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Thursday, May 15. 2008

An era of "outrageous credulity"?

Readers know that we tend to maintain an attitude of wholesome skepticism towards almost everything, including ourselves and our own thoughts.

In an outstanding post, Driscoll nails the credulity with which some invest government and politicians. He quotes Betsy:

Today’s “presidentialists of all parties”—a phrase that describes the overwhelming majority of American voters—suffer from a similar delusion. Our system, with its unhealthy, unconstitutional concentration of power, feeds on the atavistic tendency to see the chief magistrate as our national father or mother, responsible for our economic well-being, our physical safety, and even our sense of belonging. Relimiting the presidency depends on freeing ourselves from a mind-set one century in the making.

Related: Last night's link asking Are we a nation of toddlers? Also related to a number of posts by our Dr. Bliss discussing how politics can be a tempting screen for the projection of, and an arena for the enactment of regressive, ie childish, irrational and unrealistic wishes and aspirations.

Posted by The Barrister in Politics at 09:00 | Comments (9) | Trackback (1)

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Happiness is a warm sense of honor
They have given me this amazing gift of not only being invited into their inner circle, into their intimate moments, but to also document this amazing journey that they are experiencing, writes New York photographer Heather Brand, McCain daughter Meghan's
Weblog: sisu
Tracked: May 15, 17:10

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The quote comes from Reason Online (http://www.reason.com/news/show/126020.html)
#1 steve matlock (Link) on 2008-05-15 11:28 (Reply)
The phrase “presidentialists of all parties” and the crux of the article are bovine scat and anyone half way familiar with the office of the President from it's very inception knows this.

I will not do the homework for those who buy into this article. Presidential power has always meant to be the most energetic and dynamic of the three branches of government and as a consequence it draws the greatest focus.

First off it is the ONLY office in our entire form of government that all the people vote for. It was designed to be highly dynamic, not a caretaker position.

Our third president without congressional approval made the greatest land deal in history, the Louisianan Purchase..anyone wanna give it back?
In 1801 that same President refused to pay tribute to the Barbary Pirates and sent our Navy and Marines off (without Congressional approval or debate) to dispatch the brigands...anyone want to go back and pay the $250,000 tribute they were demanding ?

I could go down each and every President and cite similar situations. The office was designed for quick and decisive action shouldered by one person, not debated forever by a Congress elected by regions to represent regional interests.

The premise of the article is highly flawed and is one that leads the population into thinking that Presidents are usurping powers never intended when the opposite is the case.

The short blurb we get ends with, Relimiting the presidency depends on freeing ourselves from a mind-set one century in the making. One century?. Hogwash. BTW , how does one relimit? You either limit or expand. I don't even think relimiting is a word.

The author has no idea what he's talking about.

The article is tripe.
#2 Habu on 2008-05-15 11:36 (Reply)
Thanks, Team!
#2.1 BD on 2008-05-15 12:05 (Reply)
To finish driving a stake through the heart of Betsy Newmark's pitifully written, and poorly researched piece she uses another phrase at the end of the article that while definitionally correct is etymologically incorrect. The word she used is bunkum or " unacceptable behavior ".

However, etymologically she should have used the word Buncombe, after Buncombe County, NC. The meaning is the same but the word came into common usage after being used by H. L. Menchem. One of the estimated five million words he used in his prodigious writing career.

Betsy, find another line of work.
#3 Habu on 2008-05-15 12:35 (Reply)
great stuff, habu -- but when critiquing mispellings & such, don't mispell the name of the dude you use in your argument.
#3.1 buddy larsen on 2008-05-15 13:54 (Reply)
Of O. Henry, Ring Lardner, & HL Mencken, who said "Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking."
#4 buddy larsen on 2008-05-15 14:28 (Reply)
Great point about my mispelling the bame of the person. Thanks, bubbly i meant Buddy..

Your friend,
Hasbeen
Habu
#5 Habu on 2008-05-15 16:02 (Reply)
that's ok, Hasbeen, old top. Call me "Neverwas".
#5.1 buddy larsen on 2008-05-15 16:09 (Reply)
Usually I ignore any argument making use of words like "atavistic" or "relimiting" (and "nonplussed" really chafes my nads), however I gotta agree with the general idea that there is way too much perception that we elect a king, not a president. Everybody is ready to move to canada if x/y wins the next election. Rather whacked if you ask me. BTW, does Buncoumbe county still exist?
#6 KRW on 2008-05-15 20:44 (Reply)

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