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George Bush is the one described in Rudyard Kipling's "If"
my opinion and analysis | 04/08/2003 | Minus9Hours

Posted on 04/08/2003 8:36:04 AM PDT by Minus9Hours

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
etc.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: if; kipling
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Well, imho, that poem describes him pretty exactly. That's why he's going to win.
1 posted on 04/08/2003 8:36:04 AM PDT by Minus9Hours
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To: Minus9Hours
welcome
2 posted on 04/08/2003 8:37:16 AM PDT by firewalk
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To: Minus9Hours
well - you might as well put the whole poem here...please do
3 posted on 04/08/2003 8:37:38 AM PDT by rface (Ashland, Missouri)
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To: BeforeISleep
This is why we in the Heartland like GW so much. He does everything with class which drives the dems nuts! Keep your prayers and spirit going. If only, for our President.

grannyc
4 posted on 04/08/2003 8:42:44 AM PDT by grannyc
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To: Minus9Hours
here is the whole poem
Rudyard Kipling "If"
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!
5 posted on 04/08/2003 8:45:18 AM PDT by Minus9Hours
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To: Minus9Hours
"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs" you probably just don't understand the situation. 8^)
6 posted on 04/08/2003 8:45:25 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Drug prohibition laws help fund terrorism.)
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To: Minus9Hours
If

Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master;
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
7 posted on 04/08/2003 8:46:10 AM PDT by TxBec (Tag! You're it!)
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To: Minus9Hours
sorry. you cut and paste faster than I do :) Love this. I don't remember ever reading it, but I must print this out for my boys.
8 posted on 04/08/2003 8:47:16 AM PDT by TxBec (Tag! You're it!)
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To: rface
"If" and others.

Collection

9 posted on 04/08/2003 8:48:40 AM PDT by gunnyg
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To: Minus9Hours
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

. . . hmmmm . . . Washington Press Corps?

10 posted on 04/08/2003 8:50:51 AM PDT by w_over_w (Never bring a box cutter to a Jihad)
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To: Freedom'sWorthIt; JohnHuang2
Ping! Worthwhile read.
11 posted on 04/08/2003 8:51:03 AM PDT by Carolina
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To: Minus9Hours
Bump for a great first post.
12 posted on 04/08/2003 8:51:25 AM PDT by The_Victor
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To: Minus9Hours
thanks for the inspiration!
13 posted on 04/08/2003 8:51:27 AM PDT by rface (Ashland, Missouri)
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To: Minus9Hours
This poem always brings tears to my eyes.

Its very powerfull!

14 posted on 04/08/2003 8:53:19 AM PDT by DoctorMichael (FReepers.....An army to be reckoned with.)
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To: Minus9Hours
"If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,"

Case in point: Taking our dramatic march to Baghdad in 2 weeks or so, largely victorious, in what has been argued is the most successful military war plan EVER, and gambling it ALL on yesterday's strike in a RESIDENTIAL AREA to nail Saddam & Sons. He could have taken out an untold numbers of civilians. He risked it all.

I love my President.
15 posted on 04/08/2003 9:04:12 AM PDT by cgk (the Mrs half)
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Many of you knew my late husband, Craig Brown. This was his favorite poem. His father had a framed copy, gold lettering on maroon paper, that he passed onto Craig. Craig had duplicates made and gave them to his sons.
After Craig's death, I passed his copy onto his grandson.

Powerful words to live by.
16 posted on 04/08/2003 9:06:18 AM PDT by DebMcB
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To: DebMcB
Ditto.
17 posted on 04/08/2003 9:08:08 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Minus9Hours
A quote from my diary, dated April 24, 1993 -- "Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing."

Robert Benchley
18 posted on 04/08/2003 9:10:30 AM PDT by TiaS
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To: Minus9Hours
This is a great poem.
19 posted on 04/08/2003 9:10:52 AM PDT by EternalHope (Chirac is funny, France is a joke.)
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To: Minus9Hours
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs..."

You've obviously failed to grasp the seriousness of the situation...*grin*

20 posted on 04/08/2003 9:11:21 AM PDT by fourdeuce82d
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