Razzle Dazzle ‘em With apologies to the late great lyricist, Fred Ebb, whose song from Chicago, Razzle Dazzle, was playing as I drove into the parking lot at Puleo’s Restaurant yesterday. This song continues to strike me as applicable to the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Last November I used it on my blog to reflect the approach of the Government of Israel to the peace process. While listening to the lyrics yesterday, I immediately thought of President George W. Bush’s speech to the Knesset on May 15, 2008.
I found the text on the Wall Street Journal on-line and have taken excerpts in the order in which they were delivered connected by what seem to be the relevant lyrics also in order.
I suggest that if you do not know the song, listen first to this recording of it from the movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn5-VN3SH1o&feature=related
Then read the lyrics below along with the excerpts from the Bush speech to the Knesset.
Finally, to show that there is nothing new under the sun, view what else I found when I searched for a recorded version of Razzle Dazzle ‘em (this from 2006).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2IJDtLH03s
(This is not a spoiler but keep in mind that Roxie murdered her lover in cold blood and here she is on trial for that crime.)
ROXIE Oh Billy, I'm scared. BILLY Roxie, you got nothing to worry about. It's all a circus, kid. A three ring circus.
These trials- the whole world- all show business. But kid, you're working with a star, the biggest!
Give 'em the old razzle dazzle
Razzle Dazzle 'em
My only regret is that one of Israel's greatest leaders is not here to share the moment. He is a warrior for the ages, a man of peace, and a dear friend. The prayers of all Americans are with Ariel Sharon.
Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it
And the reaction will be passionate.
The joy of independence was tempered by the outbreak of battle, a struggle that has continued for six decades. Yet in spite of the violence, in defiance of the threats, Israel has built a thriving democracy in the heart of the Holy Land. You have welcomed immigrants from the four corners of the Earth. You have forged a free and modern society based on a love of liberty, a passion for justice, and a respect for human dignity. You have worked tirelessly for peace. And you have fought valiantly for freedom.
Give 'em the old hocus pocus
Bead and feather 'em
How can they see with sequins in their eyes?
Earlier today, I visited Masada, an inspiring monument to courage and sacrifice. At this historic site, Israeli soldiers swear an oath: "Masada shall never fall again." Citizens of Israel: Masada shall never fall again, and America will always stand with you.
What if your hinges all are rusting?
What if, in fact, you're just disgusting?
We believe in the matchless value of every man, woman, and child. So we insist that the people of Israel have the right to a decent, normal, and peaceful life, just like the citizens of every other nation. We believe that democracy is the only way to ensure human rights. So we consider it a source of shame that the United Nations routinely passes more human rights resolutions against the freest democracy in the Middle East than any other nation in the world
Razzle dazzle 'em
And they’ll never catch wise!
So we applaud the courageous choices Israel's leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction.
Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle
Razzle dazzle 'em
We believe that targeting innocent lives to achieve political objectives is always and everywhere wrong. So we stand together against terror and extremism, and we will never let down our guard or lose our resolve. The fight against terror and extremism is the defining challenge of our time. It is more than a clash of arms. It is a clash of visions, a great ideological struggle. On one side are those who defend the ideals of justice and dignity with the power of reason and truth. On the other side are those who pursue a narrow vision of cruelty and control by committing murder, inciting fear, and spreading lies.
Give 'em a show that's so splendiferous
Row after row will crow vociferous
This struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is the ancient battle between good and evil. The killers claim the mantle of Islam, but they are not religious men. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers. In truth, the men who carry out these savage acts serve no higher goal than their own desire for power. They accept no God before themselves. And they reserve a special hatred for the most ardent defenders of liberty, including Americans and Israelis.
Give 'em the old flim flam flummox
Fool and fracture 'em
How can they hear the truth above the roar?
That is why the founding charter of Hamas calls for the "elimination" of Israel. That is why the followers of Hezbollah chant "Death to Israel, Death to America!" That is why Osama bin Laden teaches that "the killing of Jews and Americans is one of the biggest duties." And that is why the president of Iran dreams of returning the Middle East to the Middle Ages and calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.
Throw 'em a fake and a finagle
They'll never know you're just a bagel,
Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is – the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.
Razzle dazzle 'em
And they'll beg you for more!
America stands with you in breaking up terrorist networks and denying the extremists sanctuary. And America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world's leading sponsor of terror to possess the world's deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
Give 'em the old double whammy
Daze and dizzy 'em
Ultimately, to prevail in this struggle, we must offer an alternative to the ideology of the extremists by extending our vision of justice and tolerance, freedom and hope. These values are the self-evident right of all people, of all religions, in all of the world because they are a gift from Almighty God. Securing these rights is also the surest way to secure peace. They will be partners for peace.
Back since the days of old Methuselah
Everyone loves the big bambooz-a-ler
Leaders who are accountable to their people will not pursue endless confrontation and bloodshed. Young people with a place in their society and a voice in their future are less likely to search for meaning in radicalism. And societies where citizens can express their conscience and worship their God will not export violence
Give 'em the old three ring circus
Stun and stagger 'em
When you're in trouble, go into your dance
This fundamental insight, that freedom yields peace, is the great lesson of the 20th century. Now our task is to apply it in the 21st. Nowhere is this work more urgent than here in the Middle East. We must stand with the reformers working to break the old patterns of tyranny and despair. We must give voice to the millions of ordinary people who dream of a better life in freedom.
Though you are stiffer than a girder
They'll let you get away with murder
We must confront the moral relativism that views all forms of government as equally acceptable and thereby consigns whole societies to slavery. Above all, we must have faith in our values and ourselves and confidently pursue the expansion of liberty as the path to a peaceful future.
Razzle dazzle 'em
And you've got a romance
Israel will be celebrating its 120th anniversary as one of the world's great democracies, a secure and flourishing homeland for the Jewish people. The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved – a democratic state that is governed by law, respects human rights, and rejects terror. …. And al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Hamas will be defeated, as Muslims across the region recognize the emptiness of the terrorists' vision and the injustice of their cause.
Give 'em the oldRazzle Dazzle
Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle
Razzle dazzle 'em
Yet each one of these transformations took place. And a future of transformation is possible in the Middle East too, so long as a new generation of leaders has the courage to defeat the enemies of freedom, make the hard choices necessary for peace, and stand firm on the solid rock of universal values.
Show 'em the first rate sorceror you are
Long as you keep 'em way off balance
How can they spot you've got no talent
Over the past six decades, …..(y)ou have raised a modern society in the Promised Land, a light unto the nations that preserves the legacy of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And you have built a mighty democracy that will endure forever and can always count on America to stand at its side. May God bless Israel.
Razzle Dazzle 'em
Razzle Dazzle 'em
Razzle Dazzle 'em
And they'll make you a star!
President George W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States. He is believed by many to be the worst president in the history of this country
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