By Kit
"Put not your faith in princes" —Psalm: 146:3
It’s an old cliché that politicians lie. But no one ever wants to point out why they lie. They lie because they have good reason to believe those lies will get them elected, or re-elected. They speak the lies they speak because they believe, again with good reason, that those are the lies we want to hear.
Which makes the relationship between the people and their elected officials a lot like the relationship between an abusive man and his wife or live-in girlfriend. Every few years we consider ditching the man but until he starts telling us what we want to hear. Some of the lies are the same, only he truly understands our concerns, but some are different, albeit with a similar tune; only he can protect us from the big bad Chinese currency manipulations. This is more apt than you think when you realize that while Congress as a body has very low approval ratings, around 11%, the individual congressman typically have high approval ratings with those they represent. If Camille Paglia was right when she said, “Any woman who stays with her abuser beyond the first incident is complicitous with him” what does that say about our relationship with our politicians?
But with the presidency the relationship is a tad different, not quite the long-term abusive relationship that makes up the plots of many Lifetime Original Movies but the revolving door of live-in boyfriends and husbands. Three times since the end of the Cold War, every 8 years to be precise, we have changed parties in the White House. In 1992 Bill Clinton promised a presidency “for the people for a change,” in 2000 Bush promised to bring integrity to Washington, and in 2008 Barack Obama promised “the change we can believe in,” a phrase must have annoyed the Clintons, for obvious reasons. And each of them were elected.
When you have a thrice-divorced woman who, speaking from her own personal experience, claims that all men lie it is occasional remarked, though out of her ear-shot, that there was one common denominator in each of her three marriages; her. The common denominator of the past 25 years has been us. Each time we have been promised by a candidate that he can fix Washington because he is a “man of integrity” who will govern “for the people” by bringing to Washington the “change we need.”
The former publisher of National Review Bill Rusher had a quote that Jonah Goldberg loves to use, “politicians will disappoint you.” The reason being is that politicians want to get elected and re-elected. For obvious reasons, no one wants to get lose his job and we all want a promotion. But taking risks, like pointing out at a shareholders’ meeting the financial decisions of the company will end in disaster or telling your constituency that we must cut back on spending their welfare benefits and their spending grants lest we end up like Greece, is rather dangerous. So our elected officials do not.
Washington was built on a natural swamp and since then it has been a human swamp. It has been so because, like Albany, New York and the Chicago City Hall, it is a great locus of power. Power and money and, if you are really careful, sex. The power to do great things for your constituents and for yourself, the money to live well, and the sex, well, you can figure that one out. So politicians, both the current and the would-be, strive for our votes because we, being their boss, can give them power. Some of them seek to use it for good, a few naive enough to think they can succeed, while others have less altruistic motives.
But, ah, now things are different. A large number of Americans are convinced we now have a man who will Make America Great Again. How do they know this? Because he has become incredibly popular saying the things millions of Americans have been wanting to hear from a politician for ages.
Miscellanous
From the above, you can probably guess where I think this GOP nomination is going. I’m holding out some hope for Ted Cruz but I’m more or less resigning myself to the inevitable. However things go in November, Larry Correia summed it up well, “I have a feeling I will be spending the next four years telling people I told you so.”
Also, Rick Springfield had a better shot at Jessie’s girl than John Kasich has the the GOP nomination.
On other current events, given the arrest in Belgium, I thought I should post this article by Tom Nichols at The Federalist: "Terrorists Kill Because They Hate Themselves For Loving The West"
LINK
So, let’s turn to happier things, shall we?
I saw Deadpool, rather fun, if you are into R-rated comedies with lots of blood splatter. I also saw Risen. Surprisingly good. No plans on seeing either Young Messiah or God's Not Dead 2. I would rather stick my hand in a woodchopper than see the latter.
AS someone who has been studying Latin I liked this: "Why Studying Latin, More So Than Business, Is Ideal Training for Actually Running a Business."
LINK
I hope you all had a happy St. Patrick's Day.
"Put not your faith in princes" —Psalm: 146:3
It’s an old cliché that politicians lie. But no one ever wants to point out why they lie. They lie because they have good reason to believe those lies will get them elected, or re-elected. They speak the lies they speak because they believe, again with good reason, that those are the lies we want to hear.
Which makes the relationship between the people and their elected officials a lot like the relationship between an abusive man and his wife or live-in girlfriend. Every few years we consider ditching the man but until he starts telling us what we want to hear. Some of the lies are the same, only he truly understands our concerns, but some are different, albeit with a similar tune; only he can protect us from the big bad Chinese currency manipulations. This is more apt than you think when you realize that while Congress as a body has very low approval ratings, around 11%, the individual congressman typically have high approval ratings with those they represent. If Camille Paglia was right when she said, “Any woman who stays with her abuser beyond the first incident is complicitous with him” what does that say about our relationship with our politicians?
But with the presidency the relationship is a tad different, not quite the long-term abusive relationship that makes up the plots of many Lifetime Original Movies but the revolving door of live-in boyfriends and husbands. Three times since the end of the Cold War, every 8 years to be precise, we have changed parties in the White House. In 1992 Bill Clinton promised a presidency “for the people for a change,” in 2000 Bush promised to bring integrity to Washington, and in 2008 Barack Obama promised “the change we can believe in,” a phrase must have annoyed the Clintons, for obvious reasons. And each of them were elected.
When you have a thrice-divorced woman who, speaking from her own personal experience, claims that all men lie it is occasional remarked, though out of her ear-shot, that there was one common denominator in each of her three marriages; her. The common denominator of the past 25 years has been us. Each time we have been promised by a candidate that he can fix Washington because he is a “man of integrity” who will govern “for the people” by bringing to Washington the “change we need.”
The former publisher of National Review Bill Rusher had a quote that Jonah Goldberg loves to use, “politicians will disappoint you.” The reason being is that politicians want to get elected and re-elected. For obvious reasons, no one wants to get lose his job and we all want a promotion. But taking risks, like pointing out at a shareholders’ meeting the financial decisions of the company will end in disaster or telling your constituency that we must cut back on spending their welfare benefits and their spending grants lest we end up like Greece, is rather dangerous. So our elected officials do not.
Washington was built on a natural swamp and since then it has been a human swamp. It has been so because, like Albany, New York and the Chicago City Hall, it is a great locus of power. Power and money and, if you are really careful, sex. The power to do great things for your constituents and for yourself, the money to live well, and the sex, well, you can figure that one out. So politicians, both the current and the would-be, strive for our votes because we, being their boss, can give them power. Some of them seek to use it for good, a few naive enough to think they can succeed, while others have less altruistic motives.
But, ah, now things are different. A large number of Americans are convinced we now have a man who will Make America Great Again. How do they know this? Because he has become incredibly popular saying the things millions of Americans have been wanting to hear from a politician for ages.
Miscellanous
From the above, you can probably guess where I think this GOP nomination is going. I’m holding out some hope for Ted Cruz but I’m more or less resigning myself to the inevitable. However things go in November, Larry Correia summed it up well, “I have a feeling I will be spending the next four years telling people I told you so.”
Also, Rick Springfield had a better shot at Jessie’s girl than John Kasich has the the GOP nomination.
On other current events, given the arrest in Belgium, I thought I should post this article by Tom Nichols at The Federalist: "Terrorists Kill Because They Hate Themselves For Loving The West"
LINK
So, let’s turn to happier things, shall we?
I saw Deadpool, rather fun, if you are into R-rated comedies with lots of blood splatter. I also saw Risen. Surprisingly good. No plans on seeing either Young Messiah or God's Not Dead 2. I would rather stick my hand in a woodchopper than see the latter.
AS someone who has been studying Latin I liked this: "Why Studying Latin, More So Than Business, Is Ideal Training for Actually Running a Business."
LINK
I hope you all had a happy St. Patrick's Day.
The Young Messiah's as good as Risen, and much more spiritual to boot ... plus it's got Sean Bean.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Kit. I'll have more thoughts later, but let me throw out this thought...
ReplyDeleteTrump represents the failure of conservatism to teach conservatism to its followers.
"Trump represents the failure of conservatism to teach conservatism to its followers."
ReplyDeleteYep.
"The Young Messiah's as good as Risen, and much more spiritual to boot ... plus it's got Sean Bean."
ReplyDeleteSean Bean is a pro, but it being based on a book written by Anne Rice... a bit of a con.
Even after her conversion to Christianity, still surprised Cyrus and his wife used her book as inspiration. Still, great movie which I highly recommend, very faith-filling.
ReplyDeleteEric,
ReplyDeleteI might give it a look.
Oh, and I have a review up!
ReplyDeleteThe Quiet Man