The exceeding brightness of military glory

[many a good man]

I read this Lincoln quote about Polk for the first time today in Kurt Vonnegut's A Man Without A Country and it blew my socks off!

That originally having some strong motive--what, I will not stop now to give my opinion concerning--to involve the two countries in a war, and trusting to escape scrutiny, by fixing the public gaze upon the exceeding brightness of military glory--that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood--that serpent's eye, that charms to destroy he plunged into it, and has swept, on and on, till, disappointed in his calculation of the ease with which (Iraq) might be subdued, he now finds himself, he knows not where.

[leveymg]

1. Lincoln was not a big fan of the Mexican War (landgrab)

or of a Greater Glorious American Empire, in general.

I like Abe. Wish he'd come back - I might even vote Republican for him.

[many a good man]

2. Kick

to celebrate our leader's glorious speech this morning.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. So true. And here is another gem from a contemporary of his albeit

for a later war.

http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/making/warprayer.html

[many a good man]

4. I'd love to hear their thoughts

on the present circumstances we find ourselves in.