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So why insult the man's character by having people like Clinton and Kennedy - utterly devoid of integrity - taint his funeral?
Listen, I know as Freepers we don't want to be like DU-ers and slam the dead, but let's not get carried away about Simon. I'm here at Carbondale. He took part in an America-bashing seminar after 9/11 where many students were required to attend by their professors. He was a huge fan of sending American soldiers to die in civil wars in Africa if and only if we had no vested interest to protect. He thought the marxist ANC in South Africa was great, and when I pointed out that they were hand in glove with the CPSA and that South Africa was worse off in terms of crime and human rights, he compared me to some nut who used to write him saying that Lithuanians secretly rule the world.
Of course, being Paul Simon, he did it very politely and with charm, but essentially, most of people's adoration of him stemmed from his Cronkite-like ability to deliver stunningly arrogant lines with a self-deprecating chuckle of humility. He was a great speaker. But there's no question what his ultimate goal for America was, and that puts him in the same league as Kennedy and Clinton. He may have refrained from some of the tackier things they have done (sex & alcohol) but... well... let's just not get carried away.