Kn@ppster
by Thomas L. Knapp
"Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is a hostage situation. It's a
neat scam, this holding of one positive reform hostage, while around the
corner your political enemies hold its counterpart hostage as well. You
won't let your hostage go until they let their hostage go. And they
won't let their hostage go until you let yours go (and they'd really
rather you didn't). No muss, no fuss -- you've both successfully avoided
responsibility. They've avoided doing something they don't want to do
anyway, you've avoided doing something you claim you want to do but are
looking for an excuse not to advocate. It's the pleading prayer of St.
Augustine -- Da mihi castitatem et continentiam, sed noli modo! --
cleverly disguised as practical political necessity." (06/19/07