Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of the country; and never to tolerate their violation by others.

As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor; let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the charter of his own, and his children's liberty.

Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe, that prattles on her lap; let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges; let it be written in Primers, spelling books, and in Almanacs; let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; and Let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars.

While ever a state of feeling, such as this, shall universally, or even, very generally prevail throughout the nation, vain will be every effort, and fruitless every attempt, to subvert our national freedom.


- Abraham Lincoln, January 27, 1838
  Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Message to Andrew Keen: this train left without you



Sour grapes, buddy. Stop whining. If you can't sell books, maybe your books aren't worth reading, and the Internet is surely the least of your problems.

I loved the sweeping generalizations about the Internet and 'everyone on it.' Way to make a total ass of yourself on national television.

Yes, some of us out here actually have degrees in writing. If we aren't working for newspapers and making money at the craft, perhaps there is another reason than simply that we aren't worthy of being paid. Maybe we're not soulless hacks. Perhaps we have ethics. Perhaps we care more about truth than money. Maybe the people being paid to do the work - the people willing to lie for a paycheck - are no more than company scabs.

I realize this is something that would never occur to an elitist like yourself -- for whom 'being paid' as an 'artist' is somehow the justification of your worth (and therefore everyone else's lack of worth.)

But you have completely missed the point of the Internet, the blogosphere and democracy in general. It is not about money - was never about money. It is about freedom. Its about everyone having a voice, even bombastic blowhard airbags like yourself.

posted by Maire | 8/18/2007 04:37:00 AM

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