Comments on: PR and the Southern Strategy http://likethedew.com/2010/03/15/pr-and-the-southern-strategy/ A journal of progressive Southern culture and politics Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:02:55 +0000 hourly 1 By: Cliff Green http://likethedew.com/2010/03/15/pr-and-the-southern-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-11120 Cliff Green Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:24:25 +0000 http://likethedew.com/?p=8438#comment-11120 To the character "Brenden": I have the courage of my convictions. "All Republicans are racist noose-toting night riders, therefore we must hang them first..." Satisfied? To the character “Brenden”: I have the courage of my convictions. “All Republicans are racist noose-toting night riders, therefore we must hang them first…”
Satisfied?

]]> By: Monica Smith http://likethedew.com/2010/03/15/pr-and-the-southern-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-11062 Monica Smith Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:12:48 +0000 http://likethedew.com/?p=8438#comment-11062 Yes, he may well have been thinking of the Mad Ludwig whose madness was demonstrated by having castles (instead of churches?) built to encourage "conspicuous consumption" -- i.e. by looking at the wonders man can create. I cannot, frankly, remember where or when I learned about rhubarb and barbarians. Perhaps it was in connection with Frederick I, called Barbarossa because of his red beard http://www.thenagain.info/Webchron/WestEurope/FredBarb.html. Very likely the Italians he subjugated considered him a barbarian. And still, Bavarians harbor resentment at the long history of trying to unify them with the rest of Germany. Whenever something goes wrong, they can proclaim "we never wanted to be part of that, anyway." Being self-designated is, of course, better than being identified with a plant. Brits aren't keen on being called "Limeys." "angenommen" is the German word for "assume" -- i.e. to take up or accept without much thought. Yes, he may well have been thinking of the Mad Ludwig whose madness was demonstrated by having castles (instead of churches?) built to encourage “conspicuous consumption” — i.e. by looking at the wonders man can create.
I cannot, frankly, remember where or when I learned about rhubarb and barbarians. Perhaps it was in connection with Frederick I, called Barbarossa because of his red beard http://www.thenagain.info/Webchron/WestEurope/FredBarb.html. Very likely the Italians he subjugated considered him a barbarian. And still, Bavarians harbor resentment at the long history of trying to unify them with the rest of Germany. Whenever something goes wrong, they can proclaim “we never wanted to be part of that, anyway.”
Being self-designated is, of course, better than being identified with a plant. Brits aren’t keen on being called “Limeys.”
“angenommen” is the German word for “assume” — i.e. to take up or accept without much thought.

]]> By: erudite_recondite_eremite http://likethedew.com/2010/03/15/pr-and-the-southern-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-11058 erudite_recondite_eremite Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:33:44 +0000 http://likethedew.com/?p=8438#comment-11058 Maybe he was alluding to the supposedly "mad" King Ludwig II (Otto Friedrich Wilhelm von Bayern) who loved to build castles (and not just in the sky!), or was your entire reply (especially the use of "barbarians" in the last sentence) intended as sarcastic irony?? :-) In any case, your connection of "rhubarb" with "Bavaria" and "Bavarian" (capitalized), if not sarcastic irony, is new to me. In regards to the etymology of the word "Bavaria" (which is not entirely indisputed): "Der volle Name der Baiern lautete ursprünglich germanisch *baio-warioz. Überliefert ist dieser als Baiwaren, Baioaren, Bajoras, latinisiert Bavarii, Baioarii. Es wird angenommen, dass es sich dabei um ein Endonym (= Selbstbezeichnung) handelt. Hinter dem Erstglied baio steckt der Name des keltischen Stammes der Boier, der auch im Landschaftsnamen Böhmen (germanisch latinisiert boio-hemum = Heim der Boier) erhalten ist." http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajuwaren In other words eponymous. In regards to rhubarb, it seems to be unlikely to be related: "The plant has grown wild along the banks of the River Volga for centuries but this variety was known to the west as Russian rhubarb, as opposed to the more efficacious Chinese rhubarb. The expense of transportion across Asia caused rhubarb to be highly expensive in medieval Europe where it was several times the price of other valuable herbs and spices such as cinnamon, opium and saffron. The merchant explorer, Marco Polo, was therefore much interested to find the plant being grown and harvested in the mountains of Tangut province.[3] "The term rhubarb is a combination of the Greek rha and barbarum; rha is a term that refers both to the plant and to the River Volga.[4]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb Of course, some wags have suggested that the origin of "Bavaria" was actually "Brewvaria!" :-) Maybe he was alluding to the supposedly “mad” King Ludwig II (Otto Friedrich Wilhelm von Bayern) who loved to build castles (and not just in the sky!), or was your entire reply (especially the use of “barbarians” in the last sentence) intended as sarcastic irony?? :-) In any case, your connection of “rhubarb” with “Bavaria” and “Bavarian” (capitalized), if not sarcastic irony, is new to me.

In regards to the etymology of the word “Bavaria” (which is not entirely indisputed):
“Der volle Name der Baiern lautete ursprünglich germanisch *baio-warioz. Überliefert ist dieser als Baiwaren, Baioaren, Bajoras, latinisiert Bavarii, Baioarii. Es wird angenommen, dass es sich dabei um ein Endonym (= Selbstbezeichnung) handelt. Hinter dem Erstglied baio steckt der Name des keltischen Stammes der Boier, der auch im Landschaftsnamen Böhmen (germanisch latinisiert boio-hemum = Heim der Boier) erhalten ist.” http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajuwaren
In other words eponymous.

In regards to rhubarb, it seems to be unlikely to be related:
“The plant has grown wild along the banks of the River Volga for centuries but this variety was known to the west as Russian rhubarb, as opposed to the more efficacious Chinese rhubarb. The expense of transportion across Asia caused rhubarb to be highly expensive in medieval Europe where it was several times the price of other valuable herbs and spices such as cinnamon, opium and saffron. The merchant explorer, Marco Polo, was therefore much interested to find the plant being grown and harvested in the mountains of Tangut province.[3]

“The term rhubarb is a combination of the Greek rha and barbarum; rha is a term that refers both to the plant and to the River Volga.[4]” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb

Of course, some wags have suggested that the origin of “Bavaria” was actually “Brewvaria!” :-)

]]> By: Monica Smith http://likethedew.com/2010/03/15/pr-and-the-southern-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-11051 Monica Smith Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:50:07 +0000 http://likethedew.com/?p=8438#comment-11051 The worst thing about this little rant is that the author identifies himself as a mad bavarian. That's an oxymoron. Bavarians aren't mad. As a half-bavarian myself, I know bavarians well. They may rant, but they're not mad. Interestingly, the appellation "bavarian" comes from the fact that the people north of the Alps, where citrus does not grow, got their vitamin C from "Rabarbar" (rhubarb), a plant whose leaves are poisonous to humans, but whose red stems, containing that vitamin indispensable to good health, can be kept indefinitely by simply storing them in clean water. Barbarians are rhubarb eaters. Equating them with being uncivilized is a slander. The worst thing about this little rant is that the author identifies himself as a mad bavarian. That’s an oxymoron. Bavarians aren’t mad. As a half-bavarian myself, I know bavarians well. They may rant, but they’re not mad.
Interestingly, the appellation “bavarian” comes from the fact that the people north of the Alps, where citrus does not grow, got their vitamin C from “Rabarbar” (rhubarb), a plant whose leaves are poisonous to humans, but whose red stems, containing that vitamin indispensable to good health, can be kept indefinitely by simply storing them in clean water. Barbarians are rhubarb eaters. Equating them with being uncivilized is a slander.

]]> By: Brenden http://likethedew.com/2010/03/15/pr-and-the-southern-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-11049 Brenden Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:02:31 +0000 http://likethedew.com/?p=8438#comment-11049 Why don't you just have the courage of your convictions to say, "All Republicans are racist noose-toting night riders, therefore we must hang them first" rather than blather on ... soooo ... tediously ... about Southern Strategies, "voter supression" and PR strategies? The only fictional maleficarum calal missing in this opaque argle-bargle is Opus Dei. Maybe then it would make sense. If Corine Brown disembarks with the S.S. Louisiana Purchase/ Cornhusker Kickback to the bottom of the electoral sea, then you needn't drag your sexton to the Louvre to seek the naked albino monk's pubes. Why don’t you just have the courage of your convictions to say, “All Republicans are racist noose-toting night riders, therefore we must hang them first” rather than blather on … soooo … tediously … about Southern Strategies, “voter supression” and PR strategies? The only fictional maleficarum calal missing in this opaque argle-bargle is Opus Dei. Maybe then it would make sense. If Corine Brown disembarks with the S.S. Louisiana Purchase/ Cornhusker Kickback to the bottom of the electoral sea, then you needn’t drag your sexton to the Louvre to seek the naked albino monk’s pubes.

]]> By: Matthew Wright http://likethedew.com/2010/03/15/pr-and-the-southern-strategy/comment-page-1/#comment-11045 Matthew Wright Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:57:45 +0000 http://likethedew.com/?p=8438#comment-11045 Nicely done Monica. I never really think of the PR angle in politics, even though it's a huge component. Thoroughly enjoyed your piece. Nicely done Monica. I never really think of the PR angle in politics, even though it’s a huge component. Thoroughly enjoyed your piece.

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