Re(2): 'I'm Off On Politics for a while', The Anchoress, The Anchoress
Re(3): 'Never say never, but...', One Hand Clapping, Donald Sensing
Re(4): Chrenkoff's blog, Chrenkoff
Re(5): 'The Weakness of Empire', The American Conservative, Michael Vlahos
Re(6): 'The Three Conjectures', The Belmont Club, Wretchard
The below is a comment I posted within 'A still small voice'. Wretchard's post postulates:
My own hunch is that in the last two or three months there's been a change in the tone of the blogosphere. Nothing definite, simply a change in atmosphere in proportion to the degree of abstract tendencies of the blogger. Authors who trafficked in ideas and concepts have altered the most. Some have paused to take stock, pleading disgust or confusion; still others have returned to writing as seemingly different persons; others seem to be suffering a kind of nervous breakdown, obsessed with hatred for one or more public figures or inventing new words and finding conspiracies in everything they see.My comment revolved around the little voice I feel more than hear that informs me that the die has been cast and there must be patience. That our job, while not done, is in abeyance while others place their shoulders to assigned tasks. That, while we have a role to play, the end of the beginning is defined by others.
Here is how I put it:
I was then asked by a commenter to read another screed about Emperor Bush. Soon thereafter - I guess after losing my temper - I wrote:Many of those "authors who trafficked in ideas and concepts" now have to accept fate and watch events unfold. On all sides. That whisper echoed in my mind a few months ago.
In the GWOT things will head toward toward the '3rd Conjecture' or the '2nd Conjecture'.
In Iraq it is the Iraqis that will decide. In Iran it is the Iranians that will decide. In Saudi Arabia it is the Saudis that will decide. In Egypt it is the Egyptians that will decide.
We now watch - and hope.
After reading Wretchard and The Anchoress and Chrenkov and Stein and Altos, and Major Mike and Blackfive and etc. on the topic of today over a period of years now, your source document grinds my teeth. It could have been written in 2003 or some other period of ancient history.
Here is history fifty years from now: President Bush's greatest moment will the moment he did NOT don the purple fringed toga of an emperor.
And, by the way, Vlahos is 100% correct when he states that it is the republic that is the strong horse – not the autocracy. Proven again and again. But he is wrong to believe that only good can come of it. I would place President Bush more in league with Gaius Marius than Julius Caesar or Augustus. That is not all good, eh… And, remember FDR died in office after being elected four times.
My biggest concern now is that America may quickly become a defacto One Party State. And, yes, I understand and read the polls. But the oppositions defines nothing, argues nothing, and does nothing. When given the choice each voter in each district in each state will elect people who have meaning. Then power will shift to absolute.
I am much more worried about the next man – this man is a good man…
We can only hope we don’t elect a Sulla as Consul.
No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy
Semper Fi
2 comments:
Bog, My will often ebbs and flows, and being a trained argumentist, it often becomes dishearteing when we wail into the vast expanse and wonder if our logic and our wisdom is missing its mark by such a wide mark that it is missed in its entirety.
However, the Marine in me, the stubborn part that made me a Marine, refuses to acquiesce to the illogic and unstudied, who wish to have control for no other purpose than to "be" in control. A short sighted aim that will send this imperfect, but beautiful democracy, down the river Styx in short order.
Those that measure the imprefections in the imperfect, are doomed to fail this democracy. Our wholly imperfect democracy still stands as a beacon in a measureably more imperfect world. This is not a world of absolutes, but a world of relative comparisons. And when compared to the rest of the world's imperfect forms of government, our feeble attempt at letting the majority decide, is still dependent on the civil behavior of the minority to hold the dam against anarchy.
When the minority sacrifices stability in favor of an anarchic election cycle, they have damaged the democracy far more than our lethal enemies. In failling to recognize, or acknowledge the damage they are doing to the greater good, they make the argument in keeping them from power. This is what charges my batteries.
Continue to bring logic to the table and we will eventually win the day...the day when logic and common sense eventually rules the day.
Hold the line...good will balance the temptations of the absolute, regardless of which party is in charge. All of this is dependent on the vocal, but civil participation of the minority. An endgame that can only be accomplished with an insistance on good argument and better civility. Keep p the great work.
last paragraph edii...
"...good will will balance..."
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