Would you serve?
-- LONG POST - please stick with me --
In a day to talk and think about politics more than most other days, when people discuss leadership, and what kind the U.S. needs, I am wondering: if, by some fickle finger of fate, you were elected to office in the House or the Senate, and the recount confirmed it, would you serve?
I have to say "I don't know."
I think what the U.S. needs is individuals who don't want to lead anybody and have to be dragged into office kicking and screaming as if to the gallows. [figuratively, of course; there still is no good reason to initiate force] What should they do once they get there? Tear it down. Start by insisting that every single bureaucrat begin by dismantling his own fief and send everyone home to do something productive, if they can.
Yes, it would be a mess. A hideous, horrible, unforgettable mess, in every way that you can imagine. People will die, and bad things will happen to good people, and some of the science fiction writers will be right.
All the people who, while able-bodied, truly can't do anything at all, will wander and maybe fall under the sway of a group of someones who will say something like Edmund, in Ringo's heroic work which begins with "There will Be Dragons". "We can feed you and rest you for three days. Then you will begin to work through a training program to see what work you may be suited for and might even like. You will learn how to fell trees, run wood through a sawmill, cook, build rudimentary buildings, handle firearms, etc, etc. If you decide that this program is not for you, keep walking. Why am I the one telling you what to do? It's my sawmill. It's his professional kitchen. It's her fabric and thread and needles. We take suggestions every day from 6 to 6:30 in the bath-house. We do not take complaints."
Or, those able bodied but incompetent people might hook up with a bunch of other people just like them, and decide that society always owed them a living before, and it still does, and if they have to take it, they will. And, "If men like Boyle think that force is all they need to rob their betters - let them see what happens when one of their betters chooses to resort to force." - Ragnar Danneskjold
Or Steve Stirling might be right - he started writing a trilogy, now about 9 books, about what happens when no chemical force more complicated than fire works any more. People organize themselves into whatever kind of society they wish [and can get to work]: the Norsemen, the SCA, a Celtic clan, tribal life on the American plains, and more - and life, with all its complications, proceeds.
Those people in Washington who decide not to dismantle their petty kingdoms will be increasingly isolated, and lonely, and....hungry. When they decide to go somewhere, like back to "their" state, probably the best thing they could do is say "no, I don't have any skills, but I'm willing to learn." I imagine if they say something like "I'm [censored]! I'm your Senator! I'm your leader, listen to me!!" they'll be lucky if they've run into a group of Amish or the like, who might just laugh.
Remember, every possible outcome that you can think of, will probably happen. I'm always thinking about what I'll do, and what I might have to do, and whether I could do it, and who I'd want at my back.
I would hope that eventually, there would be stories about the heroes who brought us all back from the brink, and then went home, because they had made sure that there were homes to go back to for as many Americans as possible.
If winning an election had THAT kind of outcome - one that reinvented the Real America, I would reluctantly serve. Not eagerly, but honestly and as ably as I could.
Otherwise? Well, the Wizard had some oral surgery this afternoon and he's taking a nap, covered in cats. I'm feeling a little sleepy myself.
Thank you for your kind attention.
In a day to talk and think about politics more than most other days, when people discuss leadership, and what kind the U.S. needs, I am wondering: if, by some fickle finger of fate, you were elected to office in the House or the Senate, and the recount confirmed it, would you serve?
I have to say "I don't know."
I think what the U.S. needs is individuals who don't want to lead anybody and have to be dragged into office kicking and screaming as if to the gallows. [figuratively, of course; there still is no good reason to initiate force] What should they do once they get there? Tear it down. Start by insisting that every single bureaucrat begin by dismantling his own fief and send everyone home to do something productive, if they can.
Yes, it would be a mess. A hideous, horrible, unforgettable mess, in every way that you can imagine. People will die, and bad things will happen to good people, and some of the science fiction writers will be right.
All the people who, while able-bodied, truly can't do anything at all, will wander and maybe fall under the sway of a group of someones who will say something like Edmund, in Ringo's heroic work which begins with "There will Be Dragons". "We can feed you and rest you for three days. Then you will begin to work through a training program to see what work you may be suited for and might even like. You will learn how to fell trees, run wood through a sawmill, cook, build rudimentary buildings, handle firearms, etc, etc. If you decide that this program is not for you, keep walking. Why am I the one telling you what to do? It's my sawmill. It's his professional kitchen. It's her fabric and thread and needles. We take suggestions every day from 6 to 6:30 in the bath-house. We do not take complaints."
Or, those able bodied but incompetent people might hook up with a bunch of other people just like them, and decide that society always owed them a living before, and it still does, and if they have to take it, they will. And, "If men like Boyle think that force is all they need to rob their betters - let them see what happens when one of their betters chooses to resort to force." - Ragnar Danneskjold
Or Steve Stirling might be right - he started writing a trilogy, now about 9 books, about what happens when no chemical force more complicated than fire works any more. People organize themselves into whatever kind of society they wish [and can get to work]: the Norsemen, the SCA, a Celtic clan, tribal life on the American plains, and more - and life, with all its complications, proceeds.
Those people in Washington who decide not to dismantle their petty kingdoms will be increasingly isolated, and lonely, and....hungry. When they decide to go somewhere, like back to "their" state, probably the best thing they could do is say "no, I don't have any skills, but I'm willing to learn." I imagine if they say something like "I'm [censored]! I'm your Senator! I'm your leader, listen to me!!" they'll be lucky if they've run into a group of Amish or the like, who might just laugh.
Remember, every possible outcome that you can think of, will probably happen. I'm always thinking about what I'll do, and what I might have to do, and whether I could do it, and who I'd want at my back.
I would hope that eventually, there would be stories about the heroes who brought us all back from the brink, and then went home, because they had made sure that there were homes to go back to for as many Americans as possible.
If winning an election had THAT kind of outcome - one that reinvented the Real America, I would reluctantly serve. Not eagerly, but honestly and as ably as I could.
Otherwise? Well, the Wizard had some oral surgery this afternoon and he's taking a nap, covered in cats. I'm feeling a little sleepy myself.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Previous comments... You are currently on page 2.
However that would circle back to your lack of emotions premise.
A little ability to relate to others and picture what it's like to be in another's shoes helps a bit.
every possible trick or slimy deal to dismantle those
bureaucracies which are a cancer on our national ass. -- j
Both lack a conscience, are immune to boundaries and correction and spend time subduing people for amusement.
Now, sounds even more like our President, doesn't it?
My curiosity is not so much HOW you got there [which is why I postulated the Fickle Finger of Fate] but what you would do, once there.
mmmmm...
peach?
Next, I'd give them a test on the Constitution of the United States. It would have them successfully match up the first ten Amendments to their wordings, then would proceed onto Constitutional duties and limits of each of the three Branches.
If a person couldn't pass both, I'd declare them unfit to serve and send them packing. By my estimates, that would get rid of about 80% of each chamber of Congress and all of the Cabinet.
Can I retire some of the Supreme Court Justices as well? Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan would be out at the snap of my fingers, and I'd demote Roberts and replace him with Alito. I'd nominate Trey Gowdy as a replacement, along with possibly Andrew Napolitano.
Wow. Don't get me started. Now I'm thinking about Constitutional Amendments like "The Federal Government shall not spend more in a single year than their total tax receipts of the second year prior to the budgeted fiscal year." and "Executive Orders shall be subject to the review and approval of both the Senate and House when called for by simple majority vote."
I think the last count on the 3-letter agencies is 78,429. oops, there's another one. 78,430.
Problem: you can't impeach a Second Undersecretary in charge of writing the rules by which meat is graded. If he's still there, whatever he does will still have effect.
What would you do?
Now, how about part 2? I've said I'd tear the system down and send everybody home. What would you do?
My suggestion was to tear it down, send everybody home, and see what would happen. But I'm serious. DISMANTLE IT.
Jan
(Loved the Nantucket Sterling books and the first 3 of the Emberverse series (I am SCA)...lost track after that; will pick them back up again some day.)
I'll read your suggestion - this is a subject that interests me, obviously.
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