Trump could learn a lot from Ira Weatheral
Posted by freedomforall 6 years, 3 months ago to Politics
"I work hard governing. But only in thinking about policy and in judging the work of others. I don't do donkey work; I leave that to the professional administrators. Even so the problems ... can keep a man busy, especially if his intention is to govern as little as possible- as that means he must keep a sharp eye out and his ear tuned for signs that subordinates are doing unnecessary governing. Half my time is used in the negative work of plucking such officious officials and ordering that they never again serve in any public capacity.
Then I usually abolish their jobs, and all the jobs subordinate to them.
I have never noticed any harm from such pruning save that parasites whose jobs are eliminated must find some other way to avoid starvation. (They are welcome to starve-better if they do. But they don't.)
The important thing is to spot these malignant growths and remove them when they are small. The more skill a chief executive acquires in this, the more emerging ones he finds, which keeps him busier than ever. Anyone can see a forest fire; skill lies in sniffing the first smoke.
This leaves me too little time for my prime work; thinking about policy. The purpose of my government is never to do good, but simply to refrain from doing evil. This sounds simple but is not."
- Ira Weatheral, Chairman Pro Tem Howard Families, Time Enough For Love Robert Heinlein
Then I usually abolish their jobs, and all the jobs subordinate to them.
I have never noticed any harm from such pruning save that parasites whose jobs are eliminated must find some other way to avoid starvation. (They are welcome to starve-better if they do. But they don't.)
The important thing is to spot these malignant growths and remove them when they are small. The more skill a chief executive acquires in this, the more emerging ones he finds, which keeps him busier than ever. Anyone can see a forest fire; skill lies in sniffing the first smoke.
This leaves me too little time for my prime work; thinking about policy. The purpose of my government is never to do good, but simply to refrain from doing evil. This sounds simple but is not."
- Ira Weatheral, Chairman Pro Tem Howard Families, Time Enough For Love Robert Heinlein
taking place 2000 years in the future:
"from what I've seen over the centuries there doesn't seem to be anything that a government can do to an economy that does not act as positive feedback, or as a brake, or both. Maybe someday, somewhere, someone ... will figure out how to tinker with ithe Law of Supply and Demand to make it work better, instead of letting it go its own cruel way. Maybe. But I've never seen it. Though God knows everybody has tried. Always with the best intentions. Good intentions are no substitute for knowing how a buzz saw works; the worst criminals in history have been loaded with good intentions."
- Lazarus Long Time Enough For Love Robert Heinlein
I did buy . : Stranger in a Strange Land
Moon is a Harsh Mistress And.
To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
All by Robert Heinlein
I think I listed them as oldest 1961, 1967,and 1987
The two you suggested might fit in front of To Sail Beyond the Sunset ?
Stranger in a Strange Land was very risque when originally published.
Heinlein wrote a lot of novels referred to as juvenile fiction because they appealed to boys and young men, but they are very well written, entertaining to all ages, and have admirable, heroic protagonists with ethics and integrity. Many of them started as serials written for sci-fi periodicals like Astounding Stories. Heinlein was always modest about his work and said he was amazed that he could make a living doing something he enjoyed so much.
Thanks freedom!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDMks...
Although I did find this tidbit on a page of "The Burning Platform" web site (which seems to be didcated to a Libertarian view, and may be of interest):
THE DAY
“The America of my time line is a laboratory example of what can happen to democracies, what has eventually happened to all perfect democracies throughout all histories. A perfect democracy, a ‘warm body’ democracy in which every adult may vote and all votes count equally, has no internal feedback for self-correction. It depends solely on the wisdom and self-restraint of citizens… which is opposed by the folly and lack of self-restraint of other citizens. What is supposed to happen in a democracy is that each sovereign citizen will always vote in the public interest for the safety and welfare of all. But what does happen is that he votes his own self-interest as he sees it… which for the majority translates as ‘Bread and Circuses.
’‘Bread and Circuses’ is the cancer of democracy, the fatal disease for which there is no cure. Democracy often works beautifully at first. But once a state extends the franchise to every warm body, be he producer or parasite, that day marks the beginning of the end of the state. For when the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread and circuses without limit and that the productive members of the body politic cannot stop them, they will do so, until the state bleeds to death, or in its weakened condition the state succumbs to an invader—the barbarians enter Rome.”
Robert A. Heinlein
Lots of gold nuggets to choose from.
I have just finished listening the audio book
"Red Planet".Excellent voices for each character.
Thanks for the recommendation to starting it first.
I enjoyed it. Now I will read "Stranger
Is your recommendation for me to read Red planet before I start Stranger......
As this reply was to Freedomforall.
Thanks for clarifying.Happy new year!
"Johann Sebastian Bach Smith was immensely rich--and very old. His mind was keen, but his body was worn out. So surgeons transplanted his brain into a new body. The operation was great success--but the patient was no longer Johann Sebastian Bach Smith. He was now fused with the very vocal personality of his gorgeous secretary, Eunice--with mind blowing results!"
I recall that the Eunice part was saying that "the body remembers".
Happy reading and enjoy the voyage!