Wallow

A rather brilliant painting: American Fundamentalists (curse the image for the 1888 original) would of course risk naturalizing the Nth Coming if it wasn't already a parody. Relatedly, see TheocracyWatch.org. And speaking of the problem of irony, it seems Donald Rumsfeld is busy, as usual, nihilistically mangling the words, "patronizing" and "hypocritical" as he lectures El Salvadorians on their new historical narrative:

And the people of the United States, I must say, take special pride when having stood with you during those tough times and they were tough. I believe someday both of our countries, the people of both of our countries, will look back with pride on the role that you are now playing in helping the Iraqis on their paths to freedom and a more peaceful future. Today the Iraqi people are learning that our people, your people, discovered during our own struggle for independence and freedom, that the fight is not easy, it never is, that it requires patience and that it has costs.

And sometimes the struggle for freedom gives us heroes. Earlier this year and on Najaf in Iraq, a 16-member El Salvadoran squad came under the attack by assassins. El Salvadoran troops fought until they ran out of ammunition. I’m told that [Inaudible] they then fought against these criminals with their knives, holding on valiantly, until other coalition soldiers were able to help break through and come to their aid.

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