Thoughts for the Day: Friday 19 February 2021

 

2018 publication

Dark Star Rising

Gary Lachman

What is this strange need to lead, and the equally strange one to follow? What is this will to power? Why do we pursue it? Must it always corrupt? Charismatic leaders cast a spell over their followers in the same way that a magician casts one over those he wants to enchant. The power of the image, of glamour, of one’s self-confidence, is at work in both—as it is in the confidence trickster. The medium is the imagination, whether in its traditional forms or in its new electronic version.

Age of Anger

Pankaj Mishra

Mazzini [19th-century Italian exponent of Italian unity] was an exponent of political style, an artist depending on the incantatory effect of words like ‘God’, ‘people’, ‘republic’, ‘thought’ and ‘action’ – terms that demanded submission rather than cogitation.

Trust and the Competition Delusion - Griffith Review

Nicholas Gruen

In any society which recognized only external goods, competitiveness would be the dominant and even exclusive feature… We should therefore expect that, if in a particular society the pursuit of external goods were to become dominant, the concept of the virtues might suffer first attrition and then perhaps something near total effacement, although simulacra might abound.

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics

John J. Mearsheimer

If defense has a clear advantage over offense, and conquest is therefore difficult, great powers will have little incentive to use force to gain power and will concentrate instead on protecting what they have. When defense has the advantage, protecting what you have should be a relatively easy task. Alternatively, if offense is easier, states will be sorely tempted to try conquering each other, and there will be a lot of war in the system.

It is much harder and more complicated to build something, as the Democrats are trying to do, than it is to destroy something. This means it will be harder to give a clear daily picture of the Biden administration than it was of the previous administration. The status of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, for example, is not clear right now because it is being marked up in committees, as such a bill should be. While the contours are likely what they were when they went in, what will emerge and then be put into a draft bill is not yet clear enough that we can talk about it definitively.

--Heather Cox Richardson 

Letter to Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO5) re Acknowledging the Biden Victory & Administration

 

Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO5)

The following is the text of an email letter that I sent to my congressman today. If you share my opinion and you have a senator or congressman who has not acknowledged the Biden victory (and therefore the lawful legitimacy of his administration), I urge you to join me in writing your representatives. We need to speak out against the big lie. Please feel free to copy and paste to your heart's content!

Dear Congressman Lamborn: 

Today marks the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States of America. If I’ve counted correctly, this marks the 16th inauguration of a President in my lifetime. Some of the presidents were elected in landslides, some in squeakers, and some even after having lost the popular vote. But in each instance, the nation came together under the duly elected president by the time of the inauguration. In each instance, the defeated candidate recognized and affirmed the outcome. On several occasions, defeated incumbent presidents have looked on as their successor was sworn in. This has been an American tradition and a ritual affirmation of our democracy. But this will not happen this year. Our electoral system has been plagued by what we now know definitively as “the big lie,” that somehow, President Trump had actually been the choice of most voters. I know that you are a supporter of President Trump and that you voted to disqualify the votes of some states that Biden carried, even after the attack on Congress. I know that you supported the re-election of President Trump. I know that you voted against impeaching President Trump for his role in promoting the mob’s attack on the Capitol. But now Trump’s run is over, and it’s time for everyone--especially persons in your circumstance--to speak out in defense of our democracy, the rule of law, and the promotion of civil discourse. Given that your website indicates that you’ve not congratulated or even acknowledged the victory of our newly elected president, now is the time to do so. You--and as many of your colleagues as you can persuade--should immediately issue a statement along the following lines: 

20 January 2021

Press Release of Congressman Doug Lamborn & Colleagues

Today marks the inauguration of Joe Biden as our 46th president. We congratulate President Biden on his electoral victory, and we want to wish him all the best as he embarks upon his service as president of our great nation. We pledge to take every opportunity to work with our new president and his administration whenever we can to promote the well-being of the American people and our system of government. When we don’t agree, we pledge to act in good faith to pursue alternatives consistent with our form of government.

The result of the recent election has been doubted by some. However, the states, the Electoral College, the Congress, and the Courts (after numerous instances of judicial review) have all affirmed the sanctity and validity of the election results. Let there be no further question that Joe Biden won the election. One of the hallmarks of the success and longevity of the American electoral system arises from the tradition of fair play and good sportsmanship that we teach our sons and daughters each day. The American people have spoken, and even we who supported President Trump must acknowledge the election results according to provisions of our Constitution and laws. Any disagreement that any of us--from congressional representatives to ordinary voters-- have with the new Biden Administration must be expressed in words and not violence. Violence is the antithesis of democracy and the rule of law, and we must all reject it. 

God bless the Biden Administration, this Congress, and the United States of America. 

Thank you for your consideration. I eagerly await your response.

Stephen N. Greenleaf