What Is History? Part 28
Even the dullest consumer has got the point that no matter how he casts his vote for president or for Congress, his interests will never be represented because the oligarchy serves only itself. . . . They are happier with the way things are, with half the electorate permanently turned off and the other half mildly diverted by presidential elections in which, despite a semblance of activity, there is no serious choice. —Gore Vidal
When the American public walks, its knuckles graze the ground. —attributed to a Hollywood mogul
The destiny of Europe and Asia has not been committed, under God, to the keeping of the United States; and only conceit, dreams of grandeur, vain imaginings, lust for power, or a desire to escape from our domestic perils and obligations could possibly make us suppose that Providence has appointed us his chosen people for the pacification of the earth. —Charles A. Beard
A king that is soft as silk and effeminate . . . and what with the wily tyranny of them that ever rule him, shall be much more grievous unto the realm than a right tyrant. —William Tyndale
Heads and governors are ordained of God and are even the gift of God, whether they be good or bad. And whatsoever is done unto us by them, that doest God, be it good or bad. If they be evil why are they evil? Verily for our wickedness sake they are evil. —Tyndale
That light which is called history is pitiless. . . . —Victor Hugo
There is nothing like being powerful and feared . . . to cause enemies with malicious intentions . . . to spring up on every side. —A. Perez-Reverte
The people who are anxious to assert their constitutional right to bear arms ought to do it openly. The revolutionary fathers, who put this into the bill of rights, did not go around with little pistols concealed in their hip pockets. They carried their muskets or rifles over their shoulders like men. —Tombstone AZ newspaper editorial, 1881
War is fought by human beings. —Hemingway
To be steeped in Belloc, is to cease to be a pompous ass. —Cardinal Newman (with thanks to Robert)
You cannot judge the importance of things by the noise they make. —"Mr. Chips"
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There is nothing like being powerful and feared . . . to cause enemies with malicious intentions . . . to spring up on every side. —A. Perez-Reverte
If only we had known this before the invasion of Iraq? Wait,some did know this, some have always known this.
"The people who are anxious to assert their constitutional right to bear arms ought to do it openly. The revolutionary fathers, who put this into the bill of rights, did not go around with little pistols concealed in their hip pockets. They carried their muskets or rifles over their shoulders like men. —Tombstone AZ newspaper editorial, 1881"
Oh, so far and yet so near to our own times.
If we, the American public, be truly simian, Hollywood moguls and their ilk have helped devolve us further.
>>>To be steeped in Belloc, is to cease to be a pompous ass. —Cardinal Newman <<<
I think I could find several witnesses who would swear I was a counter-example.
But then Belloc was and still is Britain's greatest environmental writer.
Well anyway, I'm idiosyncratic...
Mr. Stebbings,
We have things a little backwards today when it comes to pomposity. Belloc suffered much for one lifetime and could therefore distinguish between what was worth fighting for and what was not. He had a proper repugnance to officaldom or what we might accurately call the air of neo-con-dom. He did not seek or accept worldly honors or wear his faith on his sleeve. When he had been granted a papal honor his reaction was annoyance rather than pleasure. He was satisfied to farm a bit, write for money and give his enemies hell. He was loyal to his friends, his family, his faith, loved the Sussex air, to sail his old wooden boat and curse the surly harbor masters. I was pleased to read recently that one of his biographers, A.N. Wilson, was received into the faith this past Easter after doing all in his youthful, power to discount it, condemn it and run from it. There are such things as actual graces in this world and Belloc's work has been one for me. It may not be for everyone.
Robert,
I wouldn't disagree with a thing you say. I think you read my comment too quickly: I was making a joke at my own expense. Although naturally I would not agree (can't be so sure about my wife!), I implied I was steeped in Belloc, and yet some still considered me a pompous ass, suggesting Cardinal Newman was wrong.
I was hoping to be called on my judgment that Belloc was essentially an environmental writer, which I could defend at some length, but this "Part 28" is now so far down the list of Chronicles posts that any such conversation is best held off list.
I do hope you are helping support "The Hilaire Belloc Society" by your dues, given your devotion to Belloc.
And talk radio was awash with assigning grades to Obama, Congress, and the voters. Grades ranged from A- to F to Incomplete. Well this is not school, it's the real world, and true to my English schooling I'll use numbers. Little Smoking Barry (friend of Bill Ayers, and disciple of Saul Alinsky and racist reverend Jeremiah Wright), gets a 5 out of 100 for choosing the most doctrinaire socialists to head the various departments and for reading all his speeches badly from a TelePrompTer. Congress as a whole, gets a 1 out of 100 for passing bad laws with utter disregard for the future. And the American public gets -2 out of 100 for failing to keep these clowns from power.
Under W the country was going over a cliff at 80, now it's doing a ton.
Is this a quote from Newman? I may be missing something here........Belloc was born in 1870 and Newman died in 1890. Belloc was educated at the London Oratory School and won a prize that was a copy of Newman's poem, "The Dream of Gerontius". This means that Belloc was only twenty when the great Cardinal passed away and if I recall his life he was in the USA around that time courting his future wife Elodie. How could anyone be steeped in Belloc in 1890 when he hadn't been published?
"To be steeped in history is to cease to be a Protestant" (John Henry Newman)
"To be steeped in Belloc is to cease to be a pompous ass" (John Henry Newman, thanks to robert)
This is a great example of how history is read backwards when all we have are dates, times and mathmatical equations to speculate what might have been, and when we no longer share a common body of known and unknown,facts,faces,places and beliefs.
Hilaire Belloc, as much as any man can be, was responsible for my conversion to the Catholic Faith. His historical works opened my eyes for the first time to see real history, not the myths I have heard all my life. The world actually does make sense once the blinders are removed and the eyes are opened by Catholic truth.
Re: #6 "And the American public gets -2 out of 100 for failing to keep these clowns from power."
Mr. Gervaise, that statement makes it seem as though you believe that votes cast in an election are actually counted and reported as counted. I have no such delusion and so I assign no blame whatsoever to the American public for the "election" of the current crop of crooks holding office today.
To our great credit, we have not yet resorted to the cartridge box, though the ballot box and the jury box have both been nullified as remedies.
@10 Ed Roberts
You're probably correct. I'm certain that voting machines can be rigged to agree with the latest Zogby Poll. They are made by Diebold and somebody has a vested interest. However, I do see Obama bumper stickers on the rear bumpers of Mercedes, Cadillacs, and BMWs driven by untrainable animals with cockroaches on their ears. Somebody went out and voted for this high-yellow fuehrer, but it wasn't me.
As an afterthought, the electoral college should simply vote for the candidate who raised the most money in each particular state.
Mr.Gervaise :
"As an afterthought, the electoral college should simply vote for the candidate who raised the most money in each particular state."
Sir,
We are fortunate to have your comments here. Your insights are similar to those of Eveyln Waugh when whe wrote about the undertakers in California. And when you really think about it, today's politics and yesterday's funeral parlors have more in common than one would notice at first glance. I thank you for your good humor and wit.