“The Death of Outrage” (1998) is a book written by William J. Bennett during the Monica Lewinsky scandal that overtook US President Bill Clinton’s last years in office. It lays bare the morally broken reasoning of his defenders.
Since much of it also applies to President Nixon’s Watergate scandal in the 1970s and, now, to the scandals of Trump and Hillary Clinton in the 2010s, it is almost a guidebook to political scandal – and therefore the late 2010s.
Bill Bennett himself has not held up as well as his book: he has since suffered from a gambling habit, losing $8 million, and Trumpodism. Bennett served President Reagan as education secretary, President Bush I as drug czar, Paul Ryan as mentor and Donald Trump as an adviser. He has supported draconian drug laws and Common Core education. He sees Paul Ryan as the next great US president.
Bennett wrote this book in his 50s, during his High Horse Phase:
- 1993: The Book of Virtues
- 1995: Moral Compass: Stories for a Life’s Journey
- 1998: The Death of Outrage
- 2001: The Broken Hearth: Reversing the Moral Collapse of the American Family
- 2003: Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism
In “Outrage” he takes apart the arguments used to defend Bill Clinton and shows how they are beside the point or morally broken, stuff like:
- Everyone does it.
- The ends justify the means.
- Who are we to judge?
- It is a distraction from more important issues.
- It is a conspiracy.
- It is partisan.
- It is just about sex.
- Adultery is not a big deal.
- Lying under oath is not a big deal.
- The character of the president is not a big deal.
- Do not rush to judgement: wait for all the facts to come in.
- Let the courts decide.
- It is in court, so I cannot talk about it.
- Claiming executive privilege.
These arguments try to hide, downplay or draw attention away from the scandal itself, leading to moral blindness.
Bennett outlines the Clinton way of scandal:
- Use the above arguments.
- Promise to give answers soon – and then play for time, hoping it gets dropped.
- Say “I do not remember” or “I do not know the facts.”
- Make your accusers look bad or play down their concerns.
- Say it is a conspiracy.
- Do not explain yourself.
Bennett, now in his 70s, suffers from Trumpodism, falling under Trump’s spell:
He who once said:
“It is our character that supports the promise of our future – far more than particular government programs or policies.”
“The President is the symbol of who the people of the United States are. He is the person who stands for us in the eyes of the world and the eyes of our children.”
Now, in 2016, says stuff like this:
“[Donald Trump] does not need to speak to the ‘Never Trumpers,’ some of my friends – or maybe former friends – who suffer from a terrible case of moral superiority and put their own vanity and taste above the interest of the country.”
– Abagond, 2016.
See also:
- Reagan
- Hillary Clinton
- Donald Trump
- Paul Ryan
- Fox News – where Bennett appears from time to time
- moral blindness
524
I wish I was surprised that, Mr. Moral Compass/Moral Collapse /Moral Clarity supports an amoral candidate in 2016.
I always considered Bennett a world class bloviator…he still does that quite well.
If HRClinton does make it to the White House, it will be Scandal Central, because that’s how she and WJClinton roll——sleazy, underhanded and unethical.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He’s probably jealous because he couldn’t score the amount of heifers old Billy-goat Clinton Did. A gamboholic? Just how much money can you lose at Bingo?
LikeLike
“[Donald Trump] does not need to speak to the ‘Never Trumpers,’ some of my friends – or maybe former friends – who suffer from a terrible case of moral superiority and put their own vanity and taste above the interest of the country.” – William Bennett, 2016
Flash back to 2005 and conduct a little background search on this one William Bennett and what do we have here?:
“If you wanted to reduce crime, you could — if that were your sole purpose — you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down. “That would be an impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down,” he said.” William Bennett, 2005
If there ever was such a thing as a fat chameleon, this fellow fits the description perfectly in order to blend with the place, time and other random political foliage. Bennett, sit your ass down!
LikeLike
@Herneith
“He’s probably jealous because he couldn’t score the amount of heifers old Billy-goat Clinton Did.”
ROTFL!
LikeLike
@blakksage
Thanks for reminding me about how Mr. Moral blamed Black people as natural born criminals. I guess he forgot about his thieving criminal buddies who caused the housing collapse in 2008 or his criminal buddies who shoot, maim and murder unarmed civilians both overseas and at home.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are all crooks who live in the garbage can.🗑🗑🗑
LikeLiked by 2 people
Mr Moral and his bandits talking about the ‘Bad Hombres’ LOL…
LikeLike
@ Mary Burrell
LOL! Those garbage cans must be pretty plush and comfortable for those crooks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Afrofem: I did think about that too. I thought these aren’t just your average dumpsters. If when living like a swine they have pretty cushy styes to wallow in.
LikeLike
@Afrofem: Even being crooks and swines they are affluent and aren’t just living in the nasty trash receptacles but yes they are pretty posh.
LikeLike
In the wake of Trump’s victory, Bennett’s words bear repeating:
LikeLiked by 2 people
@Abagond
“The President is the symbol of who the people of the United States are.”
.
Well, now you know without a doubt who the majority of people in the US are, or might have been.
This bears repeating:
Better Trump than someone looking for a death wish with Russia!
Let’s hope this peace and reconciliation lasts… for everyone’s sake!
LikeLike
@ Fan
I predict that in the next four years, Russia will take over the eastern Ukraine, the US will make war on Iran, jihadist terrorism will increase and Israel will commit war crimes against Palestinians. At least. With Trump in charge it could get much worse than that.
LikeLike
A year ago I predicted Marco Rubio would be the next president. Right party, wrong person. I overestimated the Republicans.
LikeLike
@Abagond
I hope your predictions are off base, but I fear at least two of them aren’t!
Maybe you’ll answer the following non-rhetorical questions, or share your thoughts regarding them.
“Israel will commit war crimes against Palestinians.”
What do you mean “will.” Hasn’t Israel been committing war crimes against the Palestinians since 1948?
Which lies do you think the US will use (this time) as an excuse to bomb Iran? A 911 type attack on US soil, yellow cake uranium, weapons of mass destruction or babies tossed out of their incubators by ratchet troops??
Why would Russia sit still and do nothing as its ally receives a unprovoked attack from a wayward/dying superpower?
The US had a chance to change its course with Dr Ron Paul. He had a legit grass-roots (anti-establishment) presidential campaign that raised record amounts of cash, but the establishment/media smashed and cheated him out of contention, imo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Paul_presidential_campaign,_2008
The French people (had that happened to them) would have gone WILD. The Amerikans for Ron Paul just bent over and …
Finally, why do you think wide swaths of Amerikans across the country can protest Hillary’s loss, yet can’t protest Amerika’s militaristic hegemony overseas??
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fan said,
“Finally, why do you think wide swaths of Amerikans across the country can protest Hillary’s loss, yet can’t protest Amerika’s militaristic hegemony overseas??”
That’s a good question.
Blacks march in protest when the police kill citizens in their communities and they are called thugs and rioters.
Whites march and express their first amendment rights and that deserves 24 hour news coverage.
Safe spaces and grievance counselors are made available. Hillaries loss requires mourning but not Black Lives.
If Trump surrounds himself with neocons then we will continue America’s war culture.
Will Trump come out and denounce the racists and attempt to unite the country ? Who he puts in his administration will point to the direction the country will go.
I see Trump leveraging the State to “make America great again”. He won’t care about the defects he will rack up. He wants to be America’s new FDR. White America voted for a savior because they feel entitled as they see their way of life threatened.
Both sides are weak. It’s a decaying empire.
LikeLike
@ Fan
Israel: True, predicting that Israel will commit war crimes is like predicting the sun will rise. But I think under Trump they will hold back less. This is their big chance to get away with stuff that they might not dare to do under normal presidents. Like shut down Gaza or push all the Palestinians into Jordan. If so, they will probably do it sooner rather than later.
Iran: the US will either rip up the treaty and then accuse Iran of moving towards getting the bomb or it will accuse Iran of cheating. Either way, the US will have put itself into the position where it has “no choice” but to take out its nuclear capability militarily, having trashed peaceful diplomatic means.
You seem to think Russia is fond of Iran. I am not so sure of that.
Because that stuff does not affect them directly. It is not their children who are being pulled from the wreckage. They do not even see how it drives jihadist terrorism.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@ Abagond,
“You seem to think Russia is fond of Iran.”
http://thediplomat.com/2015/01/russia-and-iran-sign-military-cooperation-agreement/
“This is their big chance to get away with stuff that they might not dare to do under normal presidents. Like shut down Gaza or push all the Palestinians into Jordan. ”
As long as Amerika continues to give financial grants and weaponry to Israel, then Israel should remain in check.
Not sure I understand why the US has to, or chooses to, do Israel’s bidding.
LikeLike
@MJB
“Safe spaces and grievance counselors are made available. Hillaries loss requires mourning but not Black Lives.”
I noticed that too!
“If Trump surrounds himself with neocons then we will continue America’s war culture.”
I think Trump’s leaning toward the war culture. There’s just too much power and wealth hidden in the shadows for him to go against and pull the war for profit plug. Interesting how Bush Sr, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Blackwater, (or whatever its new name is) all faded quietly into the background during the Obomba years… and why not? Their policies and PROFIT$ are continued under the following administration.
“Will Trump come out and denounce the racists and attempt to unite the country ? Who he puts in his administration will point to the direction the country will go.”
David Duke, Rudy Giuliani, the ghost of George Wallace …
Seriously.. I hope he doesn’t appoint the Clintons to anything in government. He can omit his fellow racists also..
I’m concerned about who he will nominate for the Supreme Court. I also wonder if he’ll appoint any liberals to his cabinet?
“White America voted for a savior because they feel entitled as they see their way of life threatened.”
White Amerika better get a population explosion going on or else buh-bye to white Amerika’s way of life as the majority in the US! Can they do that? Not likely.
“It’s a decaying empire.”
Rome is burning, and it seems hardly anyone notices.
LikeLike
White Amerika better get a population explosion going on or else buh-bye to white Amerika’s way of life as the majority in the US! Can they do that? Not likely.
Why do you think they are so against abortion? They want the white women to breed more white children. White women ain’t breeding like they used to. It not for any moral reasons that’s for sure.
LikeLike
“Blacks march in protest when the police kill citizens in their communities and they are called thugs and rioters.
Whites march and express their first amendment rights and that deserves 24 hour news coverage.”
Yeah! Where are our grief counselors and playdoh therapy?
LikeLike