Journal BlackHat's Journal: Oh is it true/There's no ground common enough for me and you 2
Welcome to the 251st year of the First World War (see OYAITJ). News, a quote (still on nationalism) and the texttoon. Same shit as usual.
Quote:
As the various revolutionary assemblies were composed in part of the same men, one might suppose that their psychology would be very similar.
At ordinary periods this would have been so, for a constant environment means constancy of character. But when circumstances change as rapidly as they did under the Revolution, character must perforce transform itself to adapt itself thereto. Such was the case with the Directory.
The Directory comprised several distinct assemblies: two large chambers, consisting of different categories of deputies, and one very small chamber, which consisted of the five Directors.
The two larger Assemblies remind one strongly of the Convention by their weakness. They were no longer forced to obey popular riots, as these were energetically prevented by the Directors, but they yielded without discussion to the dictatorial injunctions of the latter.
The first deputies to be elected were mostly moderates. Everyone was weary of the Jacobin tyranny. The new Assembly dreamed of rebuilding the ruins with which France was covered, and establishing a liberal government without violence.
But by one of those fatalities which were a law of the Revolution, and which prove that the course of events is often superior to men's wills, these deputies, like their predecessors, may be said always to have done the contrary of what they wished to do. They hoped to be moderate, and they were violent; they wanted to eliminate the influence of the Jacobins, and they allowed themselves to be led by them; they thought to repair the ruins of the country and they succeeded only in adding others to them; they aspired to religious peace, and they finally persecuted and massacred the priests with greater rigour than during the Terror.
The psychology of the little assembly formed by the five Directors was very different from that of the Chamber of Deputies. Encountering fresh difficulties daily, the directors were forced to resolve them, while the large Assemblies, without contact with realities, had only their aspirations.
The prevailing thought of the Directors was very simple. Highly indifferent to principles, they wished above all to remain the masters of France. To attain that result they did not shrink from resorting to the most illegitimate measures, even annulling the elections of a great number of the departments when these embarrassed them.
Feeling themselves incapable of reorganising France, they left her to herself. By their despotism they contrived to dominate her, but they never governed her. Now, what France needed more than anything at this juncture was to be governed.
The convention has left behind it the reputation of a strong Government, and the Directory that of a weak Government. The contrary is true: it was the Directory that was the strong Government.
Psychologically we may readily explain the difference between the Government of the Directory and that of the preceding Assemblies by recalling the fact that a gathering of six hundred to seven hundred persons may well suffer from waves of contagious enthusiasm, as on the night of the 4th of August, or even impulses of energetic will-power, such as that which launched defiance against the kings of Europe. But such impulses are too ephemeral to possess any great force. A committee of five members, easily dominated by the will of one, is far more susceptible of continuous resolution--that is, of perseverance in a settled line of conduct.
The Government of the Directory proved to be always incapable of governing, but it never lacked a strong will. Nothing restraining it, neither respect for law nor consideration for the citizens, nor love of the public welfare, it was able to impose upon France a despotism more crushing than that of any Government since the beginning of the Revolution, not excepting the Terror.
Although it utilised methods analogous to those of the Convention, and ruled France in the most tyrannical manner, the Directory, no more than the Convention, was never the master of France.
This fact, which I have already noted, proves once more the impotence of material constraint to dominate moral forces. It cannot be too often repeated that the true guide of mankind is the moral scaffolding erected by his ancestors.
Accustomed to live in an organised society, supported by codes and respected traditions, we can with difficulty represent to ourselves the condition of a nation deprived of such a basis. As a general thing we only see the irksome side of our environment, too readily forgetting that society can exist only on condition of imposing certain restraints, and that laws, manners, and custom constitute a check upon the natural instincts of barbarism which never entirely perishes.
The history of the Convention and the Directory which followed it shows plainly to what degree disorder may overcome a nation deprived of its ancient structure, and having for guide only the artificial combinations of an insufficient reason.--G. le Bon
News:
Nixon's effect? US political figures found out that there was no downside to corruption and failure.
Misled to war? There was no leadership involved. Howie was just following orders. Heh, heh!
The party that legalised apartheid in South Africa has paved the way for its extinction by joining the party that battled the racist system. The New National Party plans to fight future elections under the banner of the ruling African National Congress. As the National Party, it introduced apartheid after it came to power in 1948, denying black South Africans the right to vote. If you can't exclude them join them.
Spanish bombs again. Two small bombs have exploded in two coastal towns in northern Spain. There are no reports of injuries in the blasts which took place at about 1300 (1100 GMT) in the resorts of San Vicente de la Barquera and Ribadesella. Time to arrest 100 more; Moors, Basques and opposition party officials.
Blunkett colour blind. The Home Secretary has warned that American-style openness over the al-Qaeda threat risked exposing politicians to 'ridicule'. Hide your madness in a jar...
Mercury levels were not mentioned. Nor why [or how, surely!] a complex compound... much less a brand name... for a multi-part drug... is tested for.
So, what is wrong with the old name-- The Silly Party.
Euro - Racebaiting scores; the UK gains a quick 35 points for-- Doctors are rebelling over plans that would lead to thousands of refugees being refused life-saving treatment for HIV on the National Health Service. The Observer has learnt that specialists on a key health committee have refused to help draw up rules that would determine whether asylum seekers or other immigrants with the virus get antiretroviral drugs. One said: 'It is morally repugnant for us to have to look at someone's immigration status before giving them the treatment they need. Let's be clear about this: if they don't get the treatment, it's a death sentence.' Oh stop it. Your just encouraging them to restrict the access further.
And not too far from that point. In Slope-Slough news The dangers of cockle-picking were once again exposed yesterday after coastguards had to mount a major rescue operation to save 144 Chinese and Scottish cocklers stranded four miles from shore. Hovercrafts, helicopters and lifeboats were all dispatched to bring the cocklers back to safety at Morecambe Bay, Lancashire...
Pardon? List of who lives, dies and why in Iraq. List will likely change hourly.
On the list, off the list, makes an off list, back on others again. Ahmad Chalabi brand yo-yo's.
With Iran stepping up its nuclear program, a top White House aide said Sunday the world finally is ``worried and suspicious'' over the Iranians' intentions and is determined not to let Tehran produce a nuclear weapon. The Rice cooker is in full operation.
OYAITJ:
42057 : The First World War, Periwigs and Blogs. With over 42k JEs here just on slashdot. I note with mirth MonTemp'ies Late Edition has a BBC wank saying it is the end of Free Undirected Online Journalism. I don't think we all have worked/figured out all the good parts yet. Blogging is a new egg. Boiled or fried someone will read it! I would expect there to be many more reported Death(s)-of-Blogging soon. Which is much like the others, except he speaks in 'leet' rather than uppercase.
Texttoon:
Fumetti : Stock photo of George W. Bush. Overlayed speech bubble has him saying; "Ahmad Chalabi? Never heard of him."
Short Term Effect (Score:2)
Well, there was a short term downside to the corruption.
Some say that it was because of the disgrace of Watergate that Carter was electioned. Not that Carter didn't have his own problems. In fact he started on a small scale a few of the big human rights abuses of the Reagan years.
But the fact is by the time Carter's term was over, corruption was in full swing again. Not just full swing but stronger and m
Re:Short Term Effect (Score:2)
Republicans are acting these days, do you think I was really that bad? You are still 'teh worst ever' in my books. Tho' that just could be because you were the horror show of *my* youth.