Comparing Republicans to Heroic 9/11 Passengers Ridiculous

Prior to the federal shutdown, which started on Oct. 1, Congressman John Culberson let it be known that he would vote against the federal budget. He did that by uttering the words: “Let’s roll!”

Nothing wrong with that, you might think, but every American knows that it was these words that passengers on board United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001 shouted as they stormed the cockpit of their hijacked airplane. This heroic action prevented the plane from being used as a murder weapon, but the passengers had to pay for this heroism with their lives. After they had overpowered the hijackers, the plane crashed into the ground in Pennsylvania and that is why the words Culberson chose are so emotive.

He picked them because he wanted to reshape the way we look at things: Culberson wants the label “terrorists” to be stuck to the Democrats and for the Republicans, by contrast, to become “heroes” — heroes who are using all possible means to fight against the “evil” of Obamacare.

Caesar

Culberson’s words reminded me of another short speech in which a new label is applied. That speech consisted of only one word: “Quirites!” or “Citizens!” The Roman General Caesar spoke them trying to persuade his mutinous troops to fight against the legions of his rival Pompey in North Africa.

On that occasion the attempt was successful. The general’s troops had fought for him for a long time and given body and soul to the cause, but when he addressed them as ordinary “citizens” instead of as soldiers, they felt deeply ashamed of their mutiny and begged Caesar to let them fight for him in North Africa. Or at least, that is how the story goes.

Missing the Mark

Whether Culberson’s short speech can achieve similar rhetorical success remains to be seen. No matter how you look at it though, comparing what is going on in American politics at the moment with what happened on that hijacked plane is clearly a mistake. Because, unlike the action taken by those passengers, what the Republican opposition is doing to stop this “evil” has no chance of success. Ultimately, whether Obamacare happens or not doesn’t depend on getting the federal budget approved. The label “heroes,” which Culberson wants to apply to himself and his fellow party members, is also very wide of the mark because unlike those passengers, there is absolutely no chance that these politicians are going to have to pay for their actions with their lives.

Boomerang

Thus Culberson’s words are going to come back to haunt him. In his attempt to portray himself and his colleagues in a positive light, he has actually ended up revealing himself as a person who would use the heroic actions of the passengers on board United Flight 93 for his own political ends.

Culberson might think he is a political hero, but he is certainly not a rhetorical one. He should leave the application of labels to Caesar.

Jean Wagemans is a philosopher and a university lecturer in argumentation theory.