Kings

[poliphilo]

George Bush reminds me of those useless late-18th century kings, George III and Louis XVI. He has no instinct for leadership; he has to be told what to do. "Say, Mr President, don't you think it would be a good idea if you flew down to the Delta and put in an appearance?" "Awww...do I have to?"

A natural-born leader would have been down there, mingling with the refugees, just as soon as it was safe to fly.

Sooner or later every dynasty throws up a man unsuited to the job.

George III was a successful farmer and Louis XVI had a talent for watchmaking and George Bush- if left to his own devices- would have cut the mustard (just)in the lower levels of middle management.

Did they tip the tea into Boston harbour for this? I think not.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I take your point, the thing has happened now and recriminations are useless.

But another President- Reagan or Clinton perhaps- would have been down there, doing the folksy thing and hugging survivors, and generally helping America to feel better about itself.

Bush has been an amazingly bad President and his administration bears some responsibilty for the poor state of New Orleans's sea defences and the inadequacy (thus far) of the relief operation. He has got away with a lot in the past because of the perception that it is unpatriotic to attack the President in time of War. He can't be allowed to use this new crisis as yet another shield.

You are entitled of course to your opinion of our President

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

You are entitled of course to your opinion of
our President and it is clear that were you an
American citizen you likely would not have voted
for him.
Every man must operate within the limits of what
he is and has to give. The Presidents you mention
such as Clinton, or Carter or Reagan, and all the
others we have had, have each had their limitations.
By and large all of them have tried to serve the
Republic and her people and some of course with
more honor than others, excuse me for becoming
sententious (sp? )...
A friend of mine who knew President Bush and also
John Kerry during shared academic days at Yale
and Harvard, said that the Senator read some of
the books the President should have but that seeing
them one saw that it was G W Bush who was becoming
a Mensch (a man, in the sense of a man of decency and
honor). There are other possible opinions, and perhaps
they are easy ones to be sure of at a distance...

I know also that with many people and perhaps with you
disagreement on the intervention in Iraq, which I also
did not think wise or necessary(in retrospect I would
say that ,having no access to alternate histories, we
will never know if it were for better or worse), and
this becomes the unstated background for jumping
at the President's throat as it were. This is not
of course what you have done because much less or
I expect not really at all are you projecting
into politics inner rage and despair
as one feels among a good many teenage livejournalists
whose discontent has obviously complex sources.

I have said too much but it is with respect and admiration
for your humane sense of things, I think you must be
a Mensch... but enough disquiet at your words here
to make this response as well as I could.
+Seraphim.

Re: You are entitled of course to your opinion of our President

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Kerry or Bush? I recognise it was a hard choice. Kerry didn't impress me. I'd have voted for him (because I'm a man of the left) but not with any great enthusiasm.

I think it was a judgement on the system that it couldn't offer the electorate a better choice of candidates.

You're right about the part Iraq plays in my reaction. I think the invasion of Iraq was a huge a crime and a huge mistake. Because of that I'm not prepared to cut the Bush administration (or the Blair administration) any slack.

Thank you for your kind words. You too are a "mensch" (I love that word.)

:) lets invent another word

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

and for our common friends like Jackie
who are not exactly mensches let us invent
a word Womansch
course maybe andy capp invented it first after
a few pints!
+S.

Re: :) lets invent another word

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's a splendid word.

Yes, I'm all for it!

Re: :) lets invent another word

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Why, may I join the Party, then?

Delighted! I shall vote for--Hillary!

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

Hi Jacki,pleasurs to meet you this side of the
pond!
I should say that I would vote for Condi
but I am not at all sure that I would...
actually I met Hillary ,there was a crowd
for a photo in the library when I came in one
day and I got in and stood in place and made
some funny sort of remark and after the photo
the lady in front turned around and shook my
hand and it was Hillary Clinton.
as to Womansch as sounding (or Mensch come to
think of it too) like an Andy Capp slur, I recall
Fr Schmemann saying that he loved Andy Capp--
"Pogo is too Freudian."

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Good evening!

I am thinking your knee and toe are ready for travel?

Have a wonderful trip, and take lots of photographs!

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

Jackie
by the way I dont want to leave the
impression from a reading of the
above that I would vote for Hillary
I would not. well but I think she
has good qualities but how the deuce
did we get into politics ...ah yes
it comes back...
Knee is rather well.
took toe to doctor and he took off a
further piece of nail and then pressed
on it and asked if I felt anything
"well yes but you have just been
excavating there..." but I think it
will be fine for a while.

the luggage is too much for me
and the schedule is too much also this
time and yet as it is said in,what was it
Goodfella's, "this is the life we have
chosen.."
blessings
+Seraphim

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I am not at all convinced I would vote for Hilliary, myself. For one thing, my mother would kill me!

And my sister.

Sad to say, I have seen very few people worthy of a vote for many years.

When do you leave? Sunday, I think it was?

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

Jackie,
I leave Sunday. say a prayer, it is
not so easy...the next day we leave
Moscow for two days then back for a
conference for 2 days then out of
Moscow for 2 days etc. But,it will not
be this time I think, if I die(well and
I will) I would not mind to die there...

as to worthy well I think one thing
is to realize that in a country like
ours which is not authoritarian (pace
pimply livejournalers who dream of
living in a fascist state etc)
it really is us...
with our television programs
our education system
our ... everything. what do we expect
we would have but on the other hand
it is also,until now, with maybe some
exceptions or like all of us all at
moments, there has been a decency...
I like Jimmy Carter best as the
advocate for habitats for humanity and so
on and when he was President I thought he
was overmatched by the job and yet...he
did what he could. He was also a face
of a decency and generosity which I guess
I think a lot of Americans have in a
particular sort of way(not that we are better
than other people all and all but just a
slightly different configuraion maybe?)
and Clinton too though he never charmed me much...
and the Gipper...going too long but in a sense
all overmatched and yet all with something.
But
I do think that in our lifetime the Popes
have been more intelligent and visionary
on the whole and perhaps sometimes better
statesmen though the two jobs are so hard
to compare...but I wonder what State has
had leaders of the intelect of JP II or the
present Benedict?

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I will happily pray for you, and do.