When I hear the words, “I take full responsibility,” I reach for my revolver
On the occasion of a colossal failure of judgment, immoral behavior or abortive attempts to achieve certain goals, politicians, business leaders and even clergy often utter the words, “I take full responsibility.” These words, fine in themselves, are rarely followed up with resignations, terminations, restitution, discipline or any other action which gives evidence of taking responsibility. In fact, after these magical words are incanted, the failures and sins of those who recite them are deemed to be, by both the utterer and many of the hearers, purged away and removed as far as the east from west. And the hapless man who dares ask for more than words is labeled a nitpicker, a malcontent, a Shylock after his pound of flesh.
Upon analysis, the words, “I take full responsibility,” when used in such a way, mean nothing of the sort. Rather, a string of phonemes that sound like the otherwise meaningful sentence, “I take full responsibility,” has been vocalized. As such, the sounds are as vacuous as the men who utter them.
Right. In other words, taking responsibility means saying, “I take responsibility.” Period.
Rather than that old fashioned way of thinking, that if one says, “I take responsibility,” he is expected to actually take responsibility.
Comment by Tim H — September 26, 2006 @ 1:56 pm
A pre-given “Get Out of Jail Free” card is the only reason why they are taking responsibility. Without guaranteed immunity they would speak no evil of themselves. Plus, the ostensible confession leads to a book deal as in Richard Clarke’s case.
Comment by Reconman — September 26, 2006 @ 3:21 pm
Didn’t Fooley actually resign this time, though? Or did he just check into rehab? I’ve already exhasted the 7.5 minutes I had allotted to reading about this news story, and your post ate up another 3 seconds, so I can’t look that up for myself.
Also, what’s wrong with y’all? Why don’t you join the 21st Century and get an automatic to reach for?
M.A.B.
Comment by M.A.B. — October 9, 2006 @ 2:49 pm
M.A.B. - Yes, but how much time did you eat up writing your comment? I’ll wager enough to do a Google search.
Foley did resign. But this deserves an essay in itself. Pederasty is one of the few activities that most Americans still do not countenance. (Although it seems that our politicians have come to terms with it years ago.) For him to stay on (to take “full responsibility” without resigning), would have been politically impossible.
But your point is a good one. In those few cases where people are morally outraged and will not accept empty words as sufficient, actions are taken. Perhaps I was unfair in locating the entire problem with the leaders. Leaders only get away with as much as their followers allow. The people bear a good deal of blame for the emptiness of the phrase. This was an oversight by me; and I take full responsibility for it.
As for automatics, we are agragrians and so don’t take with new-fangled gadgetry. Besides this, we have already taken enough liberties with Göring’s famous saying.
Comment by MRB — October 9, 2006 @ 3:26 pm
I write real fast, so it only took .07 sec. Less time than it took for you to write “yes.”
Glad to see you take full responsibility. Does that mean you are going to institute some layers of procedures (and therefore bureaucracy) to see that an outrage like this never happens again to the American People?
It is my understanding that being Agrarian doesn’t being against industry, just against industrialization of society. Glock is a very family-oriented business, I think. For that matter, the same people who make revolvers make automatics, and probably use pretty similar Evil Machines. Can agrarians use Black Talons?
Time to plow.
M.A.B.
Comment by M.A.B. — October 10, 2006 @ 6:11 am
Actually, Göring referred to an auto. We are real throwbacks I guess.
Comment by TJH — October 10, 2006 @ 11:49 am