Showing posts with label Michelle Bachmann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michelle Bachmann. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Historical Metaphors for Dummies

I don't do this usually, but from TPM:

At today's conservative "Code Red" rally against the health care bill, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) rallied the faithful with a fun historical and literacy reference: "It's the charge of the light brigade!"

The fun part here is that the Light Brigade lost that famous battle of the Crimean War -- they lost it badly, sustaining heavy numbers of deaths and injuries. They are celebrated not for victory, but for their bravery in taking on truly insurmountable odds in a military disaster.
OK, maybe if Ms. Bachmann had compared her compatriots to the British, or the Ottomans, or even the French following the charge of the light brigade, maybe the analogy would have been apt. But she didn't so it isn't.

So, Rep. Bachmann, here are some other things you probably shouldn't compare your friends to:
  • Pompeii
  • The Titanic
  • The Darién Scheme
  • Custer's Last Stand
  • Smoot-Hawley tariff
  • The Chevy Chase Show
  • Vanilla Ice
  • Day-Glo Attire
  • 8-Track Tapes
  • DiVX
  • Ishtar
  • This is a start anyway; I hope it helps.