Monday, January 11, 2010

Aristos v. Murdock Part I

My friend "Howling Mad" Murdock posts recently on how the recent string of presidents have degraded the office--Obama, he adds, is no exception--, but that he is nostalgic for a time when people at least respected the office of the president.

He is the symbol and spokesperson for us. And because of that he deserves a modicum of our respect and support.


I disagree.

Respect is not something that anyone deserves automatically, especially just because of that person's station in life. That's old-school monarchical/oligarchical thinking.

No, a man deserves respect because he conducts himself in a respectful manner.

Anyone who is clearly a liar and a hypocrite deserves not an ounce of respect, be he a stranger on the bus, a colleague, a priest, or even the president of the United States.

If Murdock wants me to respect a president, then I ask for a respectable president. Until then, I and everyone else should call it like we see it.



By the way, take a look at some of the criticisms of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson during their political contest in 1800. So much for Murdock's nostalgic "When I was a boy, people respected the president..."

3 comments:

  1. I wasn't alive back in the 1800's, but maybe Golf Guy could shed some light for us.

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  2. Golf Guy10:10 PM

    I'm gonna go with Murdock on this one. If it looks like he needs some help I might chime in.

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  3. Both of you guys make valid points. So let's put them together for an even stronger argument: Aristos, you know Article II of the U.S. Constitution inside and out, so you compare what the President SHOULD do with what he actually does, and that displeases you. Biobandit, you feel that a president's race and religion should be left out of a critique of the man's job performance. When we look at presidents in the last 150 years, we don't see much of what Dr. Ron Paul (Aristos's pick)promised he would do if elected president. Any president that continues to follow the precedent of assuming powers beyond Article II loses the respect of Aristos (and myself, though not as viciously). Most Americans, our parents included, don't have the same standards that Aristos imposes on the Chief Executive. They want a figurehead, a demi-god of American superiority to stoke the flames of their lingering Manifest Destiny. Everybody wants "their guy" and to feel like somebody powerful is on their side. So kids are subjected to either grandiose praise or scathing criticism, depending on which side of the election their parents' votes landed.

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