Update from the Sunland
No.1189
21.10.24 – 27.10.24
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
I continue my quest, perhaps naively and foolishly, to understand why so many good Americans citizens are and remain blind to the threat that [the person who shall no longer be named] represents to the future of the United States of America. Why do the MAGAts not care a hoot about who he is as a human being? Why do they not care a twit about the observations of General John Francis Kelly, USMC (Ret), former and longest serving chief of staff to the president in the previous administration?
I cannot delve into the minds and thinking of the MAGAts. I can only look at myself. From my experience and years of living as a midshipman, a leader of Marines, an experimental test pilot, and a manager in the corporate world, I have come to see leadership in very clear, distinct, demonstrable terms. To me, there is a threshold for successful leadership that can be defined by morality. In essence, does a potential leader carry and demonstrate the basic morality of respect for others and a commitment to principles of life that establish their behavior in private . . . when no one is watching.
The best I can figure is the MAGAts, from the top on down, could not care less about character. They only look to policies they like, e.g., border wall, abortion ban, deportation, and imposing their beliefs on everyone else. Like an in-grained mantra, they tell us, “Don’t listen to what he says. Look at what he does.” When I hear that admonition, I think, ‘yep, they could not care less about character or morality; all they care about is the policies they like, they want, and they will take however they can get them.’
In contrast, I cannot get past the character issues to even consider policy. To me, character is as much a constitutional prerequisite as the Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 requirements of the U.S Constitution—age and residency. The founders chose not to address the character threshold because they could not imagine any candidate for president would even be considered for the presidency with a felony conviction. They truly believed age was sufficient to demonstrate maturity and morality. Our collective experience of the last nine plus years has proven the Founders wrong, regrettably. Further, the attraction of individuals to a dictator is, in itself, a character flaw. It is not and has nothing to do with policy.
On this topic, it is very important to remember the wisdom of history. the 18th-century Irish philosopher Edmund Burke is attributed but not cited with observing. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” A more popular variation of Burke’s observation is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, who noted, "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." They are wise words, and I heed them. I have no intention of remaining silent. I am prepared to endure the wrath if our ‘wannabe’ returns to the instruments of state.
At the end of the day, a dictatorship is the most efficient form of governance . . . as long as the dictator’s policies are your policies, and he does not decide to purify the blood of his people and you are not among the chosen pure of blood. At that moment, you will learn why the Founders chose a republic form of governance over a dictatorship. So, be happy with your focus of policy and pray the dictator never changes his mind.
Comments and contributions from Update no.1188:
“Yes Cap your coming election figures are high in our news bulletins throughout the day, our response is usually the same ‘oh no, we’ve just seen this’! Oh well it’ll soon be over and done with. For the peace and future of our blue planet please do put the right person in the chair. It’s your decision not ours.”
My reply:
Quite understandable, my friend. It is most unfortunate that our silly season has dominated your media, but I suppose that is life. Certainly, the importance of this election to all our allies cannot be overstated. If the Orange Menace makes it back to control the instruments of state, there will be no guardrails this time, and he will surround himself with loyal sycophants (no more saner minds). It will be Katie bar the door. Two weeks from today, the nation will start to count the ballots. We may not know the results for days. I so deeply want to put the correct person in the Oval Office. Jeanne and I have done our part to that end precisely, but it is not up to us. There will be something like 150 million votes to count, and those votes will decide . . . well, actually, the Electoral College will decide because states will have their say. Yes it is our decision, but we try to the best we can for all our friends. I have to have faith the system will work properly, and the correct person will be sworn into office on January 20th. Hang in there, my friend.
. . . follow-up comment:
“Thanks Cap. Halfway through ‘Explosion’. Something odd that piece when he was apprehended by the police as his current lady friend has been arrested as a suspect spy. There was something about that that I had seen before. Perhaps some time ago you sent that piece to me as a sample of what you were writing!”
. . . my follow-up reply:
Ah yes, you’re getting into the thick of it. Yes, I do believe you have reviewed sections. I hope you enjoy the printed version. BTW, while my representation of the female spies arrested was fictional, they were actual events in history. A number of serving officers were implicated, and Brian is the fictional manifestation of those hapless officers.
Enjoy all the books. I just passed the halfway mark in first draft writing of Innocence Lost (IL). Next up after IL is the next volume of the To So Few series . . . takes the characters off to the Korean War.
Comment to the Blog:
“We’ll see what news the Europa Clipper brings, eventually.
“Sociologists have found patterns in authoritarians. One of them is convincing enough people to trust only the self-chosen leader by causing mistrust of existing institutions, so that the authoritarian may assume authority over the institution. Harris offers a good counterpoint to that, but only if the followers can be convinced to consider a source other than the ‘leader.’
“In our current case, authoritarianism also is a goal of the capitalists supporting the Orange Menace. (Not all capitalists support him, but it’s enough to be important.)
“I’m an advocate of the ERA and of equal rights for all Americans. That’s one of the grounds for me opposing the Orange Menace. Such a person eventually seeks to take away everyone’s rights but his own.
“I’ll note that the U.S. taxpayers already pay for Israel’s war (and many others) via the ‘defense’ budget.”
My response to the Blog:
Unfortunately, it will take six years or more to receive mission-oriented results. I eagerly await the insights we gain from this mission.
I remember watching a documentary series on Netflix I do believe. As I recall, it was an eight-part series that studied multiple dictators through history, and as you note, found common traits among them all. Rejection of existing governmental institutions and replacing them with the idolatry of faith in him was one of many traits. Hmmm, what has the Orange Menace been doing since 2015? Worse, millions of citizens believe him because he said so. The latest is the outright, blatant lies about FEMA in North Carolina. His believers believe because he said so.
Yes, some corporate types see him as a necessary evil. They want him to remove governmental regulation and perceived interference in their business. They want no guardrails, just like he wants for the federal Executive Branch.
Like you, I have been a long term (since the beginning) advocate for and supporter of the ERA. One of the distant women I was debating and was reflected in last week’s update cited JFK and LBJ as serial womanizers. In essence, powerful men do it so there is nothing wrong with the Orange Menace. I was gobsmacked. That argument was so myopic as to be blind.
You note correctly. Just to be clear, we pay for defense companies to produce weapons and ammunition, which the government in turn gives to Israel, Ukraine, and other nations.
. . . follow-up comment:
“The Orange Menace, consciously or not, follows the path of all tyrants. Those can exist on a household scale or an international scale, and a resemblance binds them. I’ve seen a suggestion that this one follows the example of his father, but there are many others to observe.
“Many corporate villains see the Orange Menace as the best tool to overturn barriers to their unlimited greed. Like attracts like.
“I’ve become more and more curious about Israel’s grip on the USA. Both major parties seem easily bent to Netanyahu’s will, more so than his own people.”
. . . my follow-up response:
Yes, exactly, because he has been a wannabe dictator all his adult life. He kind of achieved that status in how he ran his businesses. It is anti-constitutional in a president. Like father, like son . . . and he has passed that malady to his sons.
I do believe you pegged that precisely and correctly. Regulation is present to protect the common good, not corporate profit lines.
I suppose Netanyahu is ‘better the devil you know.’ I find him a detestable human being . . . much like his buddy.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
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