Monday, July 27, 2009
Those were the days
Those were the days my friend,
We'd thought they'd never end.
We'd sing and dance, forever and a day.
We'd live the life we choose.
We'd fight and never lose,
For we were young and sure to have our way.
---from a late 60's song made popular by Mary Hopkins
I have just returned from National Railfest 2009 in Owosso, Michigan. The main feature was eight live steam engines, among them Southern Pacific 4449 the former Daylight motive power, built by Lima Engine works, Pierre Marquette 1225 a Lima Berkshire built in 1941 and restored to operating condition by the Steam Railroad Institute in Owosso, and Nickle Plate 765, a Lima Berkshire built in 1944 and almost identical to 1225. In addition were Little River Railroad's 110, a small Pacific, and LRR 1 an 0-4-0 saddle tank switcher, Flagg Coal 75 a saddle tank switcher almost identical to LLR 1, both built by Vulcan, and Viscose 6 a lighter 0-4-0 saddle tank switcher. The final addition was Leviathon, a newly built replica of the twin of Jupiter which was at the Golden Spike ceremony in 1869.
It was like a trip into a time warp, or perhaps in Sherman and Peabody's Way-Back Machine (You did watch Rocky and Bullwinkle, didn't you?). My friend Jim and I had our childhoods in the 40's and 50's when Steam was making its last stand against diesel power, so we were in a wonderful remembrance of those times.
Steam was economical only when compared to horse, oxen, and foot travel. Once diesels came along, it was no contest. Diesels wiped out mainline steam in about 10 years after WW II was over. But steam railroading had a romance and gusto that diesels could never support. Those were the days....
Casey Jones of the song fame was an engineer on the Illinois Central. In those days, engineers were assigned their own engines when they had enough seniority. They were proud of their machines and every engine had a life of its own. Modern steam engines had blowers and air pumps for when they were idle, and so one could hear them "breathe."
Another steam passenger train of renown was the Wabash Cannonball, which did not run where the song said but was remembered in song. Or a song popular after WW II called "The Atcheson, Topeka, and the Santa Fe." Many folk songs are devoted to railroads and railroading, both the good and the bad.
When a steam engine went by, there was no doubt about the power and strength that was being harnessed. I have stood on the station platform when a steam helper was pushing a freight up a grade at 20-30 mph and felt the heat off the cylinders, the pounding of the drivers, the noise of the exhaust. I watched the Golden Spike Special leave Croton-Harmon station behind 759 and saw the power as it accelerated up the throat with a 20-car passenger consist for its run North.
Railroad men were almost a breed apart. They were tough, extremely so, yet most of them were quite gentle to women and children. They worked in weather that would have us staying home, blizzards, thunder storms, intense cold. They literally risked their lives every day. Brakemen walked the tops of cars in all weather to set brakes, and while the trains were moving. Section gangs had to work in horrible weather sometimes to repair track. Especially in the days before air brakes, engineers had to be extremely skilled to avoid over-speed on downhill runs, or to not take some turns too fast. If a train ahead stopped out of schedule and did not have adequate warning to a following train, or did not clear the siding in time, the engineer and firemen were the first to die.
The pay was not good, though with seniority it could be good for its time. Just as today, they did it more for the love of it than the money. It was hard, physical work, especially for firemen. "Loading 16 Tons" was pretty much literally their day's work on a heavy freight. It was not until the advent of the stoker that the large steam engines of the show were possible. Even then a fireman had to be able to hand-fire the engine when it was maintaining steam at idle.
Through it all there was a romance associated with trains and engines. They took people to places they could not get to otherwise. An engineer in the cab was looked up to as a heroic figure--and he was. To some degree the arrogance of some of them could be excused--they had to be good, their and everyone else's lives depended on them.
So with all of this in mind, I walked the grounds of the Steam Railroad Institute and got as close to the engines as I could, riding behind one, sitting in the cab of another, and simply standing there taking them in. A GERF is a glassy-eyed rail fan, and I certainly qualified on Thursday. And there was the naustalgia for an era that would never come back.
Like the song says:
Ah, my friends, we're older but no wiser.
The dreams we dare to dream are still the same.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
A lesson from the past
Edward Gibbon, in "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," on page 454, makes the following observation:
We are well on our way with the current administration. Do they not realize that the rich that they expect to stand still and be slaughtered economically, will find ways to avoid paying excessive taxes, even to becoming non-citizens? The attempt to tax foreign earnings was an attempt to close a loop-hole of the rich. It won't work. Those with real riches will find ways to secure them from the tax collector.
In the sixth year of his reign Constantine visited the city of Autun, and generously remitted the arrears of tribute, reducing at the same time the proportion of their assessment from twenty-five to eighteen thousand heads, subject to the real and personal capitation. Yet even this indulgence affords the most unquestionable proof of the public misery. This tax was so extremely oppressive, either in itself or in the mode of collecting it, that, whilst the revenue was increased by extortion [on the people], it was diminished by despair [of the people, bk]: a considerable part of the territory of Autun was left uncultivated; and great numbers of the provincials rather chose to live as exiles and outlaws than to support the weight of civil society.Apparently one of the requirements to be a politician is to never learn from the past. History is replete with excessive taxation leading to the destruction of a society.
We are well on our way with the current administration. Do they not realize that the rich that they expect to stand still and be slaughtered economically, will find ways to avoid paying excessive taxes, even to becoming non-citizens? The attempt to tax foreign earnings was an attempt to close a loop-hole of the rich. It won't work. Those with real riches will find ways to secure them from the tax collector.
Fundamentals of Government II
The laws of the Federal Government must be equally applicable to all citizens. Therefore they must be kept simple and only deal with those issues that are common to all citizens. However, State and local governments are of a different nature. Because they are smaller in scope, they have a greater homogeneity of population and environment. Therefore they can morally create laws and actions that are different in scope from the Federal government.
However, the same principle of equal opportunity and application of the law applies. The laws of a state must apply equally to all citizens, again a special group cannot be singled out. The same holds true for the laws of a community, township, or county. For example, it may be appropriate for a community to provide education for its citizens--as long as everyone pays the same for it, and all children are treated equally. However, this is a dangerous issue, because it is very easy to politicize education. That is the source of many of the evils in our education system today--it is politicized all the way to Washington, DC. More appropriate is police, perhaps fire fighting (this could be provided privately by insurance companies), and roads. In theory, one can easily justify local government providing some common roads. However, outside of the community it becomes more debatable whether a state government or private entity should provide the roads. Again this becomes politicized because the money austensibly collected for roads can be used elsewhere and often is.
Though my theories of government are not new or original, this helps me to organize them for further discussion in the future.
However, the same principle of equal opportunity and application of the law applies. The laws of a state must apply equally to all citizens, again a special group cannot be singled out. The same holds true for the laws of a community, township, or county. For example, it may be appropriate for a community to provide education for its citizens--as long as everyone pays the same for it, and all children are treated equally. However, this is a dangerous issue, because it is very easy to politicize education. That is the source of many of the evils in our education system today--it is politicized all the way to Washington, DC. More appropriate is police, perhaps fire fighting (this could be provided privately by insurance companies), and roads. In theory, one can easily justify local government providing some common roads. However, outside of the community it becomes more debatable whether a state government or private entity should provide the roads. Again this becomes politicized because the money austensibly collected for roads can be used elsewhere and often is.
Though my theories of government are not new or original, this helps me to organize them for further discussion in the future.
Fundamentals of Government
I have been thinking about government lately, especially since I have been reading "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." Though not always exact, the parallels between the Roman Empire and the United States are striking--particularly in the mis-functions of government. The first fundamental is truly THE fundamental of government. Once I saw this, the rest follows.
1. A government has only one capability--the use of force.
2. Underneath any government action or decree is the threat of force.
3. Governments never create wealth or knowledge, they only acquire it and use it.
4. Good governments exist only to keep the citizens safe in their persons and property.
5. Governments establish the rules of legality. That is not the same as establishing rules that are moral.
6. Citizens have three controls over government, elections, juries, and guns. If the first two have no effect on government, then the last is a moral obligation to use. (Yes, the American Revolution was a moral event.)
7. Government will always operate in the direction of increasing power. The only restraint is the diligence of the citizens.
8. The greater the scope of government action, the greater are the inherent contradictions, and the greater the opportunity for corruption.
9. Republican forms of government are balancing acts between anarchy and total government control. Generally they fall on the government control side over time.
10. All government actions have economic consequences.
11. Government action cannot undo the action of the law of supply and demand.
12. Once a government establishes unequal or excessive taxation, it ceases to operate in conformity with economic law. It is only by the implied use of force that it succeeds in its revenue collection.
13. Government is inherently inefficient. Its organization and proper purpose do not create incentives to be otherwise.
14. All proper functions of government provide equal benefit to all citizens.
15. Proper functions include police protection and armies. These are the proper use of force.
16. All proper taxation schemes treat all voting citizens equally.
17. Only those who pay taxes should be allowed to vote, otherwise, non-taxpayers have power without responsibility.
18. It is appropriate for the government to charge a fee for services. An example is registration of deeds or contracts.
19. Civil courts should always be on a fee for service basis. (and the loser should pay the costs in civil suits)
20. Criminal courts should always be tax-supported. (Actually we probably have the best criminal justice system in the world, save the insanities of legislators over the definitions of crimes and penalties)
21. Any government action or law that favors any person or group of people over another is inherently evil. Regardless of the tax and fee structure, it is unequal taxation.
22. Laws will never be perfect, being the result of compromise. Therefore, the simpler they are, the easier to correct when wrong.
23. Given the attraction of government for those that desire power, all legislators and executives should be subject to limited terms.
24. Ambassadors and judges should have terms that are not subject to what faction is in political power. The use of government for patronage is an abuse of the public trust, and produces the same result as cronyism in private business. The terms of appointment should be longer than the term-limits on politicians. This reduces the effects of favoritism. Also an appointment would be a one-time event. There would be no return in the future.
25. Civil service positions should be equally available, without given preference to any group of people.
26. Civil service positions should be subject to termination for poor performance.
27. Civil service management status should be determined by scope of responsibility not by the number of people in the hierarchy.
28. Any function of the Federal Government other than courts, investigation, diplomacy, and armed forces is inappropriate and by its nature will create inequalities.
In any discussion of the above points, I am willing to bet that the attempt will be to turn the discussion on the effect rather than the principles behind the point. Any valid discussion must show how the point creates inequality of OPPORTUNITY. Inequality of result is not a valid rebuttal, as it depends on individual performance. Every individual is unique--they are not equal in capability. Life does not give a pass to lack of ability, nor should the government attempt to remedy it. Equality of result has as its final end the homogenization of society to the lowest level of accomplishment consistent with survival. Equality of opportunity allows those who are skilled and talented to provide opportunities for others as partners or employees in their efforts.
It is simply "To each according to his ability." We don't expect an illiterate to operate complex machinery, though he/she can do simple jobs such as janitor, busboy, grocery sacker. Why should they receive more income than their effort is worth? The only way that happens is to take from someone of greater economic value. Anyone else taking money from an individual by force is called robber, the government calls it progressive taxation.
1. A government has only one capability--the use of force.
2. Underneath any government action or decree is the threat of force.
3. Governments never create wealth or knowledge, they only acquire it and use it.
4. Good governments exist only to keep the citizens safe in their persons and property.
5. Governments establish the rules of legality. That is not the same as establishing rules that are moral.
6. Citizens have three controls over government, elections, juries, and guns. If the first two have no effect on government, then the last is a moral obligation to use. (Yes, the American Revolution was a moral event.)
7. Government will always operate in the direction of increasing power. The only restraint is the diligence of the citizens.
8. The greater the scope of government action, the greater are the inherent contradictions, and the greater the opportunity for corruption.
9. Republican forms of government are balancing acts between anarchy and total government control. Generally they fall on the government control side over time.
10. All government actions have economic consequences.
11. Government action cannot undo the action of the law of supply and demand.
12. Once a government establishes unequal or excessive taxation, it ceases to operate in conformity with economic law. It is only by the implied use of force that it succeeds in its revenue collection.
13. Government is inherently inefficient. Its organization and proper purpose do not create incentives to be otherwise.
14. All proper functions of government provide equal benefit to all citizens.
15. Proper functions include police protection and armies. These are the proper use of force.
16. All proper taxation schemes treat all voting citizens equally.
17. Only those who pay taxes should be allowed to vote, otherwise, non-taxpayers have power without responsibility.
18. It is appropriate for the government to charge a fee for services. An example is registration of deeds or contracts.
19. Civil courts should always be on a fee for service basis. (and the loser should pay the costs in civil suits)
20. Criminal courts should always be tax-supported. (Actually we probably have the best criminal justice system in the world, save the insanities of legislators over the definitions of crimes and penalties)
21. Any government action or law that favors any person or group of people over another is inherently evil. Regardless of the tax and fee structure, it is unequal taxation.
22. Laws will never be perfect, being the result of compromise. Therefore, the simpler they are, the easier to correct when wrong.
23. Given the attraction of government for those that desire power, all legislators and executives should be subject to limited terms.
24. Ambassadors and judges should have terms that are not subject to what faction is in political power. The use of government for patronage is an abuse of the public trust, and produces the same result as cronyism in private business. The terms of appointment should be longer than the term-limits on politicians. This reduces the effects of favoritism. Also an appointment would be a one-time event. There would be no return in the future.
25. Civil service positions should be equally available, without given preference to any group of people.
26. Civil service positions should be subject to termination for poor performance.
27. Civil service management status should be determined by scope of responsibility not by the number of people in the hierarchy.
28. Any function of the Federal Government other than courts, investigation, diplomacy, and armed forces is inappropriate and by its nature will create inequalities.
In any discussion of the above points, I am willing to bet that the attempt will be to turn the discussion on the effect rather than the principles behind the point. Any valid discussion must show how the point creates inequality of OPPORTUNITY. Inequality of result is not a valid rebuttal, as it depends on individual performance. Every individual is unique--they are not equal in capability. Life does not give a pass to lack of ability, nor should the government attempt to remedy it. Equality of result has as its final end the homogenization of society to the lowest level of accomplishment consistent with survival. Equality of opportunity allows those who are skilled and talented to provide opportunities for others as partners or employees in their efforts.
It is simply "To each according to his ability." We don't expect an illiterate to operate complex machinery, though he/she can do simple jobs such as janitor, busboy, grocery sacker. Why should they receive more income than their effort is worth? The only way that happens is to take from someone of greater economic value. Anyone else taking money from an individual by force is called robber, the government calls it progressive taxation.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Social Networks
For the last month or so, I have been participating in a web-based social network. It is an interesting experience, and has both positives and negatives. There seem to be at least three classes of networks within the overall network depending on the closeness of the persons that are linking. There are the friends that truly are friends, and this provides a means to easily keep in touch, and even better, to easily share photos. Then there are the linkages to acquaintances--people one knows but are not really close to, and finally there are linkages to people who are friends of friends. One may never have met them but is reluctant to refuse the invitation, because they are a friend of a friend.
The levels of participation are highly varied. Some people are members and never post anything. Some people post all the time and comment on everything, like a version of "Twitter". In between there are all ranges of participation. The site is structured so that by default one will see everything ones friends post and any associated comment threads to it. Reciprocally, all ones own posts are broadcast to all friends. As one of my real friends put it, "...where we will tell everyone your business."
In addition to posts, there are a number of applications or games that involve interactions. For the most part they are motivated by "feel-good" things, Karma, Friendship, friendly competition, or quizzes that ask who or what kind of a thing one is most like. Those are rather like rabbits, they multiply continuously as people create their own parochial games. The last time I looked there were over 180,000. Then there are other games of friendly competition. None of them are particularly challenging, and their purpose is to promote interaction.
The upside to these sites is that one can easily keep track of ones friends in a casual way. The downside would be if it became a substitute for genuine, serious interaction. There is also the illusion fostered by a large friends list that one has a lot of friends. This would be true only in the least restrictive of definitions of friendship--rather like high school popularity.
Since the membership in the network is free, something has to pay for it. That is the advertising one sees on the side of the page. Pay attention to it and one can see that it is selected to appeal to something said either in interactions with friends or in ones profile. In fact it is the playing of the games that creates access to information for targeting advertising. One is told up front that to play the game will require access to the profile information.
So far, the appeal is that one has control on who sees what information about oneself. That could change in the future, or rather, the default will be open rather than restrictive as it is now, and one will have to explicitly restrict information.
Overall, I think they are positive thing. One simply has to be aware of the disadvantages as well as the benefits. One final thought: it is very easy to get sucked into a lot of time spent in the network. However, it is probably better time than that spent watching TV.
The levels of participation are highly varied. Some people are members and never post anything. Some people post all the time and comment on everything, like a version of "Twitter". In between there are all ranges of participation. The site is structured so that by default one will see everything ones friends post and any associated comment threads to it. Reciprocally, all ones own posts are broadcast to all friends. As one of my real friends put it, "...where we will tell everyone your business."
In addition to posts, there are a number of applications or games that involve interactions. For the most part they are motivated by "feel-good" things, Karma, Friendship, friendly competition, or quizzes that ask who or what kind of a thing one is most like. Those are rather like rabbits, they multiply continuously as people create their own parochial games. The last time I looked there were over 180,000. Then there are other games of friendly competition. None of them are particularly challenging, and their purpose is to promote interaction.
The upside to these sites is that one can easily keep track of ones friends in a casual way. The downside would be if it became a substitute for genuine, serious interaction. There is also the illusion fostered by a large friends list that one has a lot of friends. This would be true only in the least restrictive of definitions of friendship--rather like high school popularity.
Since the membership in the network is free, something has to pay for it. That is the advertising one sees on the side of the page. Pay attention to it and one can see that it is selected to appeal to something said either in interactions with friends or in ones profile. In fact it is the playing of the games that creates access to information for targeting advertising. One is told up front that to play the game will require access to the profile information.
So far, the appeal is that one has control on who sees what information about oneself. That could change in the future, or rather, the default will be open rather than restrictive as it is now, and one will have to explicitly restrict information.
Overall, I think they are positive thing. One simply has to be aware of the disadvantages as well as the benefits. One final thought: it is very easy to get sucked into a lot of time spent in the network. However, it is probably better time than that spent watching TV.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Presumption
When I was in high school, I would go to church camp for a week every summer. It was a wonderful time. Part of the program was classes that met every day to explain more deeply major concepts in the church's belief structure. I particularly remember the series on sin, in particular the so-called Seven Deadly Sins--Pride, Envy, Anger, Covetousness, Gluttony, Lust, and Sloth. One statement stuck out more than others--presumptuous sin was unforgivable. This is sin that is committed knowing at the time it is sinful, under the presumption that one will be forgiven afterwards.
Presumptuous sin ignores the admonition to always strive to do what is right. Forgiveness requires contrition, and a desire to not repeat the sinful acts. Presumptuous sin cannot be contrite, because one knows ahead of time that what is to be done is wrong, therefore one is not sorry for doing it. It also violates the desire not to repeat the act, because one is planning to do it. One could rename it pre-meditated sin.
Most preachers could wax rhapsodic on this theme, but I want to talk about a parallel concept that is never mentioned--presumptuous salvation. Presumptuous salvation is the assumption that by doing certain things one will be saved and go to Heaven. In effect, it is saying, "I can buy my way to Heaven," not necessarily with material goods, but with outwardly virtuous actions. It is a Christian version of Muslims' thinking that death by martyrdom is an automatic Go To Heaven card. During the Crusades, Christians thought in a similar way--go on the Crusade, kill the unbelievers, rescue Jerusalem from the non-Christians and thereby go to Heaven.
It is akin to the behavior attributed to the Pharisees, a formulaic way of living that required highly regulated behavior, to guarantee being ritually pure. Today we can see it in many Christian denominations with strong proscriptions on certain behavior--smoking, drinking, gambling--on the grounds that they are inherently sinful, and requirements for certain other behavior such as full-emersion baptism. These become a rigid code that is taken as a guarantee of reaching Heaven.
This type of thinking removes the need to actually have to be aware and judge one's thoughts and behavior. Virtue is doing right for the sake of doing right. This is doing right (as defined by the church leadership) for the goal of getting into Heaven.
It goes to motive, as the lawyers would say. There is no virtue in turning the other cheek, if the whole time one is resenting the first slap and wishing one could retaliate. Virtue is in genuinely not wanting to retaliate but feeling sad for all involved, understanding that retaliation simply leads to a worse situation. (BTW, this does not mean there should never be retaliation, but that is a whole other post.)
The most public form this takes is the person that takes the approach that as long as one is baptized, and professes to believe in salvation through Jesus crucifixion, then one is automatically saved. There is a bumper sticker that reflects this--"Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven." But the subtext here is actually presumptive sin--I am forgiven so I can sin again.
Along with this attitude of presumptive salvation, is the idea that anybody else who does not fit the formula is not saved. This is a great error by my judgement. It strikes me as totally inconsistent to state that God is loving, benevolent, and forgiving, generous with His grace.....but, only if you believe exactly as I do and act exactly as I do. From my viewpoint, a lot of Christians will have a big surprise coming when they die. Who makes it to Heaven will depend not on the minutia of behavior, but on one's attitudes. There will be non-Christians, and even atheists in Heaven, because they were genuinely virtuous people, and there will be many Christians missing, because they substituted presumptuous salvation for actual virtue.
Presumptuous sin ignores the admonition to always strive to do what is right. Forgiveness requires contrition, and a desire to not repeat the sinful acts. Presumptuous sin cannot be contrite, because one knows ahead of time that what is to be done is wrong, therefore one is not sorry for doing it. It also violates the desire not to repeat the act, because one is planning to do it. One could rename it pre-meditated sin.
Most preachers could wax rhapsodic on this theme, but I want to talk about a parallel concept that is never mentioned--presumptuous salvation. Presumptuous salvation is the assumption that by doing certain things one will be saved and go to Heaven. In effect, it is saying, "I can buy my way to Heaven," not necessarily with material goods, but with outwardly virtuous actions. It is a Christian version of Muslims' thinking that death by martyrdom is an automatic Go To Heaven card. During the Crusades, Christians thought in a similar way--go on the Crusade, kill the unbelievers, rescue Jerusalem from the non-Christians and thereby go to Heaven.
It is akin to the behavior attributed to the Pharisees, a formulaic way of living that required highly regulated behavior, to guarantee being ritually pure. Today we can see it in many Christian denominations with strong proscriptions on certain behavior--smoking, drinking, gambling--on the grounds that they are inherently sinful, and requirements for certain other behavior such as full-emersion baptism. These become a rigid code that is taken as a guarantee of reaching Heaven.
This type of thinking removes the need to actually have to be aware and judge one's thoughts and behavior. Virtue is doing right for the sake of doing right. This is doing right (as defined by the church leadership) for the goal of getting into Heaven.
It goes to motive, as the lawyers would say. There is no virtue in turning the other cheek, if the whole time one is resenting the first slap and wishing one could retaliate. Virtue is in genuinely not wanting to retaliate but feeling sad for all involved, understanding that retaliation simply leads to a worse situation. (BTW, this does not mean there should never be retaliation, but that is a whole other post.)
The most public form this takes is the person that takes the approach that as long as one is baptized, and professes to believe in salvation through Jesus crucifixion, then one is automatically saved. There is a bumper sticker that reflects this--"Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven." But the subtext here is actually presumptive sin--I am forgiven so I can sin again.
Along with this attitude of presumptive salvation, is the idea that anybody else who does not fit the formula is not saved. This is a great error by my judgement. It strikes me as totally inconsistent to state that God is loving, benevolent, and forgiving, generous with His grace.....but, only if you believe exactly as I do and act exactly as I do. From my viewpoint, a lot of Christians will have a big surprise coming when they die. Who makes it to Heaven will depend not on the minutia of behavior, but on one's attitudes. There will be non-Christians, and even atheists in Heaven, because they were genuinely virtuous people, and there will be many Christians missing, because they substituted presumptuous salvation for actual virtue.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
There is nothing like this today........
"If men of wisdom and knowledge, of moderation and temperance, of patience, fortitude and perseverance, of sobriety and true republican simplicity of manners, of zeal for the honour of the Supreme Being and the welfare of the commonwealth; if men possessed of these other excellent qualities are chosen to fill the seats of government, we may expect that our affairs will rest on a solid and permanent foundation." --Samuel Adams, letter to Elbridge Gerry, November 27, 1780
"Nothing so strongly impels a man to regard the interest of his constituents, as the certainty of returning to the general mass of the people, from whence he was taken, where he must participate in their burdens." --George Mason, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 17, 1788
....With a permanently elected Congress from safe districts with their own pensions and health plans, and sole purpose in life to buy enough votes to be re-elected.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
A lesson from the past
As quoted by Edward Gibbon in "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", Diocletian writes:
The Department of State was never the tool of President Bush, but rather of its subministers of whatever rank, and their goal was talk, talk, talk, not action. Neither Colin Powell nor Condoleza Rice were able to change its overall behavior, which ran contrary to that desired by the President. The CIA never answered to its director, but sabotaged administration actions blatantly. The Department of Defense has not changed materially from its orientation under Donald Rumsfeld. Robert Gates spouts essentially the same doctrine with different details.
One thing that President Obama does not do, is let his underlings dissuade him from his purpose. The State Department has been relegated to a behind-the-scenes player as the President conducts all diplomacy personally. Essentially he does not listen to his ministers--his mind is made up already. He dispatches his thugs to take care of opposition, while Congress acts the role of useful idiots. I would still like to know the details of why Justice Ginsburg changed her mind after 24 hours when the applicable law had not changed nor the circumstances of the Chrysler bankrupcy.
To return to the implications of the quote: Take the essence and apply it to each level of government. Policy is not built on the best of the information available, but on the upwardly refined personal positions and maneuverings of the various underlings. When most of the bureaucracy has a given political stance, then the change at the top is immaterial.
How often is it the interest of four or five ministers to combine together to deceive their sovereign! Secluded from mankind by his exalted dignity, the truth is concealed from his knowledge; he can only see with their eyes, he hears nothing but their misrepresentations. He confers the most important offices upon vice and weakness, and disgraces the most virtuous and deserving among his subjects. By such infamous arts, the best and wisest princes are sold to the venal corruption of their courtiers.If true in Ancient Rome, so it is true in modern times. Examples are the Second Bush Presidency, not only at the Cabinet level, but within the lower ranks as well. Civil service is set up to attract the best and brightest, but rather those who know how to create a sinecure, or are willing to take on whatever burden is necessary for an ideological cause.
The Department of State was never the tool of President Bush, but rather of its subministers of whatever rank, and their goal was talk, talk, talk, not action. Neither Colin Powell nor Condoleza Rice were able to change its overall behavior, which ran contrary to that desired by the President. The CIA never answered to its director, but sabotaged administration actions blatantly. The Department of Defense has not changed materially from its orientation under Donald Rumsfeld. Robert Gates spouts essentially the same doctrine with different details.
One thing that President Obama does not do, is let his underlings dissuade him from his purpose. The State Department has been relegated to a behind-the-scenes player as the President conducts all diplomacy personally. Essentially he does not listen to his ministers--his mind is made up already. He dispatches his thugs to take care of opposition, while Congress acts the role of useful idiots. I would still like to know the details of why Justice Ginsburg changed her mind after 24 hours when the applicable law had not changed nor the circumstances of the Chrysler bankrupcy.
To return to the implications of the quote: Take the essence and apply it to each level of government. Policy is not built on the best of the information available, but on the upwardly refined personal positions and maneuverings of the various underlings. When most of the bureaucracy has a given political stance, then the change at the top is immaterial.
Friday, July 10, 2009
The greatness of everyday people
In early June I was catching up on my blogging friends and suddenly learned that Kevin Kim's mom had a highly aggressive brain tumor. I have since followed her progress and that of Kevin and the family via both his blog and email. There are some very important life lessons being demonstrated here, and I urge you to go to his archives of April 26 and work forward to the present to see them in their entirety.
First and foremost, there is no sense of victimization, self-pity, or helplessness. The response of Kevin, his dad, and his brothers is an ultimate example of how to deal with a crisis. There is an immediate start on finding out everything that they can on their mom's/wife's condition and what options there are to deal with it. There is no denial that it is serious or what the possible outcomes may be.
Kevin writes sometimes multiple entries a day in his blog on the progress and events of his mom's cancer. It is sometimes not easy reading; they had a serious setback a month into the treatment. But one way or another they persevered and now are in a relatively stable situation. Kevin's blog is amazing in its lack of self-pity and its candor. Kevin and his family are amazing in their realistic approach to every thing they are dealing with. I have seen other behaviors in similar situations, and Kevin's family is an outstanding example of what to do and how to do it.
Additionally, there comes through the blog the wonderful community both secular and religious that they are part of. People around them have provided help that has been wonderful to read about. This particular post today is the one that prompted my post.
In this day of peurile public figures and the adulation of a disturbed individual, it is reassuring to find a large group of people still practicing the virtues that built and held this country together for so long. The real American heroes not only fight in foreign lands, but quietly live in the suburbs of Washington, DC and elsewhere, doing proper, humane, and moral things to further all their lives.
First and foremost, there is no sense of victimization, self-pity, or helplessness. The response of Kevin, his dad, and his brothers is an ultimate example of how to deal with a crisis. There is an immediate start on finding out everything that they can on their mom's/wife's condition and what options there are to deal with it. There is no denial that it is serious or what the possible outcomes may be.
Kevin writes sometimes multiple entries a day in his blog on the progress and events of his mom's cancer. It is sometimes not easy reading; they had a serious setback a month into the treatment. But one way or another they persevered and now are in a relatively stable situation. Kevin's blog is amazing in its lack of self-pity and its candor. Kevin and his family are amazing in their realistic approach to every thing they are dealing with. I have seen other behaviors in similar situations, and Kevin's family is an outstanding example of what to do and how to do it.
Additionally, there comes through the blog the wonderful community both secular and religious that they are part of. People around them have provided help that has been wonderful to read about. This particular post today is the one that prompted my post.
In this day of peurile public figures and the adulation of a disturbed individual, it is reassuring to find a large group of people still practicing the virtues that built and held this country together for so long. The real American heroes not only fight in foreign lands, but quietly live in the suburbs of Washington, DC and elsewhere, doing proper, humane, and moral things to further all their lives.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Parallels
I am now well into the first volume of Edward Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." I have just finished reading about the Emperor Gallienus, ca. 270 CE. The parallels are striking--a self-aggrandizing, narcissistic emperor who totally ignored the external threats until they could no longer be ignored, then dealt with them inadequately. But if the US is at the stage of Gallenius, then where did the decline begin?
I think it would be a very useful study to find the parallels in the rise and fall of Rome with the rise and current decline of the US. It is certainly my hope the US will not fall, but there are many factors weighing against us, much as analogs weighed against the Roman empire and its citizens.
Perhaps this could be a topic in a few years.
I think it would be a very useful study to find the parallels in the rise and fall of Rome with the rise and current decline of the US. It is certainly my hope the US will not fall, but there are many factors weighing against us, much as analogs weighed against the Roman empire and its citizens.
Perhaps this could be a topic in a few years.
She's at it again
In the last two years, my wife, Jennifer, has run three complete and three half-marathons. In the process she has raised $6700 with Team In Training which raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She runs in memory of her best friend, Debbie Petroziello, who was killed by non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1990 at the age of 32. Jennifer's personal goal is to raise $20,000 by 2012.
Now Jennifer has decided she wants to run a triathlon, swim, bike, and run, all in the same event. She will be doing an Olympic triathlon, which is swim just under a mile, bike 26+ miles, and run a 10K all within 4.5 hours. The event will be in Tawas Bay, Michigan, on September 12.
You can read why she does this at her web site.
Now Jennifer has decided she wants to run a triathlon, swim, bike, and run, all in the same event. She will be doing an Olympic triathlon, which is swim just under a mile, bike 26+ miles, and run a 10K all within 4.5 hours. The event will be in Tawas Bay, Michigan, on September 12.
You can read why she does this at her web site.
