If Republicans wonder why I vote for Democrats, the recent attack by a group of Republican representatives is one of the reasons. It amazes me that members of the "Law and Order" party would stoop to vandalism in the House of Representatives. Their protests were even more ridiculous because several Republicans were in the closed meeting.
See https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/us/politics/republicans-storm-trump-impeachment-hearing.html.
I would like to vote for Republicans, but only when they live up to their name: res publica (public things). Instead they seem to be working overtime to promote Redonaldcons. I didn't care for Ronald Reagan, but Donald Trump certainly makes Reagan look like St. Ronnie!
Showing posts with label mob rule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mob rule. Show all posts
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Are you an armchair activist?
I am not a big fan of demonstrations or petitions; they often seem to me to be more mob rule than serious deliberation. For the 1,000 that show up for a demonstration, were there 10,000 that had a different opinion? For the 100,000 who signed a petition, were there 1,000,000 who had a different opinion? Just like all the no-shows on voting or the uncalled on polling, we can never be sure what the inactive think.
However, like letters to the editor, one should often raise one's voice to at least make an opinion known.
Reading today's Al Jazeera blog on Libya I saw that Avaaz has created a petition urging the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone in Libya. Avaaz's campaign for sanctions two weeks ago with 450,000 emails stunned the Security Council office.
One must admit, such actions often do get attention.
However, like letters to the editor, one should often raise one's voice to at least make an opinion known.
Reading today's Al Jazeera blog on Libya I saw that Avaaz has created a petition urging the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone in Libya. Avaaz's campaign for sanctions two weeks ago with 450,000 emails stunned the Security Council office.
One must admit, such actions often do get attention.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Taxes might have saved the rich from the guillotine
In 18th Century France, the church and the nobility were not taxed. The burden of taxation was on the bourgeoisie, the laborers, and the small farmers. As the court became more extravagant and the government more costly, the taxpayers became more dissatisfied. Eventually the anger grew to the point of revolution, a revolution that often was mob rule*. Mob rule led to false accusations, and heads rolled.
Even the Tea Partiers of the day, like Robespierre, were not immune to the anger of the mob and to infighting among those who assumed control of the government.
We may see a parallel in the flood-ravaged parts of Pakistan. The government is not very effective in bringing relief, partly because of so much posturing for power and partly because there is not enough money to do much of what needs to be done. Oh yes, many of the rich in Pakistan pay little or no taxes.
This situation is providing a huge opening to the Taliban, which is providing relief in some areas. How much this will increase the overall power of the Taliban remains to be seen. Remember though, many revolutions were started by small bands, Mao Tse Tung or Fidel Castro.
* Mob rule was one of the things that Founders of the United States feared greatly. Their distaste for mob rule led them to distrust French innovations, such as the metric system.
Even the Tea Partiers of the day, like Robespierre, were not immune to the anger of the mob and to infighting among those who assumed control of the government.
We may see a parallel in the flood-ravaged parts of Pakistan. The government is not very effective in bringing relief, partly because of so much posturing for power and partly because there is not enough money to do much of what needs to be done. Oh yes, many of the rich in Pakistan pay little or no taxes.
This situation is providing a huge opening to the Taliban, which is providing relief in some areas. How much this will increase the overall power of the Taliban remains to be seen. Remember though, many revolutions were started by small bands, Mao Tse Tung or Fidel Castro.
* Mob rule was one of the things that Founders of the United States feared greatly. Their distaste for mob rule led them to distrust French innovations, such as the metric system.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Quote of the day
Charles M. Blow wrote an interesting commentary in "Mobs Rule", New York Times, 2010-01-22. He wrote that "many see Barack Obama as a left-leaning version of George W. Bush: just another out-of-touch emperor." He concluded with Obama's "agenda will suffer now that the emperor has no cloture."
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Health care "debate"? Walter, where are you when we need you?
If you think the health care "debate" has gotten out of hand, be sure to read
"In America, Crazy Is a Preexisting Condition", Rick Perlstein, Washington Post, 2009-08-16
This so-called left-right divide is more of a cosmopolitan-crazy divide. According to Perlstein, Walter Cronkite would not have treated some of this controversy as serious public debate; he would have called much of it crazy.
Some is what some people really believe; some of it is pandering to these people and feeding them misinformation that they are ready to believe.
There are many legitimate issues to be discussed about health care, but the discussion has degenerated into a shouting match by a minority. It is not helped by those in the media who continue to consider such shouting matches as legitimate political expression. I think the correct name is mob rule, something the Founders worried about.
It has been made worse by a party that panders to this minority and calls itself a major party. When will the honest members of that party break away. Sen. Arlen Specter was one who broke away, but he didn't seek enough independence.
"In America, Crazy Is a Preexisting Condition", Rick Perlstein, Washington Post, 2009-08-16
This so-called left-right divide is more of a cosmopolitan-crazy divide. According to Perlstein, Walter Cronkite would not have treated some of this controversy as serious public debate; he would have called much of it crazy.
Some is what some people really believe; some of it is pandering to these people and feeding them misinformation that they are ready to believe.
There are many legitimate issues to be discussed about health care, but the discussion has degenerated into a shouting match by a minority. It is not helped by those in the media who continue to consider such shouting matches as legitimate political expression. I think the correct name is mob rule, something the Founders worried about.
It has been made worse by a party that panders to this minority and calls itself a major party. When will the honest members of that party break away. Sen. Arlen Specter was one who broke away, but he didn't seek enough independence.
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