Nixon, Archie Bunker, and Homosexuality

Ice Black pointed me to this little gem: Nixon and the boys discussing with shock and confusion an episode of Archie Bunker about “teh gays.” Stuff like this make me question who the worst president in American history really was, Nixon or W. Are there diferent levels of scum, or is a piece of shit a piece of shit?

Comments

[DN]

For the better part of the first W administration, I still held RMN to be America's worst president, because of the crimes he committed and his disregard for civil liberties. But when it became clear that Bush had lied about the intelligence behind the Iraq invasion, I changed my mind. He wasn't misinformed; he lied to push an agenda that had nothing to do with America and everything to do with profit.

I think that Nixon was a reactionary, who was acting out of fear of the tide of history that was clearly against his way of thinking, but that his way of thinking was that America should be the strongest nation on earth. Most of the Watergate crimes were crimes of fear and (pace, HST) loathing. He saw himself as a victim, fighting the forces of degeneracy that would bring us down. A patriot, albeit a sick and sad one.

W, on the other hand, was an activist with a clear agenda that had God's kingdom and personal profit as its goalsl and not US hegemony. He was also riding a historical wave, but it was the wave of right-wing fundamentalism and it wasn't fear that was motivating him as much as the euphoric sense of his own adrenaline. America meant nothing to W or his people; this was God's world, and He was clearly on our side. Nixon swam against the tide; W was a surfing motherfucker.

I will always have a special place in my hell for Nixon. He was evil and started all the crap that Reagan and the Bushes made hay from. But W is now my choice for worst president. He was not much more than a war profiteer. At least Nixon could act like a statesman. And he could read and write, too. His memoirs are worth the time.

[Casey]

I like the passion, DN.

For my money, Bush is the best argument for a reconsideration of the topic of "God" in many centuries... the way that DN phrases it makes it sound as if God is fake, but if he was real, would be on Bush's America's side. I'd prefer to think about a god that is real, and completely opposed to all the kinds of bullshit Bush strung together (not to mention Nixon's hate-speech).

I know you don't like the word ("God"), Mxrk... but what seems more likely: that it will be redefined and improved semantically, or that it will disappear altogether? If we could teach that "God" is just shorthand for every-single-fucking-person (and maybe the animals and plants too) wouldn't we be taking two steps forward?

Or not? Maybe not. I can't always feel confident about this because I read too much Emerson, who makes me feel giddy and optimistic.

[Stacey]

I really wish we could hear what Nixon said during that 14 second beep!

[Mxrk]

"I hate the gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaays..."