I'm thankful that Charlie posted today's Morning Shots early enough that I can read, comment, and still go to my satellite radio to hear uninterrupted the premiere of the Beatles' last new song ever (Now and Then) in a few minutes. Because, bad politics, global conflicts, and the decline of our democracy notwithstanding, there are priori…
I'm thankful that Charlie posted today's Morning Shots early enough that I can read, comment, and still go to my satellite radio to hear uninterrupted the premiere of the Beatles' last new song ever (Now and Then) in a few minutes. Because, bad politics, global conflicts, and the decline of our democracy notwithstanding, there are priorities.
It bears repeating that our Founding Fathers did an outstanding job overall of gifting us democracy with such a strong sense of principles and a keen understanding of what people should not gain access to positions of power. But of course they were not clairvoyant and could not foresee every eventuality. Just as insistent pests can find an entry point into even the best-guarded homes if they try often enough, bad actors can find a way to circumvent and undermine the Constitution if they find new and novel approaches and are supported by enough politicians and justices to do so. The Founding Fathers assumed that we would not willingly empower a perpetually lazy, uncouth, largely unintelligent person and that so much of the citizenry wouldn't gleefully turn its back on long held standards of morality, decency, and common sense in favor of tribalism and wanton destruction of any opposition to its own agenda. That much we have to answer for, not them, as we summarize how democracy can wither and perhaps die in a land that for so many years otherwise has been a beacon for freedom, selflessness of collective purpose, competing ideas, intellectual ambition, and enlightenment.
I liked it -- quite appealing to my ears on a first listen (my rule is to listen at least five times before passing binding judgment). It does have a nice Beatley sound to it, and considering the source (a cheap cassette copy of a demo recording by John), they cleaned it up and dressed it up rather admirably, about as well as could be hoped for. It's a pretty emotional thing for a lot of us for whom the Beatles were largely a soundtrack to our lives, through a lot of good times and some rough ones as well. They've always been there for us, so it's kind of hard to say "goodbye" to the possibility of any other new songs from the four of them together. But what a rich body of work and legacy they've given us all.
The last Beatle song that they came with was 'Real love" (until now).It came out in the early 90 s using technology of the time.Sounded great( typical Beatles sound).The video of it was great also.I saw Peter Jackson's "Get Back" last year.It was amazing how McCarteney wrote his songs!
It is quite the wise decision of them to pair "Now and Then" with the AI-enabled stereo version of "Love Me Do" as the single -- the last Beatles song and the first one, together, as if bookends to the great career in the middle.
The Founders idolatry masks a lot of their "limited" vision of the future.
- They were brilliant in taking the leap of faith in the wisdom of the Enlightenment in creating a constitution in the spirit of "All (White) Men Are Created Equal." I give that the first domino was essential for everything else to follow.
- They did not forsee a universal suffrage at some point. Let alone a black president.
- They did not forsee a 67 to 1 ratio of the largest to the smallest state
- more importantly, they didn't see non-whites exceeding whites at some point in the future, as it is likely to happen in another 30 years.
MAGA is all about addressing what the Founders missed.
The founders could not have foreseen a national "news and information" industry whose lies, conspiracy theories, character assassinations and hate speech are available everywhere, 24/7, turning the nation into two distinct tribes: The Informed and The Misinformed, who think they are informed. See James Madison's warning about a "well-informed electorate" being necessary for self rule to work.
Azimov's Foundation trilogy strikes at how the best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry. Our checks and balances are off balance. Hopefully the judicial branch can withstand the havoc.
One of the things the Founders could not have forseen was how much a Black president and a female presidential candidate would inflame such a backlash. They moved in an unexamined and barely noticed world of white male supremacy like fish swim in the sea. How could they have forseen how such changes would so inflame passions as to make the overthrow of the Constitution that they had created, and which had empowered those changes, so appealing that Americans would call upon a criminal psychopath to restore what they considered the rightful order of the Universe? Indeed, had the possibility that their Constitution would eventually allow the elevation of women and people of African or Asian descent to equality with white males even crossed their minds, they would have likely abandoned the enterprise as a bad idea.
Agree, and it’s an interesting thought exercise. As well as their inability to imagine a Black president and female VP, is the impossibility that they could have imagined the internet, and reality TV entertainment. That’s when I suspect they might have given up, out of mental fatigue.
Given that a number of the Constitutional Convention delegates owned black slaves, I'm not sure any Constitution they agreed upon would have looked the same .
I'm thankful that Charlie posted today's Morning Shots early enough that I can read, comment, and still go to my satellite radio to hear uninterrupted the premiere of the Beatles' last new song ever (Now and Then) in a few minutes. Because, bad politics, global conflicts, and the decline of our democracy notwithstanding, there are priorities.
It bears repeating that our Founding Fathers did an outstanding job overall of gifting us democracy with such a strong sense of principles and a keen understanding of what people should not gain access to positions of power. But of course they were not clairvoyant and could not foresee every eventuality. Just as insistent pests can find an entry point into even the best-guarded homes if they try often enough, bad actors can find a way to circumvent and undermine the Constitution if they find new and novel approaches and are supported by enough politicians and justices to do so. The Founding Fathers assumed that we would not willingly empower a perpetually lazy, uncouth, largely unintelligent person and that so much of the citizenry wouldn't gleefully turn its back on long held standards of morality, decency, and common sense in favor of tribalism and wanton destruction of any opposition to its own agenda. That much we have to answer for, not them, as we summarize how democracy can wither and perhaps die in a land that for so many years otherwise has been a beacon for freedom, selflessness of collective purpose, competing ideas, intellectual ambition, and enlightenment.
How does "Now and then" sound? Thats a good priority!
I liked it -- quite appealing to my ears on a first listen (my rule is to listen at least five times before passing binding judgment). It does have a nice Beatley sound to it, and considering the source (a cheap cassette copy of a demo recording by John), they cleaned it up and dressed it up rather admirably, about as well as could be hoped for. It's a pretty emotional thing for a lot of us for whom the Beatles were largely a soundtrack to our lives, through a lot of good times and some rough ones as well. They've always been there for us, so it's kind of hard to say "goodbye" to the possibility of any other new songs from the four of them together. But what a rich body of work and legacy they've given us all.
The last Beatle song that they came with was 'Real love" (until now).It came out in the early 90 s using technology of the time.Sounded great( typical Beatles sound).The video of it was great also.I saw Peter Jackson's "Get Back" last year.It was amazing how McCarteney wrote his songs!
In my mind,Beatles are greatest rock band ever.Full stop.
One last thing about Beatles last song,"Hello Goodby"
It is quite the wise decision of them to pair "Now and Then" with the AI-enabled stereo version of "Love Me Do" as the single -- the last Beatles song and the first one, together, as if bookends to the great career in the middle.
"Hello Goodbye"
The Founders idolatry masks a lot of their "limited" vision of the future.
- They were brilliant in taking the leap of faith in the wisdom of the Enlightenment in creating a constitution in the spirit of "All (White) Men Are Created Equal." I give that the first domino was essential for everything else to follow.
- They did not forsee a universal suffrage at some point. Let alone a black president.
- They did not forsee a 67 to 1 ratio of the largest to the smallest state
- more importantly, they didn't see non-whites exceeding whites at some point in the future, as it is likely to happen in another 30 years.
MAGA is all about addressing what the Founders missed.
And grievance about everything else
The founders could not have foreseen a national "news and information" industry whose lies, conspiracy theories, character assassinations and hate speech are available everywhere, 24/7, turning the nation into two distinct tribes: The Informed and The Misinformed, who think they are informed. See James Madison's warning about a "well-informed electorate" being necessary for self rule to work.
"A well-informed electorate being essential for self-rule to work, the right of the people not to be gaslighted shall not be infringed"
Meant as a joke of course.
You could use the sarcasm font but the Bulwark doesn't provide one. 😎
Azimov's Foundation trilogy strikes at how the best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry. Our checks and balances are off balance. Hopefully the judicial branch can withstand the havoc.
Agree. They also didn’t think non-landowners or women should vote.
One of the things the Founders could not have forseen was how much a Black president and a female presidential candidate would inflame such a backlash. They moved in an unexamined and barely noticed world of white male supremacy like fish swim in the sea. How could they have forseen how such changes would so inflame passions as to make the overthrow of the Constitution that they had created, and which had empowered those changes, so appealing that Americans would call upon a criminal psychopath to restore what they considered the rightful order of the Universe? Indeed, had the possibility that their Constitution would eventually allow the elevation of women and people of African or Asian descent to equality with white males even crossed their minds, they would have likely abandoned the enterprise as a bad idea.
Agree, and it’s an interesting thought exercise. As well as their inability to imagine a Black president and female VP, is the impossibility that they could have imagined the internet, and reality TV entertainment. That’s when I suspect they might have given up, out of mental fatigue.
So right. Then explain the social order, gay marriage and trans right and see how fast the founders would shut the ‘experiment’ down,
Not sure the founders would have abandoned it, but likely the Constitution wouldn't have been acceded to by many of the states.
Given that a number of the Constitutional Convention delegates owned black slaves, I'm not sure any Constitution they agreed upon would have looked the same .