By Paul Weiser
Many are the ways to distinguish good, insightful (often conservative) ideas from foolish (often liberal). One of the easiest is finding them expressed in easy-to-shout jingles.
What are the big lib/socialist yells? Many begin, "HEY ho, Hey ho," etc. (from before "Ho" was an Ebonic insult in its own right, which would have made "HO, HO, HO chi MINH!" both risque and traitorous). "HEY, HEY, EL bee JAY, HOW many KIDS did you KILL to-DAY?" And of course, "If the GLOVE don't FIT you MUST a-QUIT" or anything Jesse Jackson brays into a microphone.
These work on people predisposed to shout along in lockstep. They're not great, involving oratory: that requires thought. When you hear "Fourscore and seven years ago..." it isn't the rhythm that grabs you right away. It's the idea you must swiftly wrestle from the words: a score is twenty, so let's see, 87 years, this is 1863, that would be... 1776. The Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident," equality, which is what this war is about. Of course you have to know a little history - and be able to multiply two-column and subtract four- column numbers in your head.
To chant and obey "If the GLOVE don't FIT," you don't have to know anything. You might admire the lawyer braying that cantrip for knowing the word "acquit," which you don't understand. You saw O.J. pretend he couldn't get his fist into his own blood-stained glove and if you're thinking at all you're so proud to be helping him get away with murder... but mainly, you ignore the complete illogic of the jingle and tap along as if it made sense.
So when you hear a lib/totalitarian slogan or an easily-chanted bumper sticker, remember: you're in the presence of cant. Analyze, understand, and reject!
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