"The unwilling doing the unnecessary...."

[James A. Landau <JJJRLandau@netscape.com>]

On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:13:39 -0400 Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
Subject: "

<q>
It's hard for me to believe that Google Books (and Amazon) turn up so
little for this quotation, which I first heard (or more likely read) in
the early 1970s (in the 1970 version) as applied to the Vietnam War.
<snip>
"We are the unwilling, led by the unqualified
</q>

I have a vague recollection that when I reported into the Pentagon in November 1969 this was already a cliche.  I do remember, but cannot put a date to, a professionally-printed placard which went something like this:
"We the unwilling led by the unqualified, have been doing the unnecessary for the ungrateful for so long, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing."

The quote had nothing to do with combat or politics; it was merely used to express frustation by working technical people (e.g. computer programmers) at what they considered to be idiotic decisions by thier superiors.

     - Jim Landau

OT:  I beg to differ that the song "Windy" refers to the weather rather than a person.  It has certainly never been clear to me.  Note that the first word of the song, referring to Windy, is "Who", and there are lines like "For Windy has stormy eyes".  Yes, this may be anthropomorphic imagery, but the result is ambiguity, perhaps deliberate.

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