I revisit and expand on a theme, topic, insight that I mused about on July 12, 2008, in this post. Before her death, the late American historian Barbara Tuchman (1912-1989) warned America risked institutional failure, the withdrawal of confidence of its people in its systems, especially its systems of government. The American presidential election of 2008 provides further proof that her concern had firm foundation. Here's why.
The process more and more degrades the office itself by trivializing the pursuit of it. When I grew up in Portage, Wisconsin, during the 1950's, my first memory of a President was General Dwight David Eisenhower. I purposely use the title General, for Eisenhower was a serious man, who had achieved serious results before becoming President. In third grade, we school children joined hands and marched around our small schoolhouse chanting, "I like Ike. I like Ike." "I like Ike" still for he was the last serious person to hold the office of President of the United States in my lifetime. Since him, it has been downhill until today when we have "affirmative action," media retail candidates.
GOP VP pick Sarah Palin's signal qualification seems to be media skills honed as a sportscaster in Alaska. Democrat presidential pick Barak Obama's main recommendation seems to be assuaging lingering white guilt over slavery - still. GOP presidential pick John McCain, although a genuine war hero, suffers frankly from old age and shaky health, which the tortures he endured as a prisoner of war likely undermined. This leaves Democrat VP pick Senator Joseph Biden, who actually offers a serious track record as a U.S. Senator. The media uproar over the serious flaws of the first three of these four candidates in this paragraph diminishes the office they seek. This, in turn, risks very real institutional failure, as people consider the whole process to be a joke.
The situation reminds me of the movie/story The Wizard of Oz. The Wizard enjoyed power through the use of flimflam, until Toto, Dorothy's dog, pulled back the curtain to reveal a mere mortal pulling levers to fool onlookers. When more and more people consider our leaders to be fakes, phonies, and frauds, similar to the Wizard of Oz, we are flirting with serious institutional failure. There is good reason why great leaders carry an aura of majesty about them.
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Henry,
Machiavelli pointed out:
"To speak the truth is dangerous. Hint."
Nothing has changed since he graced this tired olde world with his wisdom and insights into the permanent condition of human affairs.
Here is an example. Both parties, Republicans and Democrats, Obama and McCain, voted for the bailout of the Wall Street Banksters.
Both parties have collaborated to loot the public treasury at the expense of the common folks like you and me.
Both parties are the creatures of their donor bases. They have committed economic terrorism against the people of this country to protect, appease their paymasters.
Do you expect the Republicans and Democrats to discuss this openly - tell the truth - in the middle of a national election? They talk about trivia instead.
As I type this, I am listening to the radio. The persons on the air have pointed out that of the $700 billion slated for Wall Street Bankster bailouts, the first $125 billion have gone to executive bonuses of the very banks that have looted our economy! In some countries, Banksters would get a firing squad instead of bonuses.
We get hints about what has happened. But we do not get the unvarnished truth of our situation. If we did, there would be a revolution; the powers that be do not want this.
Therefore, there is a silence about the truth of the matter about our present condition. Instead they engage in a make-believe contest about fake change.
Machiavelli advised that we ought to "think with the few and be mad with the many." There are the few who know the score. They are not telling, because it is dangerous to think out loud. But they give hints. If we are listening we can hear those hints.
Meanwhile, do not try to dispel the myths and shibboleths that the propaganda machines pump out and into the common Janes and Joes to opiate them to the realities of what is happening around and to them.
This is a bleak view of the human condition. We like to think better of the human race - ourselves. But I am coming to accept it as part of the permanent condition of the human race.
It is a bleak view. It also is a Conservative viewpoint, because it recognizes that greed and ignorance are among the "Permanent Things." We engage in wishful thinking if we believe that we can escape them.
Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: H Brown, WashingtonMI.Org
To: Paul Rux
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 9:05 AM
Subject: Election Politics
Paul please help me understand. " elections are won by keeping the issues off the table", was a phrase I heard at the Conservative conference in Mil this spring. It made me feel uncomfortable. The TV ads of this presidential election seem to be supporting that strategy. Obama charges Republicans of using workers earnings to reward business to send jobs to foreigners and McCain does not make the effort to educate the electorate regarding national completions role in securing a future for our children in an expanding world economy. Billions are spent on TV ads but with no apparent educational benefit…so it appears to be strategy on both sides to keep citizens ignorant on matters of national management.
Can you give me your insight?
Have a great day in the Lord!
Henry
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