The Gamut

Democratic Underground Forums - Negroponte's reply

Yesterday, I posted for the first time ever on Democratic Underground. I never really felt worthy in the past. The posters there are the wonkiest (and I mean that in a good way) of all democrats. However, the Allawi story had me particularly incensed, and I wanted to add something to the discussion by noting Negroponte's comment upon being asked about the incident.

Negroponte is the Bush appointed ambassador to Iraq who met with some resistance due to his supposed looking the other way from Sandinista atrocities while he was ambassador in Nicaragua. Anyway, enough background. This is how Negroponte's response appeared in the article:

US officials in Iraq have not made an outright denial of the allegations. An emailed response to questions from the Herald to the US ambassador, John Negroponte, said: "If we attempted to refute each [rumour], we would have no time for other business. As far as this embassy's press office is concerned, this case is closed."

My comment on this paragraph was this:

The non-denial is a type of denial which allows plausible deniability to the denier that the non-denial was ever intended to have been read as a denial at all.

Since I posted it, one of the DU regulars is now using my comment as a signature line. Others have posted to welcome me and to comment on the remark. I mean, I thought it was pretty clever, but I had no idea.

Anyway, what I am hoping now - a futile hope I'm sure - is that the line will be picked up and become a sort of mantra. Anytime the Bushies obfuscate about a charge, we can all intone that, "The non-denial is a type of denial which allows plausible deniability to the denier that the non-denial was ever intended to have been read as a denial at all." After all, they do it all the time. For example, Bush never acknowledged doing cocaine, but he never outright denied it when asked specifically about it, and as we all know, the non-denial is a type of denial which allows plausible deniability to the denier that the non-denial was ever intended to have been read as a denial at all. When Bush was asked recently about his relationship with Ken Lay, he simply turned from the podium and walked away without ever denying the relationship, and of course a non-denial is a type of denial which allows plausible deniability to the denier that the non-denial was ever intended to have been read as a denial at all.

It's wordy, but maybe - just maybe - worth the payoff. So, feel free to use it. I hereby relenquish all claims of copyright. Let's make it a meme.

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