America could use a nonpartisan person to counsel elected Presidents. It is clear why our founding fathers didn't want anything like Royalty when they were drafting our Constitution. We tend to oscillate between major parties, combating each other, and infrequently seeing common ground to address long-term problems. Who would this nonpartisan person be? I have no idea, but QEII appears to have served that purpose reasonably well for Britain.
Completely off topic, but National Geographic Channel is showing 9-11 all day with footage I've never seen before. Dear God, it feels like it happened today.
One of the most important duties which the Queen had was to represent the nation to itself. So when she gave out various honors, for each honoree, when they were greeted by the Queen it was as if by the nation (with all of its history).
Nations need some way of dignifying themselves to themselves - we do it through the part of the presidency that is not partisan (and with the exception of Trump, our presidents have done well with this).
So as the UK ponders the fate of the monarchy, they need to figure out what will serve in its absence.
What Charlie has said in this article about Trump’s disdain for his own supporters must absolutely be true because it mirrors exactly the same points that I have made over the past few years. When Trump first made his claim about shooting someone on 5th Avenue, I assumed he was just spouting off about his iron clad hold on his base. It was only when he went to Liberty University and claimed that he “had so many favorite Bible verses that he couldn’t name just one”, that the scales began to fall from my eyes. First of all, every living, breathing, sentient being on this planet knows that what Trump said was a lie (and if further proof is needed Trump’s reference to “Two Corinthians” – you know, the Twoth Letter of Paul to the Corinthians - removed any doubt). Now, Trump could have played this any number of ways. The honest Trump would have said that he simply doesn’t read the Bible and has no favorite verse. The political Trump would have known that such a question was coming and he would have been prepared by picking one verse just to satisfy his audience. What are they going to do – tell him that that verse isn’t his favorite? That would be like the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where the character is cast into the pit because he answers the question “what is your favorite color” wrong.
But the actual, grifter Trump didn’t do either of those things. He simply made up an answer that was really a non-answer that everyone in the audience knew was a lie. He didn’t even have enough respect for his audience to lie convincingly to them. Or the work ethic to be prepared. He just figured he could wing his way through the whole thing because he knew that his audience would lap up whatever he said (even if they didn’t really believe him, he knew it was going to be OK).
I later saw Trump interviewed on the Christian Broadcasting Network. When he was asked if he was more of an Old Testament guy or more of a New Testament guy, I just knew he was going to say “both”. Bingo!
So the whole 5th Avenue thing isn’t just Trump bragging on his popularity. It’s also an admission that he believes his supporters are slavishly enough devoted to him that there isn’t anything that he could do to break the spell. And let’s face it – he was right.
And throughout Trump’s Presidency, he continued the practice of just saying whatever he felt like saying, knowing that his base would support whatever it was. So he could claim that he was being sarcastic to make the press look bad when he talked about injecting bleach to fight COVID (even if that were true, everyone should have been appalled at the President of the United States using his position to supposedly communicate with the country on a matter of life and death like COVID to settle a petty grievance with the press) and his base nods along even if every bit of available evidence (like videotape) shows that he was not being sarcastic at all. Or he could claim that he didn’t call “Tim Cook” “Tim Apple” when audio analysis showed that he did.
You don’t show respect for your audience when you insult their intelligence.
And, of course, not only does Trump have no respect for his base, he has no respect for the office. So he could make an address from the Oval Office on the country’s initial response to COVID and get five major things wrong. Because he is simply too lazy to get himself prepared.
And I have said it many times – when Trump lies about something (like a “you do realize that we have it on tape” kind of lie) and the press calls him on it, his supporters don’t get mad at Trump, the source of the lie. They get made at the press for pointing it out.
But when you are dealing with a cult, these are the things that happen.
I’m truly surprised at you Charlie! The Meghan Markle comment was out of line. Meghan and her child experienced racism at the hands and voices of the Royal Family before she and Harry decided to leave that shallow narcissistic family. She bears no responsibility for the treatment that she received by that family. She and Harry chose the love that they have for each other and their children over pomp and cruelty.
Ben Wittes is a treasure. Has The Bulwark been following NAFO - the army of Twitter posters with the goofy dog memes that Ben featured last night? Money donated, Russian ambassadors and sympathizers ridiculed on line. Adam Kinzinger is one of us.
I work as a prosecutor in Canada, so in my legal pleadings I'm literally representing the Crown in the form of the current monarch. The passing of Queen Elizabeth is certainly the death of an era.
However, evern though Queen Elizabeth herself managed to avoid being embroilled in personal scandals, it should still be noted that the moral character of the royals as a whole is less than admirable, including the Queen.
Fun fact: did you know that "servants" aren't allowed to walk down the middle of stairways, lest their servant feet wear down the carpets?
Second fun fact: per royal protocol if you're dinning with the Queen, you cannot start eating until the Queen begins, and the second the Queen stops eating, you have to stop eating as well.
I had the fortune of meeting a retired police officer who was in charge of training police dogs for the London police service, and so he personally met most of the royals while sweeping events for bombs.
He does not have a single kind word to say about any of them. They are all apparently rude, self-absorbed jerks. But is that hardly surprising? They've lived their entire lives in priviledge, surrounded by sycophants.
With the exception of perhaps the Spanish monarchy, the remaining royal families in Europe are far more humble normal human beings.
I personally think we in Canada should ditch the English monarchy, but remain with an "appointed" monarchy in the form of the Governor General who performs all of the duties demanded of the Queen in Canada. Only the GG isn't appointed by the Queen, the GG is appointed by our Prime Minister.
That Bannon absconded with $1 million of the $25 million is not a surprise to me. What I would like to know is what in the world did they do with the other $24 million? They didn't build any wall with it, I'm pretty sure.
This is a story of a crime that stinks pulled off by an utter monster in need of a bath. Sing Sing or Attica or Shawangunk await with open arms; just the places for mandatory showers. And three not so delicious squares.
BTW, I always regretted that her original ultra RP ("Received Pronunciation") 1940s accent became subtly flattened and Americanized over the decades. There doesn't seem to be much point in being a British Royal if you don't sound like you're speaking through a very narrow keyhole.
America could use a nonpartisan person to counsel elected Presidents. It is clear why our founding fathers didn't want anything like Royalty when they were drafting our Constitution. We tend to oscillate between major parties, combating each other, and infrequently seeing common ground to address long-term problems. Who would this nonpartisan person be? I have no idea, but QEII appears to have served that purpose reasonably well for Britain.
Completely off topic, but National Geographic Channel is showing 9-11 all day with footage I've never seen before. Dear God, it feels like it happened today.
One of the most important duties which the Queen had was to represent the nation to itself. So when she gave out various honors, for each honoree, when they were greeted by the Queen it was as if by the nation (with all of its history).
Nations need some way of dignifying themselves to themselves - we do it through the part of the presidency that is not partisan (and with the exception of Trump, our presidents have done well with this).
So as the UK ponders the fate of the monarchy, they need to figure out what will serve in its absence.
It won't be a simple matter.
What Charlie has said in this article about Trump’s disdain for his own supporters must absolutely be true because it mirrors exactly the same points that I have made over the past few years. When Trump first made his claim about shooting someone on 5th Avenue, I assumed he was just spouting off about his iron clad hold on his base. It was only when he went to Liberty University and claimed that he “had so many favorite Bible verses that he couldn’t name just one”, that the scales began to fall from my eyes. First of all, every living, breathing, sentient being on this planet knows that what Trump said was a lie (and if further proof is needed Trump’s reference to “Two Corinthians” – you know, the Twoth Letter of Paul to the Corinthians - removed any doubt). Now, Trump could have played this any number of ways. The honest Trump would have said that he simply doesn’t read the Bible and has no favorite verse. The political Trump would have known that such a question was coming and he would have been prepared by picking one verse just to satisfy his audience. What are they going to do – tell him that that verse isn’t his favorite? That would be like the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where the character is cast into the pit because he answers the question “what is your favorite color” wrong.
But the actual, grifter Trump didn’t do either of those things. He simply made up an answer that was really a non-answer that everyone in the audience knew was a lie. He didn’t even have enough respect for his audience to lie convincingly to them. Or the work ethic to be prepared. He just figured he could wing his way through the whole thing because he knew that his audience would lap up whatever he said (even if they didn’t really believe him, he knew it was going to be OK).
I later saw Trump interviewed on the Christian Broadcasting Network. When he was asked if he was more of an Old Testament guy or more of a New Testament guy, I just knew he was going to say “both”. Bingo!
So the whole 5th Avenue thing isn’t just Trump bragging on his popularity. It’s also an admission that he believes his supporters are slavishly enough devoted to him that there isn’t anything that he could do to break the spell. And let’s face it – he was right.
And throughout Trump’s Presidency, he continued the practice of just saying whatever he felt like saying, knowing that his base would support whatever it was. So he could claim that he was being sarcastic to make the press look bad when he talked about injecting bleach to fight COVID (even if that were true, everyone should have been appalled at the President of the United States using his position to supposedly communicate with the country on a matter of life and death like COVID to settle a petty grievance with the press) and his base nods along even if every bit of available evidence (like videotape) shows that he was not being sarcastic at all. Or he could claim that he didn’t call “Tim Cook” “Tim Apple” when audio analysis showed that he did.
You don’t show respect for your audience when you insult their intelligence.
And, of course, not only does Trump have no respect for his base, he has no respect for the office. So he could make an address from the Oval Office on the country’s initial response to COVID and get five major things wrong. Because he is simply too lazy to get himself prepared.
And I have said it many times – when Trump lies about something (like a “you do realize that we have it on tape” kind of lie) and the press calls him on it, his supporters don’t get mad at Trump, the source of the lie. They get made at the press for pointing it out.
But when you are dealing with a cult, these are the things that happen.
The Golden Rule of Politics:
"Vote for the person who will do unto others as you would do unto them."
I’m truly surprised at you Charlie! The Meghan Markle comment was out of line. Meghan and her child experienced racism at the hands and voices of the Royal Family before she and Harry decided to leave that shallow narcissistic family. She bears no responsibility for the treatment that she received by that family. She and Harry chose the love that they have for each other and their children over pomp and cruelty.
Charlie, the snark at Ms. Markle was gratuitous and jarring.
Benjamin Wittes is a treasure.
Steve Bannon and the credulous MAGA rubes are living proof that there’s one born every minute and two born to take them.
Ben Wittes is a treasure. Has The Bulwark been following NAFO - the army of Twitter posters with the goofy dog memes that Ben featured last night? Money donated, Russian ambassadors and sympathizers ridiculed on line. Adam Kinzinger is one of us.
I work as a prosecutor in Canada, so in my legal pleadings I'm literally representing the Crown in the form of the current monarch. The passing of Queen Elizabeth is certainly the death of an era.
However, evern though Queen Elizabeth herself managed to avoid being embroilled in personal scandals, it should still be noted that the moral character of the royals as a whole is less than admirable, including the Queen.
Fun fact: did you know that "servants" aren't allowed to walk down the middle of stairways, lest their servant feet wear down the carpets?
Second fun fact: per royal protocol if you're dinning with the Queen, you cannot start eating until the Queen begins, and the second the Queen stops eating, you have to stop eating as well.
I had the fortune of meeting a retired police officer who was in charge of training police dogs for the London police service, and so he personally met most of the royals while sweeping events for bombs.
He does not have a single kind word to say about any of them. They are all apparently rude, self-absorbed jerks. But is that hardly surprising? They've lived their entire lives in priviledge, surrounded by sycophants.
With the exception of perhaps the Spanish monarchy, the remaining royal families in Europe are far more humble normal human beings.
I personally think we in Canada should ditch the English monarchy, but remain with an "appointed" monarchy in the form of the Governor General who performs all of the duties demanded of the Queen in Canada. Only the GG isn't appointed by the Queen, the GG is appointed by our Prime Minister.
That Bannon absconded with $1 million of the $25 million is not a surprise to me. What I would like to know is what in the world did they do with the other $24 million? They didn't build any wall with it, I'm pretty sure.
"what a grubby tale about a grubby man"
This is a story of a crime that stinks pulled off by an utter monster in need of a bath. Sing Sing or Attica or Shawangunk await with open arms; just the places for mandatory showers. And three not so delicious squares.
Cute video clip re Liz & tourists.
BTW, I always regretted that her original ultra RP ("Received Pronunciation") 1940s accent became subtly flattened and Americanized over the decades. There doesn't seem to be much point in being a British Royal if you don't sound like you're speaking through a very narrow keyhole.
Any idea who Unindicted Coconspirator 1 is? I can't think of anyone.
Charlie, Request for clarification of your remark that celebrity and fame are not necessarily the same on your tribute to QEII.