Green Energy
First imagine one of the most powerful countries in the world…wealthy, prosperous, innovative. It is a symbol of strength. It is run by duty, honor, and tradition.
Now, imagine that said country is forced to go to war…but the war, luckily, is said to be a quick affair. The good old military boys will fight, battle, and win. They will win in the name of flag and country, and most importantly, the war won’t drag on. They will be home by Christmas.
But the war does drag on…and more than expected perish.
Now imagine that this prosperous country is hit with an unexpected depression. Hyperinflation. No jobs. A crippled economy. This is a country that was once at the forefront of the Western world. The most powerful military. A strong economy. Now, people are at a loss…their money is worth nothing. They fear for their futures that were once so perfectly planned.
After a few years of dallying about, relying on the government in place to help sort things out (to no real avail), out comes this charismatic leader.
He is more than a leader. He is a sign of hope. A signal that things may once more be as they were.
This man is an incredible rhetorician.
He has no real experience…but he is educated…he knows how to speak.
This man knows how to play to a crowd. He can speak for hours in front of a large audience. Women swoon in his presence—so strong is his charisma.
Even though he reveals no particular plan…he repeats slogans that the masses believe in. He is aware he is more intelligent than these masses (or, at least, he believes he is). He knows that these people (who stand for hours before him just for the chance to hear him speak), are filled with a nostalgic longing for the days in which their country was again prosperous, in which their money of value, and their futures certain. And so he feeds them want they want to hear. This leader is an excellent manipulator—he knows how to pander to each audience.
In front of the masses, he does not speak of plans—nothing of real substance. But, he repeats with that sharp tongue of his, his mantras and slogans of hope. He repeats his mantras and slogans of change. He repeats his mantras and slogans that one day, under his leadership, and under his plans, this country will be as great as it once was…if not better.
Who is this man?
- Why They Fought
Below on the left is my Great Grandfather Frank Bartlett. This picture was taken in Brooklyn, NY just prior to him embarking to WWI. The picture on the right is my great uncle Ted Bartlett taken during WWII. My uncle Jimmy Mitchell was an Air Force...
- Ace Of Spades On The Audacious Greed Of The Ows Mob
People are filled with vanity. Vanity defines people. People tell themselves pretty lies, to convince themselves they're superior to other people. Case in point: The first guy's contention that "There is a thing called greed." He offers this as...
- Storm Track Disinformation: Winning Battles But Losing The War On Terror
The on-line edition of Time Magazine carries a story by Joshua Kurlantzick paying homage to Indonesia's unequalled track record in the continuing war on terrorism. Too bad they and the writer don’t have a clue as to the real conflict before them....
- “you’ll Never Know What We Did”
This post from Callimachus deserves a breadth and depth of coverage that it will never get. The injustice in this story is wrenching, not just for us, but especially for the Iraqis, and for those like the story teller below. Callimachus has put up a...
- Speaking Truth To Evil: "your Only Connection To Widows And Orphans Is That You Create Them"
The judge in the Sami al-Arian trial gave little Sami quite a lecture today: TAMPA - U.S. District Judge James Moody imposed the maximum sentence on Sami Al-Arian Monday, calling the former university professor a "master manipulator'' who led...
Green Energy
Hmmm....
First imagine one of the most powerful countries in the world…wealthy, prosperous, innovative. It is a symbol of strength. It is run by duty, honor, and tradition.
Now, imagine that said country is forced to go to war…but the war, luckily, is said to be a quick affair. The good old military boys will fight, battle, and win. They will win in the name of flag and country, and most importantly, the war won’t drag on. They will be home by Christmas.
But the war does drag on…and more than expected perish.
Now imagine that this prosperous country is hit with an unexpected depression. Hyperinflation. No jobs. A crippled economy. This is a country that was once at the forefront of the Western world. The most powerful military. A strong economy. Now, people are at a loss…their money is worth nothing. They fear for their futures that were once so perfectly planned.
After a few years of dallying about, relying on the government in place to help sort things out (to no real avail), out comes this charismatic leader.
He is more than a leader. He is a sign of hope. A signal that things may once more be as they were.
This man is an incredible rhetorician.
He has no real experience…but he is educated…he knows how to speak.
This man knows how to play to a crowd. He can speak for hours in front of a large audience. Women swoon in his presence—so strong is his charisma.
Even though he reveals no particular plan…he repeats slogans that the masses believe in. He is aware he is more intelligent than these masses (or, at least, he believes he is). He knows that these people (who stand for hours before him just for the chance to hear him speak), are filled with a nostalgic longing for the days in which their country was again prosperous, in which their money of value, and their futures certain. And so he feeds them want they want to hear. This leader is an excellent manipulator—he knows how to pander to each audience.
In front of the masses, he does not speak of plans—nothing of real substance. But, he repeats with that sharp tongue of his, his mantras and slogans of hope. He repeats his mantras and slogans of change. He repeats his mantras and slogans that one day, under his leadership, and under his plans, this country will be as great as it once was…if not better.
Who is this man?
- Why They Fought
Below on the left is my Great Grandfather Frank Bartlett. This picture was taken in Brooklyn, NY just prior to him embarking to WWI. The picture on the right is my great uncle Ted Bartlett taken during WWII. My uncle Jimmy Mitchell was an Air Force...
- Ace Of Spades On The Audacious Greed Of The Ows Mob
People are filled with vanity. Vanity defines people. People tell themselves pretty lies, to convince themselves they're superior to other people. Case in point: The first guy's contention that "There is a thing called greed." He offers this as...
- Storm Track Disinformation: Winning Battles But Losing The War On Terror
The on-line edition of Time Magazine carries a story by Joshua Kurlantzick paying homage to Indonesia's unequalled track record in the continuing war on terrorism. Too bad they and the writer don’t have a clue as to the real conflict before them....
- “you’ll Never Know What We Did”
This post from Callimachus deserves a breadth and depth of coverage that it will never get. The injustice in this story is wrenching, not just for us, but especially for the Iraqis, and for those like the story teller below. Callimachus has put up a...
- Speaking Truth To Evil: "your Only Connection To Widows And Orphans Is That You Create Them"
The judge in the Sami al-Arian trial gave little Sami quite a lecture today: TAMPA - U.S. District Judge James Moody imposed the maximum sentence on Sami Al-Arian Monday, calling the former university professor a "master manipulator'' who led...