Bush's rhetoric about race is troubling.....
Democrat Asshat blames GOP for Katrina....
Flight 93 Outrage.........
U.S. Congressman Jefferson (DEM) uses National Guard.......
What media bias..........
Democrats continue to impede the Judicial Process.......
You've heard from the hysterical left - now read the truth.....

.........I know I exceeded my one "whine hread' started by a conserative....

[A_erised]

maybe you should ask basset, for some of that WI cheese to go with all the whine

[izme]

[quote=combsdon]

Originally Posted by Mulder

The threads started by the right are positive threads and/or threads countering the liberal hysteria. Point out to me one thread here started by a conservative that is a "whine" hread? /QUOTE]

I only went back three pages...........

Hillary why won't you meet with Cindy.........
Mulder accepts complete responsibility, blah, blah,blah......
Bush's rhetoric about race is troubling.....
Democrat Asshat blames GOP for Katrina....
Flight 93 Outrage.........
U.S. Congressman Jefferson (DEM) uses National Guard.......
What media bias..........
Democrats continue to impede the Judicial Process.......
You've heard from the hysterical left - now read the truth.....

.........I know I exceeded my one "whine hread' started by a conserative....

"I hope people don't play politics during this period of time," Mr. Bush told Diane Sawyer of ABC's "Good Morning America"

[Wino]

Originally Posted by Mulder

Nonsense--Republicans whine about what? Refuting liberal hysteria is not whining. Just look at all the threads started here--they are all "whine" threads--negativity. The threads started by the right are positive threads and/or threads countering the liberal hysteria. Point out to me one thread here started by a conservative that is a "whine" thread? If liberals would just shut up with their stupid ideas, the conservatives wouldn't have to bash them!

That was a fine whine.............like almost every post you make...........always whining, whining, whining...........face it dude, you are the biggest whiner aboard.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by combsdon

I only went back three pages...........

Moore-On--those threads you cited illustrate my piont:

Originally Posted by Mulder

The threads started by the right are positive threads and/or threads countering the liberal hysteria.

Hillary why won't you meet with Cindy.........

This thread rebukes the whining done by a puppet the hysterical left has engaged to whine about the Iraq war--no Cindy Sheehan, no need for this thread!)

Mulder accepts complete responsibility, blah, blah,blah......

Are you serious? The thread was a joke! Or did you think I was seriously taking responsiblity for your bed-wetter political views?

Bush's rhetoric about race is troubling.....

This is a thread bashing Bush!

Democrat Asshat blames GOP for Katrina....

This is a thread again like the Cindy Sheehan thread rebuking the idiotic allegations by a Democrat asshat who claims Bush and Republicans are responsible for the hurricane due to global warming! Again, no liberaly hysteria and no need for this thread!

Flight 93 Outrage.........

Yes this is whine, but its LAN's thread and he does have a tendancy to whine! I should have excluded him.

U.S. Congressman Jefferson (DEM) uses National Guard.......

This is not a whine about anything--it points out that a Congressman used the National Guard to save his own property.

What media bias..........

This thread points out liberal bias in the news media--its not a whine, its a fact.

Democrats continue to impede the Judicial Process.......

The Democrats refuse to give an up or down vote to judicial nominees--again, if the loony left would simply allow a vote like the Constitution requires, there would be no need for this thread. The only reason for this thread is the whining by the liberals about the judicial nominations.

You've heard from the hysterical left - now read the truth.....

Again, this rebukes about 10 threads blaming Bush for Hurricance Katrina. If we don't have those hyserical threads, I don't need to make this thread.

Is English your first language? Have you ever been diagnosed with dyslexia? Adult Attention Deficit Disorder possibly? Trying to convey a thought to you is like trying to convey one to a door knob!

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by Wino

That was a fine whine.............like almost every post you make...........always whining, whining, whining...........face it dude, you are the biggest whiner aboard.

No--I'm the biggest liberal-killer on the board. I rebuke more liberal whines than you bed wetting, momma's boys can churn out!