A willful audacious libel against the truth

“[A]s the domestic tranquillity of a nation, depends greatly on the chastity of what might properly be called NATIONAL MANNERS, it is often better to pass some things over in silent disdain, than to make use of such new methods of dislike, as might introduce the least innovation on that guardian of our peace and safety. And, perhaps, it is chiefly owing to this prudent delicacy, that the king’s speech hath not before now suffered a public execution. The speech, if it may be called one, is nothing better than a wilful audacious libel against the truth, the common good, and the existence of mankind; and is a formal and pompous method of offering up human sacrifices to the pride of tyrants.

“But this general massacre of mankind, is one of the privileges and the certain consequences of kings, for as nature knows them not, they know not her, and although they are beings of our own creating, they know not us, and are become the gods of their creators. The speech hath one good quality, which is, that it is not calculated to deceive, neither can we, even if we would, be deceived by it. Brutality and tyranny appear on the face of it. It leaves us at no loss: And every line convinces, even in the moment of reading, that he who hunts the woods for prey, the naked and untutored Indian, is less savage than the king of Britain.”

The above words were penned by Thomas Paine in an appendix to the third edition of his “Common Sense,” after the colonies received copies of a speech made by King George III to Parliament on Oct. 26, 1776. In the speech, King George condemned the leaders of the “rebellious War” in America and announced steps he was taking to “put a speedy End to these Disorders” — steps that included beefing up his naval and land forces to augment the “Maintenance of … Authority” and a promise to pardon the “unhappy and deluded Multitude, against whom this Force will be directed” when they “become sensible of their Error.”

But substitute the word “king” in Paine’s missive with Republican presidential aspirants and it is a fitting description of the neocons seeking the GOP presidential nomination and their efforts to one-up each other on the subjects of “fighting terror” and more foreign wars. The possible exception is Sen. Rand Paul, and that’s really just a maybe.

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