This is just a quite-wonderful couple of related videos. The short version is that it's about a guy and his dog who just loves riding on motorcycles. It's richer than that and a total joy. But without saying too much, that'll suffice. And this is a sort of companion piece about how it all started. There's some overlap with the first video, but the story it completes is worth it. Besides, you can't have too much footage of a dog loving to ride on a motorcycle across the country, even if you've seen some of it before.
0 Comments
There is an expression that Russian operatives have for describing human assets who don’t grasp all the assistance they’re providing Russia and don’t recognize that they are being valuable assets for Russia. It’s “Useful idiot.” The Republican Party is full of “Useful idiots” these days, from Ron Johnson, Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham on down through all those in the GOP who have been supporting the insurrection to overthrow democracy, whether party officials or just members. But a troika of “Useful idiots” reared their heads the last few days, lead by Trump, as always, while Russian openly prepared to invade a democratic nation against all international law. And now has done so. This will be long. As long as it is, it is also much shorter than what I want to write and is flowing out of my fingertips. Because this deserves to be long. And everything about it, from all people writing and talking on the subject, deserves to be remembered. Eternally. We know that Trump has been lovingly supporting Vladmir Putin since his “Russia, if you’re listening…” plea for them to hack U.S. government servers when he ran for president in 2016, as well as his insertion into the 2016 GOP platform of Putin’s wish list that the U.S. wouldn’t supply any weapons to Ukraine (which wasn’t changed in 2020)– and through his infamous Helsinki defense of Putin, saying that he trusted what the autocratic Russian dictator told him and didn’t trust all the U.S. intelligence service – and beyond, including his continual failed-efforts to achieve one of the top items on Putin’s wish list, dismantling NATO. But Trump may have reached on Tuesday when he gave a full-throated love fest to Putin on the eve of Russia’s attack to bring down a democracy. Keep in mind that Trump is no longer president. That we are dealing with foreign affairs. That there is a war involved. And there is citizen Trump trying to undermine the U.S. president in this foreign war on behalf of the autocratic dictator of one of his longest enemies. I’m tempted to pull out the highlights of Trump’s comments because that would make the worst things he said stand out even more. But I think that reading his words in full give an even better sense of how near-treasonous this “Useful Idiot” was in his breathtaking treachery. With Russia poised to invade a democratic nation. As if he’s a lovestruck teenager in the Spring, letting the words in his heart pour out and unable to stop the flow of adoration. Speaking to a conservative podcaster, and keep in mind that now, Russian tanks are rolling into Ukraine, heading for the capital and major cities, bombs falling, 137 dead and over 316 injured after just the first hours, with tens of thousands (if not hundred thousand or more) expected dead, overtaking electric power plants and nuclear power centers, Trump said – "I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine — Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful,. "So, Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s strongest peace force….We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re going to keep peace, all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy. “I know him very well. Very, very well. By the way, this never would have happened with us. Had I been in office, not even thinkable. This would never have happened. “But here’s a guy that says, you know, ‘I’m gonna to declare a big portion of Ukraine independent, he used the word ‘independent,’ – ‘and we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna keep peace.’ You gotta say that’s pretty savvy. And you know what the response was from Biden? There was no response. They didn’t have one for that. No, it’s very sad. Very sad. I knew Putin very well. I got along with him great. He liked me. I liked him. I mean, you know, he’s a tough cookie, got a lot of the great charm and a lot of pride. But the way he — and he loves his country, you know? He loves his country." Words like “genius,” “savvy,” “smart,” “I liked him” and “We could use that on our southern border” leap out, of course. But there’s so much here that’s transcends sick and enters the world of delusional. That delusion comes when he says – and I suspect he believes it -- “This never would have happened with us. Had I been in office, not even thinkable. This would never have happened.” And he says this while not only saying in total support how “genius” and “savvy” it was of Putin to do, but says that he wishes he himself had done it, on the Mexican border! Not only would Putin have done it if Trump had been re-elected, Trump opened the door for this to happen – making it the 2016 and 2020 GOP platforms not to arm Ukraine, shredding our NATO alliances, trying to extort Ukraine president Zelensky, withholding almost $400 million of Congress-approved aid to Ukraine and more. All the while saying he wishes we’d done the same thing at the Mexican border. Not have happened if Trump was still in office?? Of course Putin would have done it, he’s been waiting 20 years to do it! He even said so in his speech! And knowing how Trump had splintered NATO whose leaders mostly hated him, and wouldn't ever unite to sanction and act against Putin like they are now, Putin not only have done it, he would have Kalinka-danced in while thumbing his nose at the U.S. -- and then invited Trump to tea, and Trump would have gone. But there is the mad, delusional, demented Trump playing the “Useful idiot” with a “Kick me!” sign taped to his back. And for Trump to think that “He loves his country” is an excuse for illegally invading a democratic nation is just so mind-numbing, but pure Trump. Of course Putin “loves his country” – it’s just everyone else in the West he hates. Hitler loved his country, that’s one reason he tried to take over the world and exterminate those he hated. Trump creepily hugs the American flag and tries to say how much he too loves his country. He just doesn’t understand it. And hates all those who oppose him. But the worst thing about Trump’s Putin Love speech is not what we heard…but rather what Russia will heard. Because as political analyst Ben Rhodes said later that day -- you know they are playing Trump’s quote all over Russian media. Hearing the former American president defending the Russian dictator as a “genius,” “savvy” and “smart” for invading Ukraine on a supposed “peacekeeping” mission – such a brilliant plan that Trump wishes he could have done it, too. And they’ll play it over and over and over. More on this in a moment. But first – Let’s go to the next “Useful idiot” in the troika. That would be former Secretary of State under Trump, and no-chance presidential hopeful Mike Pompeo. Just to refresh your memory, he’s the guy who posed for pictures with the co-founder of the Afghanistan Taliban before helping hand over the country to him with pretty much no concessions. Pompeo actually has a long history of adoring Putin Praise. Last month, on Fox “News,” for instance, he said about Putin that "He is a very talented statesman. He has lots of gifts. He was a KGB agent, for goodness sakes. He knows how to use power. We should respect that." Because, yeah, being a KGB agent – for goodness sake (though, as Mae West’s line goes, goodness had nothing to do with it). And when a brutal dictator’s “knowing how to use power” manifests itself by imprisoning his enemies, killing journalists, stamping out democracy, subjugating his people reason and repeatedly invading other countries, that’s not why he should be respected. It’s why he’s an vicious enemy and should be guarded against. Those aren’t “gifts,” those are abilities. And killing and jailing those who oppose you, and continuing to start wars is not being a “statesman.” And fun fact: all autocratic dictators know how to use power – Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-Un, Erdogan, Stalin, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Pinochet, Mussolini, Franco, Genghis Khan… And then just last week on February 18, as Russian troops were amassing at the Ukraine border, with U.S. intelligence saying an invasion was imminent, Pompeo said of Putin that he was "Very shrewd, very capable. I have enormous respect for him – I've been criticized for saying that. No, I have enormous respect for him." Well…yes, he was criticized for saying that. Because Putin is an autocratic dictator who kills his enemies and was at the time on the verge of invading a democratic nation. By the way, it’s not just liberals and the non-far right who think this about Putin. Even George B. Bushes’ Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called Putin "megalomaniacal." But not Mike Pompeo – he thinks Putin has gifts, is a statesman, knows how to use power and respects him – for goodness sake. Oh, and you know that how, “Just because he says it here doesn’t mean it will stay here, because the footage of it will likely end up on Russian state TV” thing? Here’s former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying all those wonderful things about Vladimir Putin’s gifts, for goodness sake, on Russian state TV, for goodness sake, with the translation underneath. As Russia invades democratic Ukraine – for goodness sake.
Which brings us to the third member of the GOP troika, Tucker Carlson. I tend to try not to use snarky nicknames for people. But I must admit, sometimes those nicknames fit like the most elegant glove. And when national security expert Malcolm Nance said that many people in his field now refer to Tucker Carlson as “Tuckyo Rose” – it fits much too well. Carlson has long been at the autocratic forefront and supporting Putin and Russia, but he really outdid himself this week on Tuesday when it presented his inexplicable, even by Carlson standards, ghastly love letter to Vladmir Putin. Keep in mind, he said this as Putin had send massive Russian troops to the Ukraine border on the verge of invading democratic Ukraine…the very next day. And so Tucker Carlson what it was about liberals that made them hate an autocratic dictator trying to overthrow a democratic country – “It may be worth asking yourself, since it is getting pretty serious, what is this really about? Why do I hate Putin so much? Has Putin ever called me a racist? Has he threatened to get me fired for disagreeing with him? Has he shipped every middle-class job in my town to Russia? Did he manufacture a worldwide pandemic that wrecked my business and kept me indoors for two years? "Is he teaching my children to embrace racial discrimination? Is he making fentanyl? Is he trying to snuff out Christianity? Does he eat dogs?” In reality, no, that’s not the question which may be worth asking. The actual question is why do Tucker Carlson and far-right Republicans want you to support autocratic Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who is invading a democratic country and trying to overthrow its government and freedom in Ukraine? That Tucker Carlson wants you to think that because an autocratic despot didn’t do a grocery list of minor problems – like name-calling or merely threatening that someone should be fired – means they’re off the hook for all the ghastly things they did do is infantile and intentionally deceptive. “Well, yeah, Ted Bundy killed all those women…but he didn’t call me a racist!” What Carlson conveniently leaves out is Putin killing his opponents, suppressing freedom and invading a democratic nation. (And by the way, as for “What did he ever do to meeeee?,” if Tucker Carlson was Russian and kept saying something on TV that Putin didn’t like – not likely, I know, but if – Putin might have him killed.) I will guess that "eat dogs" is Tucker Carlson’s idea of humor. Which explains him wearing that bow tie for all those years. And by the way, change the name for a moment of the person saying all those meaningless, childish, insignificant things Vladimir Putin didn’t do him or her personally which is why you too should love the murderous despot. Instead of Tucker Carlson, put in the name "Barack Obama" or "Joe Biden" or "Nancy Pelosi" or "Hillary Clinton" explaining why you should like Vladimir Putin as he was invading a democratic, freedom-loving nation. Imagine the HORRIFIED OUTAGE from Fox "News." Keep in mind that once upon a time Republicans were twisted in knots by anyone even semi-liberal saying something remotely half-positive about Russia. They were branded "Commies" and "Reds" by Republicans and actually, quite-literally blacklisted. Some even jailed. Republicans were the party of Joe McCarthy. The party mantra was "Better dead than Red" -- for goodness sake. In fact, this isn’t just history: Democrats are still regularly called "socialists" by the GOP. Yet here is this on Fox "News." Oh, and back to that whole, “Just because he says it here doesn’t mean it will stay here, because the footage of it will likely end up on Russian state TV” thing, here is the video of Tucker Carlson praising Vladimir shown again on…yes, Russian state TV, with Russian subtitles.
Again, horrible as all these quotes from the Trump-Pompeo-Carlson troika and more, it’s Trump who stands out above them all. Because this perspective has to be continually kept in mind – this is a former president, criticizing U.S. foreign policy against out top adversary during a time of war when a democratic nation was being invaded. Republicans hated FDR. And before WWII broke out, there were a few on the far-right actually defending Hitler. But not many, even as much as they hated FDR. And once war did break out, while there might have been disagreements on the running of the war, there weren’t leading GOP voices praising Hitler and the Nazis over the American president. No, we’re not at war. We’re just at the center of trying to stop one. There’s even more perspective that must be remembered. Trump was impeached for trying to extort President Zelensky of Ukraine – and held up sending $391 million in defense aid to Ukraine that Congress had approved. And Trump continually tried to break up NATO – which today, thanks to President Biden’s leadership, is intensely united and the frontline guard against Putin’s war, united in its massive sanctions, all without hopefully having to fire a shot. By the way, a few weeks ago, I wrote that it could be great if the White House declassified and released the transcript of Trump's phone call to extort Ukraine President Zelensky, which is what got Trump impeached (the first time). A call in which he threatened to withhold that $391 million in defensive security aid from Ukraine authorized by Congress unless Ukraine did him a favor, “though.” Now, might be an especially-good time to do so... But like Most Things Trump, this isn’t really about Trump or even the troika. We know who they are. This is about the attacks on the U.S. president by some Republican leaders as if he was the one at wrong here, rather than the autocratic dictator who invaded a democratic nation. And it’s about the greater silence by Republican members of Congress who have ignored Trump calling Putin "genius" and "savvy," a silence that is even more deafening today. And will get even more deafening as the body count rises to sickening numbers. It's also about the far-right media. Fox "News," after all, hasn't reprimanded Tucker Carlson let alone even asked him to tone it down. He's just the loudest voice there, not the only one. And it's the same for places like Newsmax and OANN and others. It's the party line. President Biden beat their God Trump, he must has stolen the election because their God Trump says it, so the President of the United States is their enemy, and the enemy of their enemy is their friend. So, if that's murderous despot Vladimir Putin trying to bring down democracy and destroy NATO, then hugs and kisses to him. And it’s also about the rank-and-file of the Republican Party who actually have greater support for the leader of our nation’s enemy than for the U.S. president. Lest one think that is hyperbole, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that 62% of Republicans and GOP-leading independents say they believe Russian autocratic dictator Putin is “a stronger leader” than President Biden. Never mind that any U.S. president is required to do pesky things like follow all laws, adhere to the U.S. Constitution, deal with an opposition party, and respect international law. Never mind that when you're a dictator you get to do pretty much whatever you want, including jail dissidents, kill journalists and your opponents, and declare yourself president for life. Whereas in a democracy, if someone doesn't want to, oh, let's say, wear a facemask during an infectious pandemic or ignore a government mandate to get vaccinated, they have the "personal choice"™ not to. Seriously, imagine trying to do that in Russia, China or North Korea, where they have especially "strong" leaders. Decrying your supposed lack of freedom doesn’t travel as well in countries that like. (Given the shockingly massive protests across Russia yesterday with 1,500 announced arrests -- likely far more -- with many of the arrests brutal, since such public protests is illegal in Russia without permission and risks not only arrest but also beating, then comparing that to the 62% GOP admiration of Putin it almost seems like there is more support for Putin by the Republican Party today than in Russia. No, not fully, of course, but it certainly has the appearance of it.) To be clear, none of this is about praising President Biden or not. It’s fair to think he’s handling things very well or not. Personally, I think he’s done a remarkable job keeping the world informed by every step Russia would be taking, creating a deeply-united NATO, and putting forth remarkably strong sanctions against Russia, with no commitment of U.S. troops going to Ukraine. But if people want stronger sanctions – or, for some reason, less. Or feel he could have acted to stop Putin better, despite it being clear Putin was going to invade, period, that’s fair, too. But that’s another discussion, another matter entirely. This is about Trump, Pompeo, Carlson and all the other "Useful Idiots" on the far-right attacking a U.S. president as being in the wrong, rather than the megalomaniacal despot invading a democratic nation where masses will die, as an invasion was mounting and then taking place. And twice as many Republicans thinking this Russian murderous dictator was a “stronger leader” than the U.S. president. And providing video fodder for Russian state TV. That’s what this is about. A friend asked me what he was missing about all the Republican support for Trump and Putin. What he was missing, I said, is that he wasn’t thinking like a fascist. The sense I get is that these on the far-right think anything critical of Biden will be good for them. And maybe they think that some of the sanctions will bring, in return, Russian sanctions that will hurt the public here, and that’s good for them because maybe people will be mad at President Biden, and not Vladimir Putin who is the one invading a democratic nation. Mind you, it’s horrible, anti-American thinking when it comes to foreign policy and a war, but “horrible thinking” is today’s GOP brand. I also said that in the short run there might possibly, maybe be an approval hit on Joe Biden because all this with Russia and Ukraine is still sort of, kind of in the early stage. But as the reality of what Russia is doing, and that a democracy in Ukraine is fighting for its life in a war where tens of thousands, maybe a hundred thousand people are dying, and all the NATO allies are closely united, then (I think, and hope) that what Trump and Republicans and right-wing will come back to haunt them profoundly. I think. But whatever happens, this Republican love of Putin is sick, reprehensible and fascist. But that’s so much of today’s Republican Party leadership, the far-right media and the base of the party, as well. Whether they're "Useful idiots"...or just the normal kind. We're heading back to the ice. But for good reason -- this is great fun. In 2020, NBC figure skating analysts Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir watch and analyze her performance from the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics when she won the Gold Medal – 22 years earlier, at the age of 15. And beyond the commentary, we get Lipinski’s insights on what she was thinking at different moments of the skate. One detail I found fascinating. At one point, she mentions that her routine was choreographed by Sandra Bezic. Well, when Lipinski and Weir were promoted to be NBC’s #1 figure skating analysts, they replaced Scott Hamilton and…Sandra Bezik! Yes, I know there is a major news story breaking on Wednesday night. But I also know that I try not to wait until the late evening to start writing my articles for the next day. And in this case, I also already wrote my piece for today and scheduled it for posting. People for more expert than me can deal with the immediate news, and I'll get to it tomorrow, hopefully. But for now, we'll go with what I have -- and jump in at night to add this bit of explanation. Fortunately, I think it has at least some relation. The Republican Party's 70-year War on Education builds a foundation of the party turning aside facts and reality and science and the "Main Stream Media" (meaning the actual news) which ultimately results in following fascist leaders who praise the autocratic leader of our longtime enemy who is attacking a democratic and freedom-loving nation. (Lest one think that is hyperbole, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that 62% of Republicans and GOP-leading independents say Russian autocratic dictator Putin is “a stronger leader” than President Biden. Never mind that when you're a dictator you get to do pretty much whatever you want. Whereas in a democracy, if someone doesn't want to wear a facemask during an infectious pandemic, they have the "personal choice" ™ not to. Imagine trying that in China or Russia.) So, while this article below today isn't about the breaking news, it is part of the story that helps inform how one party is reacting to it all. Which brings us to what I had prepared. And that is -- As I wrote yesterday, after reading an article in the Arizona Republic on two leading Republican politicians in the state making monumental tirades against teachers (among other things, calling the “education terrorists” and calling the teacher’s union “a scourge on our society”) it brought to mind two articles I wrote on the Huffington Post over a decade ago, about the Republican Party's long-running "War on Education." I posted the first one yesterday, and here is the second. In fact, although written over a decade ago, it’s so up-to-date that (to my surprise) it even mentions Trump. And has a spectacularly prescient quote from the legendary historian Will Durant...written over 50 years ago. (Showing yet another reason why Will Durant is legendary.) As I noted, the GOP War on Education hasn’t abated at all, with recent attacks on doctors and science, vaccines, pandemics, Climate Change, and the teaching of racism in America, along with banning books in school libraries, and GOP-backed state laws to sue schools for teaching things that make children uncomfortable, and more. Never mind that math makes children uncomfortable. Revisiting these two articles from a decade ago makes spot-on clear that this is an ongoing issue from the Republican Party and will not be passing away anytime soon. (Keep in mind that when the article notes "60 years," remember that this was written more than a decade ago.) I decided to post both articles since, although they overlap one another, they also address slightly different points, so they serve as companion pieces, written eight months apart. Here then is the second of the two, written December 1, 2011. The War on Education
Several years ago, a conservative fellow I was talking with got into a lather about a criticism he often heard. “Why is it,” he asked, “that liberals always say that Republican politicians aren’t smart?” I politely avoided the quick answer. Besides, it wouldn’t have explained things properly. The truth is that “Republican politicians” aren’t remotely stupid. And there are plenty of Democratic politicians who are head-banging idiots. That doesn’t mean the ball field is equal. It’s not. And conservatives only have themselves to blame for the rules they wrote and have been playing by for over half-a-century: You Can’t Trust Really Smart People, Education Gets in the Way of Common Sense, Science is the Enemy of Religious Faith, College is for Over-privileged Elitists, Facts Matter Less Than What You Believe. Those are the familiar rules that Republicans created. But it’s only the starting point. Because after making the rules, they played the game. When Adlai Stevenson ran again Dwight Eisenhower for president in 1952, the big criticism that Republicans launched against Stevenson was that he was “an egghead.” Meaning, he was much too smart to be trusted. When John Kennedy was elected president in 1960, Republicans disparaged him for filling the White House with his “Harvard Mafia.” Meaning, there were all these people so smart they were scary dangerous. After Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968, he put college students high on his Enemies List. Meaning…well, that one’s pretty obvious. Especially considering that troops were later sent onto the campus of Kent State, and four students were shot dead. In 1988, the first George Bush campaigned for president as “the education president” – yet in a speech to service workers in Los Angeles explained it wasn’t necessary to go to college. This was an absolutely valid position, but spoke volumes from a leader supposedly promoting education. When the second George Bush was president, he trumpeted his “No Child Left Behind” program – and then under-funded it, leaving those very schoolchildren far behind. In 1996, the Republican Party platform stood for abolishing the Department of Education. Last year, 111 Republican senators, congressman or national candidates were on record to abolish the Department of Education. This only touches the surface of the ground-and-air war against education that conservatives have been playing. A relentless pounding against the importance of education, to reject facts, ignore history, dismiss science. To mistrust the news media. When information is diminished, it requires needing to rely on others. It demands having faith that others will lead you safely. Indeed, it is no accident that conservative politicians court the religious right as their party’s base. Religion is centered on belief, on unquestioning faith. And that is the path to unquestioning faith in everything. It is no wonder that New Yorker author Ron Suskind reported a Bush White House official ridiculing those who live in “the reality-based community.” It is no wonder that the far right dismisses the science of global warming. And when science offers the breadth of cures from stem-cell research, we saw the far right fight the science. And it is no wonder that conservatives cry to see Barack Obama’s report card, hoping the mere suggestion will demean his impressive education that includes being elected president of the Harvard Law Review and graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. If one doubts this, consider that you never heard Republicans demand to see George Bush’s college report card. Or called for the report cards of John McCain – who graduated 894 out of 899 students at the Naval Academy. Or insisted that Ronald Reagan release his report cards from Eureka College, where he did theatricals. Yet Republicans made Ronald Reagan a conservative god. And it had zero to do with his education. And y’know, it didn’t even have as much to do with his conservative credentials, given how often he raised taxes, massively increased the national debt, signed a bill for amnesty to illegal immigrants and, as governor, signed an abortion rights bill. He might not be able to get past the primaries if he ran today. Many conservatives don’t realize all these things about Mr. Reagan’s politics, but then…well, that’s the whole point of education, which teaches you how to learn such quaint things. But when you are told for half-a-century that you can’t trust smart people and science, you end up with a party that lays itself open to a leadership vacuum. And so, at one time or another, we get Donald Trump, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, a pizza guy and even Sarah Palin leading the pack for the Republican nomination. And now Newt Gingrich, who, as Paul Krugman put it, is a “stupid man’s idea of what a smart person sounds like.” No doubt, some will be up in arms by how supposedly-elitist this all is. Of course, wanting everyone to be as educated as possible is the exact opposite of elitism. But then, calling others “education elitists” is one of those standard conservative rules to demean education. Which proves the point. Which brings us back, finally, to my conservative acquaintance wondering why liberals always say that Republican politicians aren’t smart. The problem is that he was looking at the wrong thing. This isn’t a matter of who is smart. There will always be people much smarter than you, me and even the smart people. Reading about a Francis Bacon, Voltaire, Galileo, Denis Diderot or Benjamin Franklin can only make one feel breathtaking awe. Republicans and Democrats are both bright and foolish. What this is about is the intentional, driven campaign for 60 years of Republican Party leadership to intentionally downgrade the importance of education. And what results from that when a party does such a thing to itself. In short, it’s simple: if you don’t want to be angered when your candidates are perceived as less than brilliant, then promote brilliance. Don’t make it your platform to abolish the Department of Education. Don’t claim that opinion supplants fact. Ultimately, though, there is something far more important at issue than mere politics. Will Durant, with his wife Ariel, wrote the legendary Story of Civilization. Eleven volumes, over 8,000 pages of discovery that remains today insightful, even-handed and remarkable. And after they finished, they put together The Lessons of History. Written over 40 years ago, in 1968, its perception is as fresh as any news headline you will read. “Democracy is the most difficult of all forms of government, since it requires the widest spread of intelligence, and we forgot to make ourselves intelligent when we made ourselves sovereign. Education has spread, but intelligence is perpetually retarded by the fertility of the simple. A cynic remarked that ‘you mustn’t enthrone ignorance just because there is so much of it.’ However, ignorance is not long enthroned, for it lends itself to manipulation by the forces that mold public opinion. It may be true, as Lincoln supposed, that ‘you can’t fool all the people all the time,’ but you can fool enough of them to rule a large country.” The other day, I wrote about and also posted a video here of the famous, ethereally remarkable Gold Medal-winning performance by Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, when they skated to “Bolero” getting near-perfect marks. It turns out that they recreated this 30 years later in 2014 for a British TV competition series, Skating on Ice. They weren’t competing themselves, but it appears to have been a special performance within the show. They don’t appear initially, but the opening “costume ball” choreography does a very good job hiding their arrival and then revealing them to audience. At first, the studio audience doesn’t seem aware who is there on the ice, but once the “Bolero” music begins to play and the skater stand, you can hear people start to catch on. Both skaters are in the mid-50s at the time. And they impressively remain impeccable. I’m pretty sure that this was a slightly-trimmed version from the original, about a minute shorter than the initial 4-1/2 minutes. This is an incredibly clever trick that the New Times had in its Sunday crossword puzzle on February 6. There was an across-clue "The better of two sci-fi franchises", and whatever you answered -- Star Wars or Star Trek -- the down-clues that crossed through your answer were written in a way that there were two different answers, both of which fit. Remarkable.
|
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
Categories
All
|
© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2024
|