Weiner-free zone
If you want insights into the Rep. Anthony Weiner scandal that is consuming the attention of large parts of the media, VFR is not the place to look.
As I said last year in a completely different context, I am the anti-Terence. Many things human are alien to me.
- end of initial entry -
Hannon writes:
I finally went to have a look at the Wikiquotes page for Publius Terentius Afer (“Terence” seems a bit audacious to me, like calling George Washington “Georgie”) and most of the quotes I liked. Here is one for our age, or any age:
Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit.
Obsequiousness begets friends, truth hatred.
But I see what you mean about the alienating nature of various human things. We could no more welcome them all, those we have experience or knowledge of, than we could comprehend the seas.
LA replies:
You wrote:
“Terence” seems a bit audacious to me, like calling George Washington “Georgie,”
I’m not sure that’s correct. Since Terentius is his middle name, that is a family name, not a familiar or personal name. (I don’t remember the proper terms for the different types of Latin names.) Take for example Gaius Julius Caesar. Gaius was his personal name, Julius a family name, and so was Caesar. So when Mark Antony in his funeral speech says, “Great Julius fell,” he is not assuming an improper familiarity. I imagine it’s the same with speaking of “Terence.”
Charles T. writes:
You wrote:
“Many things human are alien to me.”
That is a good policy to keep on many things.
LA replies:
Indeed. When you think about it, Terence’s statement that “Nothing human is alien to me,” which is always quoted approvingly, implies a readiness to embrace—or at least to “understand” sympathetically—every evil and monstrosity of which human beings are capable. What a nihilistic thing to say.
June 1
LA writes:
There are some funny comments and artful wordplay on the Weiner situation at this Lucianne thread this morning.
Also, while I said I would not be commenting on l’affaire Weiner, since then I’ve read a couple of items on it, and I have to say that it really does look as though he himself sent that photo to that female college student. When this story initially broke, it seemed too weird and trivial to relate to, and I ignored it. Then a female friend asked me yesterday if men thought that sending such a photograph to a woman would attract her rather than repel her. The discussion strengthened the thought that figuring out the motivations of a person who would send such a photo was something I really didn’t feel like doing. But as the facts in the case have become clearer, it does look as though Weiner did it, and I would also add that he is such an off-putting individual that I don’t regard such behavior on his part as impossible.
Here are some of the Lucianne comments:
Reply 1—Posted by: freedomlibbie, 6/1/2011 5:47:00 AM
Sure am enjoying this little uprising. Hope it ends up being long and drawn out.
Reply 2—Posted by: Cat Ballou, 6/1/2011 6:15:20 AM
He’s never done himself any favors, just by being on TV & talking. There is an “ick” factor about him, even more so than some of his fellow Dems.
Reply 3—Posted by: sagman, 6/1/2011 6:36:16 AM
Washington (AP) -Congressman Anthony Weiner said today that he is hot on the trail of the real killer in the O. J. Simpson murders. ”Once I nail that guy, I’m going after the person who hacked my Twitter account. Stay tuned.”
Reply 5—Posted by: Tytlie, 6/1/2011 6:49:47 AM
Weiner is the ultimate definition of disgusting. He’s a little twit out of the Rahm mold. He’s what you find on your shoe at the dog park! [LA replies: this comment interests me, because in the late ’90s, when Emanuel was a Clinton spokesman, I was watching him on TV and said the same thing, that he was like something you would scrape off the bottom of your shoe.]
Reply 9—Posted by: UNCDoc, 6/1/2011 6:57:18 AM
The puns have become tedious. But this guy is a despicable little worm. Oh, now there I’ve gone and done it …
Reply 10—Posted by: FenwayFrank, 6/1/2011 7:03:16 AM
#8—The real question should be: Why hasn’t he sought medical help? This story has lasted for days now.
Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 31, 2011 08:35 PM | Send