Henry Fonda in The Best Man, released in 1964
Fonda’s hero in the film is the man who refuses to blackmail his opponent because “one by one, these compromises, these small corruptions, destroy “character””
~~
We ask~~where is such a hero in our politics today who will not layer compromise upon compromise until he has no character left?
~~
Dear Bernie~~
There is no question that it is troubling to many here that Tea Party and other groups of a generically conservative populist tincture are very much disparaged by the Democrats~~understandably because they fear them so and know they will never have their support–but likewise by the Republicans~~who consider them to be ignorant rubes, scolds and nags.
This is troubling because nobody–except for a few here–would have ever heard Jake Boehner’s name had it not been for the Tea Party. I am personally very troubled by this dynamic here today at Washington, as it smacks of Royalism and its attendant notion that certain elite groups have taken it upon themselves to decide who the Americans ought to vote for.
Evidence how the polling men are already asking not “whom do you favor for President in 2016″ and let you answer but rather~~ “OK, which of the these do you favor in 2016?” It never appears to dawn on the polling men that the only thing the Americans would likely decide about all the choices given, if they even knew anything much about most of these putative candidates, is that the Americans would likely say that they can all go hang themselves.
That said, unless somebody who knows what’s what and can be forceful in the eye of the storm presents himself, the horses being loaded into starter’s gate by the press and the polling men, are likely to make up the field in 2016~~from which gate will very almost certainly spring the winner.
The only qualification for getting in starter’s gate seems to be a preening presentation and comparison of very dull, yet also, gaudy, resumes of what the horses going in the gate have accomplished here at Washington~~notwithstanding that the Americans hate the Washington class.
All this is odd on a personal level as I met Mrs. Palin about 2 weeks before McCain trotted her out to meet the Americans and I remember thinking~~she has entirely too fetching a shape to her to waste on anything as dreary as politics. I remember being alarmed at the fury with which the combined forces of Washington’s power groups became so instantly frantic to destroy her reputation~~which they certainly succeeded in doing in spades.
What was generally said to me was “she’s so stupid,” a charge that at Washington ought to be used with great caution as the political men here and those in the press services are no big bargain in the brains department. I remember thinking that they must be afraid of her as otherwise they would simply have ignored her.
One of the fellows in this group pointed finger at me and said “Begg–if that girl gets in, you are personally responsible.” I think that says a lot in that many here at Washington really do think that we make the rules~~which is, Royalism. I told the fellow that “it is none of your business, or mine, who the Americans want to elect and if this girl gets in it will because the people wanted her.”
This maybe the crux of the trouble here~~a system of kingmakers, king breakers and little tin kings themselves. This is not a pretty thought given the backgrounds of so many of the men here who prance around as though they were heir to the throne of England when in fact they arrived here many, many years ago from some nondescript part of America having failed at insurance selling or some such.
Harder yet to fathom the reporters~~members of a class that used to be exclusively filled with men with holes in their shoes and cheap pint of liquor in their back pockets. All of a sudden, these groups are Royalty.
That aside, the Americans are a very disparate people–it would be hard to think who, if anyone, speaks for any appreciable number of them. The better men from the better families have, particularly so after Romney, abandoned politics altogether~~and understandably so. Who, having anything in the way of social background, save perhaps the Bush family~~a mixed blessing~~would stand for office?
I do not pretend, as others here do that I know the American people in my bone marrow, but it seems to me that the men of Washington have, in the last 20 or so years, become, evermore ostentatiously, self-ordained experts on what the Americans want and need from their government~~and likewise obsessed with stealing money~~personally.
I do not think it overstatement to say that we have arrived in a place not unlike the America Jefferson looked out at in disquietude and remarked, particularly having seen a fair amount of Europe~~ “the people are pressed down by an aristocratic class and have no advantage except poverty and perpetual war.”
Sounds like home to me.
This observation, collectively agreed by the framers, led to revolution~~which is why I sence that another such revolution is fast coming here~~I very much don’t want that, as revolutions are invariably messy affairs, but I can’t see a way out~~save our finding a leader who will slice off some crowned heads around here.
Jefferson would, most assuredly, have been a Tea Party rabble-rouser because he so detested entrenched, codified, Royalist power. Hence the title of this now labyrinthine essay in which we find ourselves called–”what would they make of us–our founders–if they saw how the government treats the American people today?”
A rather odd duck, and a terrible philosopher, summed up the attitude of official Washington as it is today constituted~comme ca~~
My point to you remains–this revolution can be run through one of the major Parties if we can somehow find the right men.
I can’t think the founders would be happy with us today. No, not at all.
Yours,
John~~
~~~~~
Dear Ramin and friends~~
Ramin–I agree your assessment of the Bill just past–it was a remarkable gaucherie for sure– but I lament your despondent response to it.
These guys can’t win all the time, Ramin.
Outside of this city~everybody hates them~the trouble is that the opposition to this city is fragmented and uninformed as to how to take power~~too many boutique Parties~too much internecine warfare~~not enough discipline–too many big egos, too many guys with their little plans to save the nation they have been carrying around in a briefcase for decades–politics is both very hard and very easy at one and the same time–
There is a revolution brewing–both here and in West Europe–against the same enemy–consolidated, globalized power at Washington and Brussels~~what is needed is a plan and a galvanizing leader to defeat that enemy.
The history of man is a continuing casting off of autocratic power–it’s continual–you get an ossified, self-congratulatory, inbred aristocracy that pushes the people far enough and them the bomb goes off. And it will go off–both here and at Brussels very, very soon. The conceit that you can control and abuse the great mass of people indefinitely without any consequence belies all history-from the dawn of man–autocratic governments fall–they always–fall–
So our task, amigos–is–what to do with that certain knowledge that the autocratic regime at Washington will fall–and soon?
We need to have a think about this as~~ when it falls–somebody will take over–I’d prefer it be an well=modulated, educated, thoughtful, affable man rather than a Hitler–but if the better men throw in the towel–we will get a Hitler. I have been writing for 2 years to prevent that happening.
Thinking men have the capacity to plan to replace the old regime with a good, fresh start here at Washington. Let’s be of good cheer and upbeat and positive. What really is disconcerting to me is that so many good Americans have simply thrown in the towel–that’s not the American way–or for that matter the English, German or French way–we are people who are proud of our national identity–globalism in all it’s manifestations is the enemy of all civilized people–so let’s buck up and take over this little cow town and make it do what we want.
How so? Here so-
Politics is hard and unbelieving boring work–to run and win a national campaign–but it’s easy when the great mass of people are completely disaffected with Washington–and they are–but you must have people who know the boring mechanics of getting a nomination who are just as disaffected as you and the others here~~I know the mechanics likely better than anyone here–Steve knows a lot as well–he’s been in combat in the States–I was a cog in the machine for many years–I know all the technical stuff that needs doing–which is one of the reasons why I so strongly advocate for staying within the structure of one of the major parties–free–and willing–labour on the ground from people who know best how to win Ohio-10 or MI-8 or PA–13–nobody can know all of this by himself—-and that is why the Party structure is so valuable–so the key is to get the nomination of one of the Parties and let the worker bees in the States and Districts do the drudge work–they’ll be happy to help–as soon as you get the nomination they go to work for you–so don’t cast off that amenity–it’s volunteer labour in the trenches– on the ground coming from people who know the terrain–it’s priceless–and at the same time–it’s free.
But we have to give the people something specific–a comparatively simple program–easy to understand–endlessly repeated to them by a guy who is affable–not shrill–not the sky is falling in–just an affable guy who wants to change Washington and turn it on its head—-this idea has had mass appeal going back to Wallace in 72 and Perot in 92–I can’t even imagine how much more viscerally the Americans hate Washington today than they did in 72 or 92.
I personally feel that the need to DE-globalize the finance sector to bring good jobs back home to America and rejuvenate the industrial base– trumps all other issues–even the debt–as–without good jobs–America really is over–let’s find a guy to sell our product–politicians are salesmen–I simply wish I were a younger man with younger arteries as I know far more than I ever wanted to know about the mechanics of the election process–consider how massive the number of Americans who are disaffected with Washington–if people could stick to a very focused objective and find a leader– a massive victory could be attained by taking over either one of the established Parties–they are both empty shells that serve no one save themselves and their courtiers–but they think the bacchanal will go on forever and it won’t–it simply can’t–
But the autocrats can’t dodge away from this–if I get more votes than you–I win–so let’s at least give it a go, what–I mean we all have kids and we are all distressed so to me having a go at taking over one of these Parties is very worth the effort as~we’ve nothing to lose~~in fact–it’s an obligation for good men to get involved.
First off–we need to be optimistic–Jack Kennedy and Reagan were the best Presidents of our lifetimes and they shared that trait–sunny optimism–it counts for a lot–it’s intangible–but it attracts voters like a moth to a lantern. Be optimistic–my little plan–my core message appears below–it addresses the most important hot button issues both here and West Europe–the hatred of central authority and globalization.
Lisa remarked to me not long ago that I could win in a walk in EITHER Party simply by stressing this platform–particularly among the young who see the locomotion of destruction coming for them–if you worry about your kids–believe me –they are, or soon will be far more worried than you are, Ramin–all other issues would resolve themselves—-deficits, even debt, immigration, social inequities–all would be solved if we advocated for this platform alone~~
Moreover–we could run this solely on social media–no interviews with the established press services–just on social sites–word of mouth–we could run a front porch campaign–once we win a few primaries the conventional press will have to pick us up as we are an existential threat to Washington–but we don’t need them and will simply ignore them–and let them sit in their glass boxes talking to themselves and about us–while we proceed to win
All the dashing about in traditional modern campaigns has nothing to do with meeting the people or pressing the flesh–it has to do with fund-raising exercises–while I think that we will get mass funding when people start to hear about us–we will not need as much as the major parties candidates because we can run this campaign out of our living rooms–elections ultimately turn not on money or flash Washington resumes–but rather on ideas–good ideas–let’s get some good ideas out in front of the Americans commencing 2014 and take a shot and see if we can save this country–I know it can be done–people want a revolution against Washington–let’s stop thinking about the groups aligned against us and adopt a positive and optimistic program of our own to give the people their revolution–let’s be creative, and optimistic–the race begins January 2014–it ends November 2016–with God’s help and our collective effort and thought–we can take over this city and make it work for the people~~boundless optimism is endemic to the Americans–let’s concentrate on putting boundless optimism to work to do this first and foremost~~
The rich man ought not be taxed at all~~he ought be compelled to train and employ the poor man~~directly~~cutting Washington out altogether as the middleman~~
~~The principal need in America today is~~financial and industrial De-Globalization~~to facilitate the promotion of the possibility for the average man to get and keep a good job with good benefits paid by the employer~~as was done not very long ago.~~
Jack
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~~In sunshine and in shadow~~I hold tight to the Republican view of time and money~~I write night and day~~yet~~while impecunious~~I am vastly overpaid~~in that taking pay to do what I love is unfair~~to my employer~~in a fair system~~under such circumstances~~I should pay him~~not he me~~I am far, far too old a man to be sexually confused~~praise Jesus~~but I am yet young enough to be politically confused~~is anyone not~~in an absolute sense~~I am a Catholic Royalist~~in a practical sense~~I am a Classical Liberal~~a Gaullist~~a Bonapartist~~an American Nationalist Republican~~in either sense~~my head is soon for the chopping block~~to hasten my interlude with Madame La Guillotine~~I write without fear~and without favor of~any man~~
Non Sibi~~
Finis Origine Pendet~
~~Κύριε ἐλέησον~~
Rejoice and Glad!!
Amen~~
~~The Original Angry Bird~~The Catholic University of America Screaming Red Cardinal Mascot~~
~~EX LIBRIS~~
~~THEOS EK MĒCHANĒS~~
Friday, 13th Decembre, Anno Domini Nostri Iesu Christi, 2013
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"Jean-Marie Le Pen is a friend. He is dangerous for the political set because he's the only one who's sincere. He says out loud what many people think deep down, and what the politicians refrain from saying because they are either too demagogic or too chicken. Le Pen, with all his faults and qualities, is probably the only one who thinks about the interests of France before his own."~~ French actor~~Alain Delon
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JOHN DANIEL BEGG 