I just read in my various notes yesterday a comment on "democracy". While just now looking it up, I found this one:
Democracy is the best political system of slavery ever invented. In a democracy, the slaves believe they are "free" and have a "voice" in their affairs. Thus, they are willing slaves and, as such, the possibility of a revolt is much less than in an overt system of slavery...There are no free people, only slaves who have more privileges than others. Even the masters are slaves to their greed and terror.
Another:
Free men are slaves who are blind to their chains.
And here's the one I was looking for
The only difference between fascism and democracy is that fascism imposes it's control on the vulgar mob, while democracy manipulates the vulgar mob into accepting it's control.
Thanks for this article. It reminds me that I have to tell my five children and my relatives about this "Zeitenwende", as the dumbest chancler in Germany's history called it - not knowing what he was talking about.
Not sure, If my people just sits there and follows the destruction of our country until the bitter end.
We are inclined to seif-destruct us with German precision.
A fine post, thank you Dr Rob! The painting at the top of your piece deserves special mention. One of a series of five entitled “Course of Empire”, this is the fourth (“Destruction”) painted by Thomas Cole (http://www.explorethomascole.org/tour/items/63/series) between 1833-36. My partner and I had the serendipitous fortune to settle into a house
less than 1/2 mile from the house where Thomas Cole lived and painted most of his canvases - about 100 miles north of NYC in a small village on the Hudson River . We were priced out of her artist loft space in Williamsburg (damn hipsters- “Artists are the shock troops of gentrification “). It wasn’t long before we became volunteers at the Cole House- conducting tours and assisting with the ongoing restoration and research. I never cared that much for American history until then and was suitably gobsmacked by the myriad advances in technology and culture taking place during his brief lifetime (he died at age 41) - coal energy, steam power (boats, trains and machinery) and the resulting destruction of Mother Nature, Abolitionist sentiment gaining favor, and a fervent devotion to Christian ideals still embracing Manifest Destiny. The Civil War (1860’s) was a brutal reality check ……..Cole was greatly admired for his artwork and writing- some call him one of the first environmentalists - but he never “got rich “ . He tutored a talented youngster from a well -to-do family named Frederick Church who became a bit of a painting ‘superstar’ and built a replica “ Moorish castle “ on a hill crest looking across the river at his mentor’s modest estate and helped find work for Cole’s son. The estate (which remained in family hands) and a modest number of paintings escaped from being devoured by art world vultures (many did get auctioned at fire sale prices) by a benefactor who enabled the creation of a nonprofit to conserve and research the house, its furnishings and papers/ documents dating back to its construction by the uncle of Cole’s wife.
Sorry if all this is a bit “TMI”, but your choice of illustration brought back a flood of memories- I haven’t been in that neck of the woods since 2014 - kinda stuck in Cali until further notice 🙄
I just read in my various notes yesterday a comment on "democracy". While just now looking it up, I found this one:
Democracy is the best political system of slavery ever invented. In a democracy, the slaves believe they are "free" and have a "voice" in their affairs. Thus, they are willing slaves and, as such, the possibility of a revolt is much less than in an overt system of slavery...There are no free people, only slaves who have more privileges than others. Even the masters are slaves to their greed and terror.
Another:
Free men are slaves who are blind to their chains.
And here's the one I was looking for
The only difference between fascism and democracy is that fascism imposes it's control on the vulgar mob, while democracy manipulates the vulgar mob into accepting it's control.
Thanks Richard - that certainly applies to what we call 'democracy'.
Thanks for this article. It reminds me that I have to tell my five children and my relatives about this "Zeitenwende", as the dumbest chancler in Germany's history called it - not knowing what he was talking about.
Not sure, If my people just sits there and follows the destruction of our country until the bitter end.
We are inclined to seif-destruct us with German precision.
A fine post, thank you Dr Rob! The painting at the top of your piece deserves special mention. One of a series of five entitled “Course of Empire”, this is the fourth (“Destruction”) painted by Thomas Cole (http://www.explorethomascole.org/tour/items/63/series) between 1833-36. My partner and I had the serendipitous fortune to settle into a house
Cont’d (sorry for interruption)
less than 1/2 mile from the house where Thomas Cole lived and painted most of his canvases - about 100 miles north of NYC in a small village on the Hudson River . We were priced out of her artist loft space in Williamsburg (damn hipsters- “Artists are the shock troops of gentrification “). It wasn’t long before we became volunteers at the Cole House- conducting tours and assisting with the ongoing restoration and research. I never cared that much for American history until then and was suitably gobsmacked by the myriad advances in technology and culture taking place during his brief lifetime (he died at age 41) - coal energy, steam power (boats, trains and machinery) and the resulting destruction of Mother Nature, Abolitionist sentiment gaining favor, and a fervent devotion to Christian ideals still embracing Manifest Destiny. The Civil War (1860’s) was a brutal reality check ……..Cole was greatly admired for his artwork and writing- some call him one of the first environmentalists - but he never “got rich “ . He tutored a talented youngster from a well -to-do family named Frederick Church who became a bit of a painting ‘superstar’ and built a replica “ Moorish castle “ on a hill crest looking across the river at his mentor’s modest estate and helped find work for Cole’s son. The estate (which remained in family hands) and a modest number of paintings escaped from being devoured by art world vultures (many did get auctioned at fire sale prices) by a benefactor who enabled the creation of a nonprofit to conserve and research the house, its furnishings and papers/ documents dating back to its construction by the uncle of Cole’s wife.
Sorry if all this is a bit “TMI”, but your choice of illustration brought back a flood of memories- I haven’t been in that neck of the woods since 2014 - kinda stuck in Cali until further notice 🙄
Interesting story - thanks. LS Lowry did a lot of painting not far from here at Berwick on Tweed.