Among the many lessons one might take away from the public spectacle that was the Republican Primary, lives the following proverb, of sorts (as it is not written in II Corinthians):
The Lord allows for but
One Counterpuncher.
All others, sayeth god,
are False Counterpunchers
and
should be stoned by the congregation.
One Counterpuncher.
All others, sayeth god,
are False Counterpunchers
and
should be stoned by the congregation.
Here, in the United States, we who dared ... we. at least, who possessed the Gastro-Intestinal Fortitude to follow the near-24-7 run-up to the Republican Convention ... bore witness to the behaviors of a wealthy man (one with the Power that Wealth Bestows) verbally beat up on his competition and explain these behaviors as the expected result of being Treated Unfairly. We heard his claim that his many, many insults, rumors and innuendos were all expectable reactions to his having been treated Unfairly ...
"I love everybody
but
I AM The Counterpuncher!"
but
I AM The Counterpuncher!"
DT showed little fancy footwork but repeated arguments in favor of Reactive Countermeasures, that is, Shots to the Head of:
The Rigged RNC,
The Nauseating Weakness of a Bush,
Lying Ted whose Dad "could -- I suppose -- be" a President Killer,
Corrupt Hillary who encouraged her Husband's infidelities,
Little Marco and his funny shoes,
The Misrepresenting News Agencies and their Menstruating Newscasters,
Carson's Questionable Kingdom Hall Christianity, and
Obama's Unwavering UnAmericanism.
All the while, this Singular Man presented himself as the One, the Only, the Greatest, and the Most Successful and indubitably the Great Solution Finder who could solve all the problems that the West faced, including the need to vanquish all enemies of the US of A and Being the Greatest Deal Broker on trade deals with China ... like nobody has done before.
Many are those who have demonstrated the shifting sands on which Trump's edifice ... his claims to the throne ... is built. I'll be satisfied to fascinate about this notion that one's acts of aggression appear in and only appear in response to nastiness coming from the outside ... from the Other.
Let me start with some examples.
1. The abusing spouse in a bad relationship, for instance, claims that (s)he would never have beaten or verbally abused or shot or left their partner had the partner not been such a you-name-it. Tit-for-Tat, you know!
2. The bar-room-brawler woulda nevah started that fight had Johnnie not taken m'chair.
3. The screaming parent would absolutely never have screamed the way they did had the kid handed in his homework on time or taken their plate from table to sink.
4. The road-rager would nevah have smashed his truck into that little convertible, had the rich old bastard in the car not placed two fingers to his lips and appeared to have said: kiss-to-ya, Baby!
5. We all know that the cheating spouse would never have done so had their partner been a better partner.
6. And on a much grander scale, one Country would never-ever invade their neighbor gratuitously ... without reason.
I've long found it fascinating that the Old Testament includes no record of any one taking responsibility for their actions until Genesis 37 ... two thirds of the way through that book on the World and its Begats. And then, it is only when the Tamar is about to be stoned that Judah, the father of her two dead husbands, utters the words:
Adam blames Eve for dinner ... Cain owns up to no responsibility for whacking Abel ... Abraham never apologizes for putting his wife or at least her honor in jeopardy by his repeated lies ... Isaac never apologized to Jacob ... Rebekkah never to Esau ... for showing favoritism to the other twin ... and Jacob shows no remorse for tricking his Brother and Father. Sad, aye?
Anyhow! No such variance offered -- this past week -- by DT for his Good Budd, Lyin' Ted, Putative Son of one of JFK's Conspiratorial Assassins. DT goes after Cruz's wife, accuses him not of Lying but of being the Biggest Liar Ever in Politics, and then does his signature thing ... starting rumors.
It's been a familiar game with DT ... the whole Birther Thing, for instance. Or Hillary Clinton as enabler.
So, along comes Cruz whose policies and demeanor are neither comfortable for me. Ted doesn't or, if you like, refuses to endorse this "Little Orange Man" (as he has been described by Elizabeth Warren ... errr ... Pochahontis, I mean). And note, his behavior is viewed by what appears to be a large chunk of Republicans as cavalierly and gratuitously aggressive. ... worthy of condemnation and labels of party infidelity.
So lemme get it, Donald, m'Boy. Your aggression is reactive ... Ted's is cavalier. You attack his wife's and father's decency and it's reactive. Sen. Cruz advises people to vote their conscience and the Party comes down on him like he just farted in church. I could go on but I hope I've offered-up the idea that at least some organizations accept but One Counterpuncher and see all others as fonts of gratuitous aggression ... that is, aggressive behavior that's neither catalyzed by the other's destructive actions nor, therefore, justified.
BTW ... As to the claim that Kaisich and Cruz and Bush failed to live up to their signed pledge ... I'm not trained in the Law but it seems quite apparent to me that if a customer orders a hamburger in MacDonald's and while it's being cooked up begins to call me a Suck-Ass-Pig, my obligation to give him his piece of dead bull and the Bull's Grieving Mother's Curdled Milk with yesterday's Greens might be called into question.
I feel sad that Ruth Bader Ginzburg felt it incumbent upon her and her office to draw-back her (may I call it) Political Incorrectness in her description of this man who disavows any need for PC, who promises all and shows nothing but bravado and nastiness. I feel sad that good people in the Republican Party are willing to support such a man as Donald Trump in the name of party unity.
**********************
I fear a World led by a Snake Oil Salesman ... Meantime? I got dem Ole DT Blues!
Let me start with some examples.
1. The abusing spouse in a bad relationship, for instance, claims that (s)he would never have beaten or verbally abused or shot or left their partner had the partner not been such a you-name-it. Tit-for-Tat, you know!
2. The bar-room-brawler woulda nevah started that fight had Johnnie not taken m'chair.
3. The screaming parent would absolutely never have screamed the way they did had the kid handed in his homework on time or taken their plate from table to sink.
4. The road-rager would nevah have smashed his truck into that little convertible, had the rich old bastard in the car not placed two fingers to his lips and appeared to have said: kiss-to-ya, Baby!
5. We all know that the cheating spouse would never have done so had their partner been a better partner.
6. And on a much grander scale, one Country would never-ever invade their neighbor gratuitously ... without reason.
I've long found it fascinating that the Old Testament includes no record of any one taking responsibility for their actions until Genesis 37 ... two thirds of the way through that book on the World and its Begats. And then, it is only when the Tamar is about to be stoned that Judah, the father of her two dead husbands, utters the words:
She is more righteous (in this matter) than I. .... צדקה ממני
Adam blames Eve for dinner ... Cain owns up to no responsibility for whacking Abel ... Abraham never apologizes for putting his wife or at least her honor in jeopardy by his repeated lies ... Isaac never apologized to Jacob ... Rebekkah never to Esau ... for showing favoritism to the other twin ... and Jacob shows no remorse for tricking his Brother and Father. Sad, aye?
Anyhow! No such variance offered -- this past week -- by DT for his Good Budd, Lyin' Ted, Putative Son of one of JFK's Conspiratorial Assassins. DT goes after Cruz's wife, accuses him not of Lying but of being the Biggest Liar Ever in Politics, and then does his signature thing ... starting rumors.
' I mean I have no evidence that
Ted's Father was there with Lee Harvey Oswald
but I haven't heard Ted denying it.'
It's been a familiar game with DT ... the whole Birther Thing, for instance. Or Hillary Clinton as enabler.
' I mean I have no evidence that
Hillary wasn't behind Bill's thing with Monica
and I don't know how many other women
but I haven't heard Corrupt Hillary denying it.'
' I mean I have no evidence that
Hillar's e-mails didn't cost American Lives
but I haven't heard Corrupt Hillary denying it.'
So, along comes Cruz whose policies and demeanor are neither comfortable for me. Ted doesn't or, if you like, refuses to endorse this "Little Orange Man" (as he has been described by Elizabeth Warren ... errr ... Pochahontis, I mean). And note, his behavior is viewed by what appears to be a large chunk of Republicans as cavalierly and gratuitously aggressive. ... worthy of condemnation and labels of party infidelity.
So lemme get it, Donald, m'Boy. Your aggression is reactive ... Ted's is cavalier. You attack his wife's and father's decency and it's reactive. Sen. Cruz advises people to vote their conscience and the Party comes down on him like he just farted in church. I could go on but I hope I've offered-up the idea that at least some organizations accept but One Counterpuncher and see all others as fonts of gratuitous aggression ... that is, aggressive behavior that's neither catalyzed by the other's destructive actions nor, therefore, justified.
BTW ... As to the claim that Kaisich and Cruz and Bush failed to live up to their signed pledge ... I'm not trained in the Law but it seems quite apparent to me that if a customer orders a hamburger in MacDonald's and while it's being cooked up begins to call me a Suck-Ass-Pig, my obligation to give him his piece of dead bull and the Bull's Grieving Mother's Curdled Milk with yesterday's Greens might be called into question.
I feel sad that Ruth Bader Ginzburg felt it incumbent upon her and her office to draw-back her (may I call it) Political Incorrectness in her description of this man who disavows any need for PC, who promises all and shows nothing but bravado and nastiness. I feel sad that good people in the Republican Party are willing to support such a man as Donald Trump in the name of party unity.
Exodus 23: Do not go after the many to sin ... אחרי רבים לחטת
**********************
I fear a World led by a Snake Oil Salesman ... Meantime? I got dem Ole DT Blues!
