#349 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday May 12)
Good morning,
A Thursday potpourri, mostly thoughts from friends:
NOSTALGIA FOR THE NINETIES?
From Adam Torson…
“The unipolar moment, the premature declaration of the end of history [in the nineties] allowed us to spiral into ever more destructive ways to cling to hegemonic hubris and start the descent toward authoritarianism. Alas, the rose-colored glasses hide the reality of triumphal neoliberalism, eviscerating the social safety net, ballooning prison populations, and all that. But balanced budgets and international alliances to stop interstate aggression and genocide were hopeful, and I still retain some nostalgia for them. Perhaps we'll be back there some day.”
THEY SAID IT BETTER THEN…CLEVER INSULTS FROM FAMOUS PEOPLE
“I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure. - Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”-William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"- Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
FLAUNTING THE LAW
The conservative right has declared war on the law. There are members of the past administration defying subpoenas issued by House Committee on January 6th. President Trump has filed multiple unsuccessful lawsuits seeking injunctions to prevent having to appear in court or release information. Trump left the White House with government property. Senators Cruz and Lee have been shown to have helped the false claim of a stolen election, engaging in organizing efforts with the White House prior to January 6th.
But now it’s entered the realm of complete defiance. Alex Jones, the radio star and conspiracy theorist, who has spread lies repeatedly and with abandon, failed to honor a subpoena to appear in court because of an undisclosed “medical condition.” That same day, he appeared for work for four hours of his radio show. He currently is negotiating the terms of his appearance.
What does this flaunting of valid requests from the U.S. House of Representatives tell the world? Young people? If you’re big enough and tough enough, you don’t have to comply with silly little things like court orders and Congressional subpoenas. It is a terrible lesson and does not bode well for the future.
QUALITIES TO ADMIRE
A young George Washington wrote in his journal his “rules of civility.” I think it’s important to have lists of attributes and behaviors one wants to nurture in oneself. Since Washington’s list, there are any number of lists of qualities to which we should aspire. Here’s one from Afshine Emrani that I found particularly appropriate to the times:
“My favorite traits in people:
Kind and well mannered.
Punctual- Shows up on time.
Great listener. Listens, not to respond, but to understand.
Lifetime student. Loves to learn new things.
Mentors others. Shares knowledge freely. Helps others rise. Opens doors for others.
Charitable- gives without expecting to receive back.
Never rude or humiliates others.
Keeps promises and is always truthful.
Truly humble (pet peeve- those who try to act humble but are arrogant).
Rejoices when others win, not jealous.”
AND FROM OUR RWANDAN FRIEND, FRED
When Andrea had eye issues on our trip to East Africa several years ago, we worried it might evolve into a retinal tear. So we went to an eye clinic in Kigali. Besides being impressed with the quality of the care, we were helped by a young man who worked on the business side of the clinic. Fred helped us maneuver through the process. By the way, the care was excellent! We ended up spending time in Kigali with Fred. We since have stayed in touch . We don’t know when we will next see Fred but hopefully it will be soon. In the meantime, as he reminds us all, “Just as it is said, ‘People usually move from one place to another, but memories stay in the same place forever—that is in our hearts.’” Wise words—we carry memories of events and people with us always.
Have a great day,
Glenn
From the archives: