Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Politics
Personally, I like William Jennings Bryan. Even with all the baggage. Bring back the Agrarian Populists! Where is today's Tom Watson? Red-headed lawyers who want to represent the unrepresented. Wow, that does sound familiar.
Where do these guys come from?
Yesterday I finally wrote down my ideas on politics for the world to see. I expected to get some response from my relatives and Kate. Ever since I posted same, I have been waiting for some comment on my blog. I know that a number of my relatives do read my blog (mother, brother, sister, wife, daughter), to the point where I can't call my mother up without repeating some news to her that she has already read on my blog. It does make for a short conversational universe.
However, imagine my surprise, when I finally noticed a comment on my blog and found that someone had directed me to the Modern Whig Party blogspot. Not Kate, not my brother (whose comments are usually worth reading) but some guy trying to revive a political party that disappeared when Abe Lincoln left to become a Republican in the 1850's.
So, I followed his reference to the Modern Whig Party and I must say that it was rather interesting little website. Most of it was references to people who had evinced a problem with modern political parties and/or a wish for a new party. I always thought the Whigs were interesting in American History. Alexander Stephens started out as a Whig. He was a contemporary of Lincoln. Of course, he couldn't last in Georgia as a Whig, so he ultimately became a Democrat, and finally, reluctantly, a Confederate.
Henry Clay was the most famous of the Whigs, other than William Henry Harrison and John Tyler. He came from the Jeffersonian Democrats and became a Whig later on when he was a Senator from Kentucky. The only problem with Clay was the same problem with the Whigs. He couldn't resolve his conscience with his politics. The issue of slavery was too problematic for a slave-holding lawyer from Lexington, Kentucky.
The problem with the Whigs was the same thing that gave them their allure: the ability to think and compromise. Ronald Reagan could never have been a Whig. It would have required too much thought. The polarizing parties of today would not suffer too many Whigs.
But at the same time, we all must understand and recognize that it is the middle of the roaders in this country who ultimately turn the tide toward one party or the other. Those independent thinkers in the middle, the ones who were Whigs in an earlier time, and were more recently represented by the Yellow Dog Democrats in the South and the Liberal wing of the Republican Party still carry a heavy hand of political power, even if it is a true silent majority.
At the same time, I do tire of hearing Democrats say that Republicans are fascists or hear Republicans saying that Democrats are Communists. Narrow-minded, War-Mongering Right-Wing Republicans and Bleeding-heart, Tax and Spend Left-Wing Democrats. Its no wonder that neither party seems to really represent the majority of us.
However, imagine my surprise, when I finally noticed a comment on my blog and found that someone had directed me to the Modern Whig Party blogspot. Not Kate, not my brother (whose comments are usually worth reading) but some guy trying to revive a political party that disappeared when Abe Lincoln left to become a Republican in the 1850's.
So, I followed his reference to the Modern Whig Party and I must say that it was rather interesting little website. Most of it was references to people who had evinced a problem with modern political parties and/or a wish for a new party. I always thought the Whigs were interesting in American History. Alexander Stephens started out as a Whig. He was a contemporary of Lincoln. Of course, he couldn't last in Georgia as a Whig, so he ultimately became a Democrat, and finally, reluctantly, a Confederate.
Henry Clay was the most famous of the Whigs, other than William Henry Harrison and John Tyler. He came from the Jeffersonian Democrats and became a Whig later on when he was a Senator from Kentucky. The only problem with Clay was the same problem with the Whigs. He couldn't resolve his conscience with his politics. The issue of slavery was too problematic for a slave-holding lawyer from Lexington, Kentucky.
The problem with the Whigs was the same thing that gave them their allure: the ability to think and compromise. Ronald Reagan could never have been a Whig. It would have required too much thought. The polarizing parties of today would not suffer too many Whigs.
But at the same time, we all must understand and recognize that it is the middle of the roaders in this country who ultimately turn the tide toward one party or the other. Those independent thinkers in the middle, the ones who were Whigs in an earlier time, and were more recently represented by the Yellow Dog Democrats in the South and the Liberal wing of the Republican Party still carry a heavy hand of political power, even if it is a true silent majority.
At the same time, I do tire of hearing Democrats say that Republicans are fascists or hear Republicans saying that Democrats are Communists. Narrow-minded, War-Mongering Right-Wing Republicans and Bleeding-heart, Tax and Spend Left-Wing Democrats. Its no wonder that neither party seems to really represent the majority of us.
Monday, September 29, 2008
The economy and consolation of the weekend
Boy. I have to deposit some funds into Kate's Wachovia account to ensure she has enough money to pay some fees and buy groceries. The news is saying that Wachovia is the next bank which is suffering from the credit crisis. It makes me wonder if it is better to find a different way to get money to Kate. Of course, her little account is covered by the FDIC, but it still gives you second thoughts.
Now I understand that Britain has lost one of its big banks. There is no doubt that we are all tied together in this global economy. Everyone profits from the financial strengths of the others.
I hope that Congress passes this bill soon. We need to get off the roller coaster and find some level ground. It is a shame that the economy is so tied to perception. Sports is so much simpler. You go into a tough game and lose at home. You look in the newspaper and see that you are still in the top ten. With a lot of time left in the season. That is some comfort.
But the economy is a little more complicated than Division 1 football rankings.
It is nice that W&L and Dunwoody won this past weekend. I'll grab consolation anywhere I can get it.
Now I understand that Britain has lost one of its big banks. There is no doubt that we are all tied together in this global economy. Everyone profits from the financial strengths of the others.
I hope that Congress passes this bill soon. We need to get off the roller coaster and find some level ground. It is a shame that the economy is so tied to perception. Sports is so much simpler. You go into a tough game and lose at home. You look in the newspaper and see that you are still in the top ten. With a lot of time left in the season. That is some comfort.
But the economy is a little more complicated than Division 1 football rankings.
It is nice that W&L and Dunwoody won this past weekend. I'll grab consolation anywhere I can get it.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Why I am still a Democrat
I have been thinking about this for some time and wanted to write something down which explained myself to my friends and family. Most of my friends and family are Republicans. I don't hear too many people defending Democratic candidates in the elections down here in Georgia, or anywhere else I go these days. The days of the Solid Democratic South are long gone, replaced by an even more Solid Republican South. There are probably more racial and economic differences between the parties than anything. And the Democrats of eight years ago in the Georgia Legislature are now Republicans.
But I still consider myself a Democrat and this is why: The basis of the Democratic party in this country can be found in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..." In my mind, that is the foundational truth of our country and the Democratic Party which found its genesis in Jefferson and Jackson.
Jefferson saw a country made of simple, yeoman farmers, who took hold of their new-found freedoms to establish lives unencumbered by the rules of their "betters". Jefferson founded the University of Virginia to educate not the wealthy and high-born, but the common citizens of Virginia. The University of Georgia, the first land grant university, was also established on these simple principles. These were common citizens, travelling westward, both independently and collectively, to establish a country based on that simple concept of equality and liberty.
And as they passed over the Appalachians and across the Piedmont, they found new voices for political power, away from the wealth and traditions of coastal America. Jackson, Calhoun and Clay were the new voices of America. The Democratic Party of Jackson and Calhoun demanded a new place in Congress and the White House for those brothers, sisters and cousins who passed over the geographical boundaries of our country and demanded equal status with their eastern relatives. Ironically, they demanded the preservation of their personal liberties, even as they expanded slavery west across the mountains into the new heartland of this young country.
The Democratic Party of the Nineteenth Century bristled at any attempt at control, both through tariff or tax. The best government was the government which governed least. That was the motto of the Democratic Party of that era. I often think that the "Don't tread on me" sign continues to be a meaningful symbol for our country.
It was the Whigs who demanded taxes for new roads and bridges to build the new country. It was the Whigs who struggled with the desire to limit or end slavery. It was the Whigs who ultimately merged into the Republican party of 1856 and 1860, demanding abolition and the preservation of the union. This new Republican Party sent federal troops into the Southern states and ultimately made the slavery issue one of moral right and wrong. The Democrats attempted to argue that issues of slavery and secession constituted simple issues of sovereignty and property rights but the argument was ultimately decided by the moral high ground of the Republican Party.
Ultimately, the Democratic Party had to evolve and change to deal with the issues and cares of the growing nation. The present Democratic Party has changed considerably from its roots. The Democratic Party has even changed considerably from my youth to my adulthood. But I do still believe that the fundamental creed of the party holds true. We are all created equal. In some sense, the history of our country is the struggle of its citizens to make that statement apply to all of us.
And while I probably vote for Republican candidates equally as often, or maybe even more than I vote for Democrats, I still consider myself a Democrat.
Just like the symbol of the party, I am hard-headed and stubborn. Amen.
But I still consider myself a Democrat and this is why: The basis of the Democratic party in this country can be found in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..." In my mind, that is the foundational truth of our country and the Democratic Party which found its genesis in Jefferson and Jackson.
Jefferson saw a country made of simple, yeoman farmers, who took hold of their new-found freedoms to establish lives unencumbered by the rules of their "betters". Jefferson founded the University of Virginia to educate not the wealthy and high-born, but the common citizens of Virginia. The University of Georgia, the first land grant university, was also established on these simple principles. These were common citizens, travelling westward, both independently and collectively, to establish a country based on that simple concept of equality and liberty.
And as they passed over the Appalachians and across the Piedmont, they found new voices for political power, away from the wealth and traditions of coastal America. Jackson, Calhoun and Clay were the new voices of America. The Democratic Party of Jackson and Calhoun demanded a new place in Congress and the White House for those brothers, sisters and cousins who passed over the geographical boundaries of our country and demanded equal status with their eastern relatives. Ironically, they demanded the preservation of their personal liberties, even as they expanded slavery west across the mountains into the new heartland of this young country.
The Democratic Party of the Nineteenth Century bristled at any attempt at control, both through tariff or tax. The best government was the government which governed least. That was the motto of the Democratic Party of that era. I often think that the "Don't tread on me" sign continues to be a meaningful symbol for our country.
It was the Whigs who demanded taxes for new roads and bridges to build the new country. It was the Whigs who struggled with the desire to limit or end slavery. It was the Whigs who ultimately merged into the Republican party of 1856 and 1860, demanding abolition and the preservation of the union. This new Republican Party sent federal troops into the Southern states and ultimately made the slavery issue one of moral right and wrong. The Democrats attempted to argue that issues of slavery and secession constituted simple issues of sovereignty and property rights but the argument was ultimately decided by the moral high ground of the Republican Party.
Ultimately, the Democratic Party had to evolve and change to deal with the issues and cares of the growing nation. The present Democratic Party has changed considerably from its roots. The Democratic Party has even changed considerably from my youth to my adulthood. But I do still believe that the fundamental creed of the party holds true. We are all created equal. In some sense, the history of our country is the struggle of its citizens to make that statement apply to all of us.
And while I probably vote for Republican candidates equally as often, or maybe even more than I vote for Democrats, I still consider myself a Democrat.
Just like the symbol of the party, I am hard-headed and stubborn. Amen.
I'll try better next month
I have not been a good steward of my time this month. Or last month either. Business has been up. I have been busy trying to order the chaos of people's lives.
You know, a lawyer is a confused mixture of Priest Penitent and Janitor. Listening the woes of the parish, pronouncing absolution on their sins. Cleaning up the mess they leave. Trying not to create anymore than I clean.
Its a hard job sometimes.
A lawyer friend told me that the practice of law is not that hard. Either he's much brighter than I, or he is lying to make me feel better. Perhaps you need to cut your heart out of it and carry on. Chase the dollar and worry about the consequences from a beach somewhere. Or a mountain cabin.
At least I know that the statute of limitations is four years.
You know, a lawyer is a confused mixture of Priest Penitent and Janitor. Listening the woes of the parish, pronouncing absolution on their sins. Cleaning up the mess they leave. Trying not to create anymore than I clean.
Its a hard job sometimes.
A lawyer friend told me that the practice of law is not that hard. Either he's much brighter than I, or he is lying to make me feel better. Perhaps you need to cut your heart out of it and carry on. Chase the dollar and worry about the consequences from a beach somewhere. Or a mountain cabin.
At least I know that the statute of limitations is four years.
REM daydreams
Kate,
I am south of Athens, somewhere
And the narrow road takes me
From faceless, dying small town
To another kudzu-ridden hamlet
And I am searching for the way
Back to Georgia sixteen and home.
The road passes from tree-dappled shade
To dry September sunshine
Past an abandoned service station,
With Good Gulf Gasoline,
Rust on the old metal pumps
Bleached like skeletons in the front
Prices painted permanently on the signs,
Grape Nehi advertised on the vending machine,
Drink coca-cola, take a long, cool sip
Through a dip in the road
And here I am in Rockville.
I have got to call you
And let you know what I have found.
And what is your response?
What could you say but
"Don't go back to Rockville, dad."
What else?
I am south of Athens, somewhere
And the narrow road takes me
From faceless, dying small town
To another kudzu-ridden hamlet
And I am searching for the way
Back to Georgia sixteen and home.
The road passes from tree-dappled shade
To dry September sunshine
Past an abandoned service station,
With Good Gulf Gasoline,
Rust on the old metal pumps
Bleached like skeletons in the front
Prices painted permanently on the signs,
Grape Nehi advertised on the vending machine,
Drink coca-cola, take a long, cool sip
Through a dip in the road
And here I am in Rockville.
I have got to call you
And let you know what I have found.
And what is your response?
What could you say but
"Don't go back to Rockville, dad."
What else?
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sundresses and cowboy boots
On a hot September day
On top of "the mountain",
Watching the W&L-Sewanee game,
All the pretty little girls
In their pastel sundresses
Passed me by and
Made an odd match
For the boys in their oxford cloth
And cut-off shorts and kilts and khakis
But no odder, perhaps, than the two
Young ladies, smartly dressed
As they passed our seats in the visitor's stands
In their cotton sundresses and sunglasses,
Accessorized by some fine boots
Made of Texas leather.
If what we wear is an attempt
To communicate to others,
Then I am not quite sure I got the message.
Then again, the message wasn't really meant for me, anyway.
On top of "the mountain",
Watching the W&L-Sewanee game,
All the pretty little girls
In their pastel sundresses
Passed me by and
Made an odd match
For the boys in their oxford cloth
And cut-off shorts and kilts and khakis
But no odder, perhaps, than the two
Young ladies, smartly dressed
As they passed our seats in the visitor's stands
In their cotton sundresses and sunglasses,
Accessorized by some fine boots
Made of Texas leather.
If what we wear is an attempt
To communicate to others,
Then I am not quite sure I got the message.
Then again, the message wasn't really meant for me, anyway.
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