Once again, we're treated to a historical comparison that will shed much light on our current administration's goals and actions. The more things change...?
The Sun King (Louis) vs.
the Tangerine Tyrant (Donald)
By Coast Watcher
Seventeenth century France was an economic powerhouse. By the early years of the 18th century, it was not so much. The reason isn’t hard to find.
During his long reign, King Louis Xiv of France ruled as an absolute monarch, a man who believed he answered only to God and whose will was law.
It is legal because I wish it -- Louis XIV
He pursued an aggressive foreign policy that embroiled all of Europe in wars at one time or another. Quite often the wars were motivated by Louis’ own personal vendettas and his love of conquest.
The love of glory certainly takes precedence over all others in my soul -- Louis XIV
He quarreled with the Pope and persecuted the Huguenots (French Protestants) to the extent many left the country, taking a wealth of knowledge and expertise with them. He spent lavish sums of money on his own pursuits, setting a standard of royal grandeur that earned him the sobriquet The Sun King (le soleil roi).
When Louis died in 1715, decades of war against France’s enemies had bled the country dry. The country had passed from being the most powerful in Europe to an embattled state surrounded on all sides by hostile or potentially hostile neighbors. Overseas trade had withered. Warfare had ravaged the economy. It caused a sharp decrease in the young male population whose numbers had gone to feed Louis’ voracious demand for army recruits. In the later part of his reign, a series of bad harvests led to famine. An anonymous letter written to Louis in 1695 spelled out one of the most powerful indictments of the king.
The poor on whose shoulders the burden mostly fell were more than ready for change. Inspired by philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau it would lead 74 years later to the bloody French Revolution that saw the execution, by guillotine, of Louis’ grandson, King Louis XVI.Your people are dying of hunger. All France is one great poorhouse, desolate and unprovided. -- Attributed to Archbishop Fénelon.
Back then, England took over as the leading power in Europe. With the wealth and overseas territories acquired in wars against France, and the previously mentioned knowledge and expertise gained from French Huguenot refugees, England went on to rule an empire that spanned the world.
Fast forward to the present day: We have a United States that is an economic powerhouse. Over the last seventy years it has embroiled the whole world in wars at one time or another. Many of these, along with their near-cousin, the eponymous regime change, have been motivated by personal vendettas and love of conquest on the part of members of the American government. The military budget was a bloated, obscene $1.6 trillion in 2015.
It’s not hard to see parallels between Trump and King Louis XIV. Trump has luxuriated in the trappings of wealth his whole life. He has a love of posturing and of grandeur in his personal abodes. You only have to look at photos of Trump’s Manhattan apartment with its tacky gold walls and overblown décor to see similarities with Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles. Trump also seems to think he can rule by the Divine Right of Kings. Witness the plethora of presidential orders signed within hours of his backside hitting the chair in the Oval Office.
Trump and his GOP allies claim America is surrounded by enemies on all sides. To that end, they sustain existing military campaigns in foreign countries, wars that do nothing but kill and maim thousands of innocents while generating unimaginable wealth for the military-industrial complex. If real enemies exist, and not those that live only in fabricated news stories, it’s because these never-ending wars have created such hatred for America.
The regime even hopes to launch new campaigns in Syria, Iran, North Korea and – God help us all – China and Russia. Shades of France at the peak of her glory. Much like then, I suspect when the tide sets against America it will run strong and fast.
Poverty is rising to unprecedented levels. More and more people are being forced to work longer and longer hours for less than minimum wage. Although devastatingly bad harvests may be a thing of the past, increased agribusiness use of chemicals and GMO crops are already causing a serious deficiency in the national diet. Student debt is crippling young people. Numbers of them are forced to sign up for Trump’s military adventures in the hopes of getting the benefits of the G.I Bill –- benefits which the GOP are busy cutting to shreds, along with specialist medical and psychiatric programs for those military personnel who return from action broken in mind and body.
And this man, this PresidentTrump, has the nerve to say he’ll “Make America Great Again.” You can almost hear the ghost of King Louis XIV whispering: “I wanted to make France great!”
[Editor's update: As of yesterday, 7/17/2017, the number of civilian deaths abroad attributed to American military action passed the 2,000 mark. Trump has killed more people during his short tenure as President than Obama did in eight years.]
[Editor's update: As of yesterday, 7/17/2017, the number of civilian deaths abroad attributed to American military action passed the 2,000 mark. Trump has killed more people during his short tenure as President than Obama did in eight years.]
BIO: Coast Watcher can't help but see parallels between the current administration and another one that eventually underwent the guillotine. As a Brit living abroad, he sees through a lot of the American mainstream media lies and wants to share his insights with others. Vive la revolucion!
***
Hmm, it sounds delicious, doesn't it? Perfect on a hot summer's day, right? Wonder why Trump supporters don't like custard and orange?
If they took exception to a dessert, what would they make of this Trekkie reference?
Orange Fool? How about this creative bit of name-calling by the Scots... (Warning: Adult language)
Nobody beats the Scots in inventive epithets, do they?
*** Tell your Congressperson to Condemn the FCC and Net Neutrality!
And now a letter and a resolution from a young activist speaking out against the tyranny of the FCC's recent ruling on Net Neutrality. Here's what Eddie has to say about his letter:
Dear Senate Majority Leader McConnell:
Our nation is in a current state of massive division and hatred toward one another. As someone who has lived for 16 years, I have seen how the recession has hit our nation hard, especially in my family with my mother being laid off from Wells Fargo at the turn of the crisis. I've seen the resilience and stand people have taken to help protect our nation after 9/11. I've also seen the numerous benefits of being in the age of a free web.
As someone who uses the internet for work every day as a fire department clerk, a free and non-obstructed web is something that helps me in my work. At home, I read and buy, and engage in the benefits of capitalism in many parts of the online buying scene. As someone who is an activist, I use the internet to organize marches, push issues and candidates. I've been able to do this all this time because of the Title II protections under the Telecommunications Act.
Our Constitution guarantees people to engage in free will and free expression on whatever platform it may be.
With the repeal of Title II Protections, with the erroneous course the Federal Communications Commission is taking, we'll very much see the freewill to engage soon gone. Our Internet Service Providers will most likely charge extra to only engage on the things they believe we should engage in. ISPs will be free to block websites if it doesn't fit their views and slow down websites if that domain is not paying enough to be put in a fast lane.
With the repeal of Title II Protections, with the erroneous course the Federal Communications Commission is taking, we'll very much see the freewill to engage soon gone. Our Internet Service Providers will most likely charge extra to only engage on the things they believe we should engage in. ISPs will be free to block websites if it doesn't fit their views and slow down websites if that domain is not paying enough to be put in a fast lane.
I believe if you were a reasonable conservative, you would be furious at what Ajit Pai has done and be ready to put a Joint Resolution disapproving the FCC's action immediately.
A real conservative wouldn't let some random people control what people want to do with their lives online. Since the people's freedom on the internet is protected by the Constitution since it is free speech. If the GOP Caucus is for the Constitution, they would not allow these ridiculous actions to go through.
Mr. McConnell, laws passed in the United States Senate affect my life and my nation. I pay taxes and work to ensure fires are prevented. I demand you fight for net neutrality and come to your senses about this issue and stop taking money from these companies that want to kill Title II protections. I am disappointed in how silent or how anti-Net Neutrality you and your caucus is. When more than 90% of these United States support Title II protections, it says something on how much of a hypocrite you and your caucus members are. The GOP said they were going to support what the people support. You have done nothing and very often everything the people are against in favor of your corporate donors. Shame on you senator, shame.
If you want the people to be on your side, I demand you and Congress disapprove of the actions of Ajit Pai and what the FCC is doing. If you are a true servant of the people and believe in the Constitution, you will submit and pass the joint resolution below.
Do the right thing and be on the right side of history.
Sincerely,
Eduardo Alvarado
This post first appeared on Our Revolution Continues -- The Bernie, please read the originial post: here
