Borepatch, Ethelred, and Obama
This post by Borepatch is too good and too timely not to have a "Post of Note" its own.
Comparing the disastrous reign of Ethelred the Unready to that of our current leader, Borepatch's comparisons are uncanny and spot on.
"The more people see him - at home and abroad - the less they fear him. Like Ethelred, he may have a ruthless streak, but in October - what should be the high water mark of his power and influence - he seems unready. He thinks too highly of himself but he doesn't know how to accomplish his goals, he keeps changing his goals, his enemies are increasingly confident, and he surrounds himself with unraed - bad council."Not only do you get excellent and informative commentaries from Borepatch, but you also get a great history lesson too!
Find it at: Bore Patch: Ethelred the Unready
Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...
I'm going to visit right now!
ReplyDeleteThis analogy is faulty in so many ways that it would be inappropriate to detail them all. Let me point out one or two. Let me also preface this with the claim, whether a reader of this comment wished to believe it or not, I am a lifelong conservative.
ReplyDeleteThe assertion that Obama cannot make up his mind is wrong. What was also wrong was and is the idea that when conditions change, it is wishy washy to change tactics. For example, the government of Afghanistan has shown itself to be massively corrupt through the recent election. This calls in to question whether we are promoting Democracy or simply propping up an eventual dictator. For Obama to pause and consider all options is not a demonstration of lack of resolve, but a signal of statesmanship.
The same kind of analysis could lead one to the same conclusion President Obama arrived at with regard to placing an unproven missile defense system in Eastern Europe. The Russians are now being supportive with regard to calling on Iran to abandon procurement of nuclear material that could be used for weaponizing. This was something our last President (whom I voted for twice) could never accomplish.
In conclusion, it is undeniably wrong to suggest Obama has changed goals. He is demonstrating that intelligent people change means to their ends when the landscape they are observing changes. It is my hope that conservatives will eventually figure out that we need to learn that we also must be willing to change our approach while preserving our ultimate goals and objectives. This article provides yet another example we have not yet figured this lesson out.
Albert, thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteFamily-Outdoors, it's always dicey comparing one person to another who lived a thousand years ago. However, it's indisputable that he has precious few victories under his belt, and the near future doesn't look promising for him, either.
A leader is judged by the victories he wins, on the field of battle or off. Obama has precious few of these. Compared to other recent presidents, he's no heavyweight in this respect.
But what got me thinking was the way he fails to win. The whole episode of Chicago and the Olympics is only explicable by the paragraph Albert quoted: a dangerous mix of hubris and something that's not quite incompetence, but not clearly not incompetence. This mix was what we hear clearly about Ethelred's reign, from sources like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
None of this is to claim that Obama is dumb. But it's clear that he tries to do too much, in the wrong order, and often (Chicago) for the wrong reasons. If a King is to act, he must be seen to succeed.
Your mileage may vary, void where prohibited, do not remove tag on penalty of law.
F-O,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles! Much obliged for your visit, and commentary.
I disagree with your analysis; I would site other points that I find salient, but I limit myself to a couple.
Health care: The solution is one of accountability. You're over weight, you pay your one damn insurance. You smoke you pay your own insurance. You drive without a safety belt, you pay extra insurance for that. When it is time for health care, if it arises from the above three, you either pay, or you just get what you can afford. Can't get much fairer than that.
Afghanistan: Even I, an untutored everyman, knows that scorched earth is the only language the last and largest tribal based society understands. The history of that region is replete with examples. But even the Mongols were unable to dominate/subjugate that region. If they couldn't how can we, with one hand and a foot tied behind our backs.
So, if Obama is really interested in leading, he needs to do so and quit pussy-footing around. Quite frankly I am tired of listening to the tired rhetoric of lifting everyone up. Loosely translated that means "Bend over and carry the weight for them, for they knew not what their lazy and shiftlessness would bring upon they're heads."
Best regards,
Albert
BP,
ReplyDeleteAlways a pleasure to link to you professor!
Albert
I will grant that I am weary of our past few Presidents failing repeatedly...Clinton, Bush, and perhaps in the end Obama. But I maintain that story doesn't have its final chapter written. I held on too long to the hope that Bush was not as incompetent as I should have realized far earlier and perhaps I will do so with our current President. I guess that mixture of naive optimism mixed with a willingness to stick with the possibility of something working out serves me well as a hunter and fisherman but not so well as it pertains to politics. Maybe I should stick with the former and stop worrying so much about the latter. I enjoy the hunting and fishing a lot more anyhow. Thanks for the great blog!
ReplyDelete