Transatlantic Love Affair
Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
It may not have been the swansong of the Bush-Blair show, but it certainly felt like it.
There were moments in their White House double act early yesterday morning when they assumed their familiar roles.
They marched down the red carpet to the podium in the East Room as confident as ever. They filled in each other's lines and swapped jokes and smiles.
George W Bush gazed admiringly at the Prime Minister as he launched into an impassioned defence of the Iraq war.
"I'm going to say that was a great answer," said Mr Bush. The audience laughed. How many times over the past few years has his "good friend" Tony been the perfect foil to his rougher-hewn Texan style? It's beginning to feel like the end of a beautiful relationship by Alec Russell, in Washington
Mark
10 comments:
This photo of Tone and George reminds me of the Start-Rite kids! :-) Take a look at the top left-hand corner HERE.
BLD,
Me and my sha-a-dow
That's pretty funny!
Bld - God Bless America….bld, I’m with you there 100%. We owe untold treasure to those who have gone before, and sacrificed all for our freedom.
Confucius shakes the hand of Zeno
Two minds from antiquity tell us where we went wrong.
Man, as in the more archaic sense of the word, has an innate ability to chase his own folly with a purpose that rejects all rationality. We seem to enjoy wallowing in our ignorance, because it allows us to avoid having to think too hard, never a popular occupation of children at play. We are easily led astray.
Confucius, the ancient Chinese philosopher, according to the Analects, was asked a question by the ruler of Wei (?) seeking sage advise on matters of state policy, the question was - ‘what should a good ruler do for his subjects‘. Confucius’ answer was - ‘enrich them’. Some time later when passing back through that part of China, the same ruler approached Confucius again, and said - ‘master now that I have enriched the people what should I do’. Confucius answer was one of the most profound pieces of advise ever to fall from the lips of a wise man, onto the ears of a ruling elite - ‘educate them’. Ponder on that simple, undeniable truth. Now look to the state of education in the West, for we are led down the garden path of ignorance and cant. Our elites have fallen into the trap of Zeno of Elea’s philosophical paradigm - ‘The race between Achilles and the Tortoise’ which Zeno relays as -
Achilles and the Tortoise agree to a race. Now Achilles being a good sporting chap, allows the Tortoise a handicap. He allows the Tortoise a head start. So as the Tortoise continues on his way passing the post of his given handicap, Achilles starts of down the course after him. Now when Achilles catches up half the distance between the starting line and the point where the Tortoise was when Achilles actually started, the Tortoise will have moved ahead by a further distance. This is the paradox, for as each time Achilles gets half way there, the Tortoise has moved ahead a further distance, meaning that Achilles can never catch up.
Your brain hurt yet?
Do you get it? Any light bulbs going off yet? Speaking of light bulbs, would the silly bugger who’s been messing around with the light switch of my minds eye, quit playing around, ‘cause it gets really hard to think in here, with the light going on and off all the time.
You know it, I know it, Zeno knew it. Of course Achilles catches up in reality. That’s not the point. It is that an impeccably logical argument that leads to a false conclusion is a trap for the unwary. Does that remind you of anybody? It does me.
Now back to bld’s statement God Bless America, and why so much of modern humanity seems to be in a grumpy mood with America, well, our old faithful companion IGNORANCE has taken us for a ride again.
And that boys and girls brings me right round to that square peg into a round hole I keep hammering at, the ‘Gramscian paradigm’ and it’s insidious folly.
Pst . Pst . Don’t tell anybody, I heard a nasty rumor the other day. You know how these things spread around. I HEARD that a certain person who shall remain nameless, you know one of those luster’s after power and authority, did their doctorial thesis on one Italian gentleman (not sure he was one of those, in fact I know he wasn’t), by the name of Antonio Gramsci. Something to think about guys and girls.
We forget our historical record at our peril, because then we allow fools, frauds and charlatans to re-write the tale and thereby control our thoughts.. at least towards channels more to their convenience, it’s so much easier to manipulate minds that way.
Silly Billy, and you thought no one could get to your mind.
bld Did you get some good sights up those stairs...lucky beggar. They packed me off to boarding school...locked away in the bullies' dungeon. No girls of any description...what a bleak world.
The Gramscian paradigm in action.
If you wish for a clear parable as to how Antonio Gramsci’s subversive philosophy works, consider this…
Several years ago, while watching the History Channel on tv, not something I often do these days, for as a medium I consider it largely speaking to be ‘pollution for the human mind’, (tv that is). There was a program on presented by some modern academics, about The Battle of Agincourt. Now having once been an attentive little English schoolboy, I remember it well, (the battle that is.). As presented, these scholars dutifully trotted out their new theories as to how the battle had transpired, because as we all now know, since the victors get to write the narrative, and it is now an accepted nostrum that ‘they lied’, they were there to put things right, this was quite simply, the intellectually more superior man, correcting the falsity of historical narrative. The good professors, tromped over the actual battlefield for what reason I don’t know, for now it is just a collection of fields, as to be found anywhere in Europe, unless to impress upon their audience, an assumed sense of unstated certitude, as in they were there, actually at the battlefield so therefore they must know what they are talking about.
The good professors then proceeded to deconstruct the battle, pointing out that it had rained hard the night before, yes, yes, I already knew that; that the fields were muddy, ditto. That when the superior numbers of French knights advanced, they became bogged down in the mud, so far so good, but now for the good part. The English archers, credited with cutting down the flower of French knighthood; that bit, well the tale , long famed for the stunning accomplishment against superior forces, was all a fabrication. You see according to these new experts of medieval warfare, quite simply, the English longbow, with it’s deadly arrows, was according to our experts, totally unable to penetrate the French armor. They even gave us a practical demonstration, though the last true makers of English longbows died off a long time ago, not much of a market for them these days. So, I think it safe to assume the example they used was of modern manufacture, don’t know, but there might be a difference or two there, just speculating a bit mind. What actually transpired according to our new age experts, was that the French got bogged down in the mud (yes, and!), then the nasty, brutal English thugs, jumped in and with great relish set about slaughtering the gallant French knights as they lay helpless on the ground, oh, how ignoble of them, the brutes. Oh the humanity!
Now I don’t know about you, but I can well imagine, just about any medieval battle would be brutal, I’m sure that in the thick of the fight, throats got cut, people got killed, it happens that way in battle. Battles are places where people get killed Actually, that was the whole point of the exercise I thought, but what would I know, for I’m just a simple man. But the unstated but insinuated statement, was that this was not something that the British people should be proud of, rather, something to be atoned for, this was murder. It left a profound distaste in my mind. For in the modern world, this new all inclusive multicultural society, lets all get along PC world, it simply would not do to leave the details of this battle, which took place on 25 of October 1415, to rest upon the page of history, no, that would not do, lets re-write it according to our better feelings. No mention of course, of what their fate would have been, should they have lost the battle, hhmmm(?), don’t know, but I doubt it would have been anything pleasant . Being that the archers were drawn from peasant stock, as opposed to the mighty Lords of French chivalry, not too bright me thinks. I do seem to recall many tales from the historical record, pertaining to the lamentable way that the high and the mighty tended to treat lesser mortals. I’m not really surprised that the English fought like devils, the were hopelessly out numbered, in enemy territory, half stared after a long forced march and cornered. Don’t know about you, but I’d fight like the devil too. Now if that offends the delicate sensibilities of some dry, morally superior beings, pontificating behind the safe ramparts of a free society, then too bad -fuck’em I say.
A small silly detail you might say, well yes; but it is in the small details that the fabric of society is formed. From, substituting a sense of guilt, in the place of one of accomplishment, to sowing a seed of doubt in the minds of everyday people, who often have no great understanding of events, nor indeed of latent subversive agendas; it becomes possible to sow confusion among the people. And a confused people are an easy people to lead, especially when you can distract them with the newest version of ‘bread and circuses’ … sex and drugs and rock and roll.
Now I’m not a prude, sex is definitely one of the nicer pleasures of life, but I don’t really need it in my face all the time, too much of a good thing tends to dull the palette, and given that desire and the lust for sex are mysteries of the mind, yes folks, it’s almost all in your head, the bits between your legs are just the ancillary parts in action. Drugs, yeah well, too much of a good thing is never good for you, when drugs become a crutch for wounded souls to run away from themselves as opposed to what they started out as, simply a good time, we’ve moved beyond the point of no good, and none will come of it either. Rock and roll, well there is nothing wrong with having a good time, and much of the genre is simply that, a good time, though much is pretentious crap, but there is a time to play and a time to work; at least if we are adults that is.
The insinuation of doubt, upon the minds of the unwary, is just one master trick out of the bag full of tricks of the wizard…the long march through the institutions continues unabated…Beware!
As a voice from long, long ago nails it…
“Ambition has driven many men to be false, to have one thought locked up in the breast, with another ready upon the tongue”. - Sallust
And what do you know, it’s one of those evil dead white oppressor males. LOL
But you know what the architects of the new utopia forgot, they forgot to insulate themselves from the devilish nature of their own schemes, they dumbed themselves down to the lowest common denominator as well, leaving just a few lofty lords and aspiring princelings to direct the play. Smart move dim bulbs. Their house of cards tumbles before our eyes, for events have unmasked them as we speak. Pride cometh before a fall. But what does stupidity presage.
JAR:
Does Gramsci have some corporation that we don't know about and you have shares in? Because you just will not let that poor chap rest in peace! :-)
You've posted this one before. What is it about Gramsci that fascinates you so? :-)
All right, you don't need to answer that one. It's a rhetorical question!
You've posted this one before. What is it about Gramsci that fascinates you so? :-) - Mark
I guess it's the shear bloody minded cheek, to presume that a bitter little posseur such as he, thinks that he and only he has the right to play GOD with other peoples lives. And concommitantly how there are other like minded snakes out there with similar agendas. And all because they care, they care so very much more than anybody else.
Like Gorgeous George, with shield burnished bright, they ride off into the future in search of their own divinity. And like George, they keep dropping that shield, for it is far too heavy for their weak and feeble minds. They are indeed the 'Noble Savage' With their Che chique T shirts and their 'truth to power' slogans, that their hearts desire. Except I don't see any nobility, just a lot of savages.
bld Sorry, I was a bit slow on the uptake there, so what else is new?
That photograph of those two leaders, largely reviled by the chattering classes, does indeed capture the closing scene as the curtain falls, from the much loved Morecombe & Wise show. It would seem that once again that Will Shakespeare has the measure of all things. Good catch bld.
As for me, well it takes awhile, but I get in my own ponderous way. LOL. I keep tellin ya, some silly bugger 's playing around with the lights in here!
"Does Gramsci have some corporation that we don't know about and you have shares in? Because you just will not let that poor chap rest in peace! :-)" - Mark
Alas no, though I could wish it were so, it would be a help in feeding the wolves currently snarling outside my door. No, no fiscal gain for this weary traveller, from the likes of this wretch of wretches.
I'm just the your trusty English bulldog, harrying and worrying it's quarry, to bring it out of it's lair.
"well it takes awhile, but I get in my own ponderous way" - self
Will ya quit it with the lights in here. How the hell is one supposed to think straight.
The above line should read :-
"well it takes awhile, but I get there in my own ponderous way"
Post a Comment