Unassuming Franklin

[eggwards]

I kind of feel like this guy today.

With all the rain we've been having, he safely moved from the pond behind the building at work to the front walkway.

Couple of notes today.

➠ I need to go find the Kwik-E-Mart in town. Given that 7-11 started in Dallas, it's no suprise that one of the Simpson Movie tie-in stores is here. I wish i was more excited about the Simpsons movie, though. All those years on TV, so much of it feels like a re-tread to me.

➠ Well, there's never a real surprise with the Bush administration - well, maybe that he let the fines stick for now, just taking away Scooter's prison sentence. Don't worry, when the heat dies down, Scooter will get the full pardon. It's nice to know the administration is consistent for making sure the loyalists will reap the rewards, even if you are just a fall guy.

What kind of world is it where a person convicted of perjury (correction, obstruction of justice - sorry) in the case of divulging state secrets serves no time, while a celebutard manages to at least serve time for driving without a license?

➠ I'm almost finished with a book on Benjamin Franklin. Over the last couple of years I've read a lot on Revolutionary war figures, Adams, Washington, Jefferson and now Franklin. I guess i wanted to understand more about the founding fathers, and see if I can come to my own conclusion as what they wanted this country to be. Here's one thing, Adams was the most devout, and he didn't go to church often. Let's just say these guys were very tolerant, and not very observant of religion, despite what's said about the forming of our nation.

Franklin though seems less put upon a pedestal, perhaps because he wasn't president, but more that he seemed like the kindly grandfather to the whole process. He was certainly more folksy and didn't try to show that he was a great thinker even though he was one of the most influential people in both science and letters of his day.

Still, he seems funny, more of a clown with clever witticisms than the others, mainly because he was very quotable, where the others were more long winded. Still, we owe a lot to the man, not only from his inventions and work on such things as ballooning and the foundations of modern electrical use, but his ability (and well-traveled-ness) to see the nation as a whole, and not just 13 separate colonies and later states. Outside of kings, he was pretty much the most famous man in the world at the time of his death, having spent time in both the new and old world.

I'm not sure there's another Revolutionary War figure I really want to read about now. i think i have my opinions down, and i know the major players. what i do know is the slow build up in executive branch power over the last six years would have alarmed the founding fathers as much as it should alarm us.

Comments

[teddyb.livejournal.com]

I wish more Americans would do the reading you've been doing about the Founding Fathers. I know I got a whole lot greater appreciation for who they were, what they thought and what an amazing thing they created in establishing the American form of government and the US Constitution when I did more study of them after what I'd learned in my school days.

I'm willing to bet that if more Americans were more familiar with this history, people would be a lot more pissed off and would be demanding better government now than what we have. (I say "we" because, even tough I am now also a Canadian citizen and live in Canada, I was born an American and will always be an American, although I'm ashamed to say so after hearing about the Libby deal today.)

I love reading about Ben Franklin. He was such an amazing man, and many of his pithy quotes are as relevant today as they were when he wrote them.

[furrytxcub.livejournal.com]

I am mildly curious about that historical era. Are there any good biographies you'd recommend? It can't be dull and dry or I'll never get through it.

I can read just about anything about Broadway and never get bored...but with almost anything else, it can be quite a challenge.

[blackwingbear.livejournal.com]

Time for another revolution, I say..

[blackwingbear.livejournal.com]

I recommend DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY. It's fascinating.

[furrytxcub.livejournal.com]

That looks intriguing. Thank you, sir! I'll make a trip to Half Price Books tomorrow. :)

[blackwingbear.livejournal.com]

It was the book that "woke me up" to the history of people-manipulating-people that America truly has.

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

I guess that would be the other side of it. Hamilton, born in the West indies was the original overachiver looking to creat a new Monarcy and drastically extend the power of the Federal government. He really was what makes a modern politician,isn't he?

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

Lets see if I can ger the names of all of them...

Benjamin Franklin, An American Life by Walter Issacson
A good look at Franklin and his times. Franklin is entertaining just because of the little stories he came up with, often very persuasive, pointed stories ment to change opinion. Also, he was the most flirtations.

John Adams by David McCullough
Adams is reviered by his fellow founders, but adams abrasive attitude and high and mighty airs piss off many people. The French hated him, while they loved Franklin. The book is deep, mainly because Adams and his wife Abigail wrote each other constantly (see the Broadway Musical 1776).

American Sphinx by Joseph J Ellis
The author looks into why Thomas Jefferson had such an impact (often the counter to John Adams' bombast, but yet was a very silent, solitary figure who had greatness thrust upon him. He seems to be the most reluctant founding father to serve.

His Excellency by Joseph J Ellis
George Washington was a millitary man and farmer. He's lauded by his peers, but seemed very unsure of himself as a leader, and certainly as a leader of a new Federal government, yet when people asked him to become their new king, he was more than happy to step down. Also has more of a military account, as the others were politicians and envoys, not generals.

If you want more of a one book overview of it all, try 1776 by David McCullough.

If you want to borrow a book, I have all but the George Washington book at the house. They aren't easy reads, especially the Jefferson, but there's many good tales in them.

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

I'm going to disagree. The governmental system is still worthwile, but it needs a really good cleaning. There needs to be a bigger version of the Clinton Gore cost cutting effort, looking at governmental waste in all aspects of government. No sacred cows, period. If it doesn't work, fix it or get rid of it.

The problem isn't the system, but the people in it. When it takes 100 million dollars to run for president, you know the way we have people run for these offices is f-ed up. How can you have someone raise 100 million dollars and not be beholden to party, orginizations and special interests? You can't.

The founding fathers were split on the question of only letting weatly landowners run for office, but people like Franklin battled against that, realizing that the rise of the middle class was what brought America to independence. How shcocked they'd bee seeing that it is truly the wealthy who've taken over and rule without concern to how things affect the middle and lower classes.

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

Franklin was truly the everyman, and I think that facinates people. He wasn't a priviledged landowner when he started, but he represents more of the American Dream of hard work and building himself up. By the end of his life he's a very wealthy man for America, but he seemed to be humble about it...though he did enjoy his fame. I don't think many Americans know the work he did in France, or that he signed the four most important documents in the founding of our nation, The Declaration, The treaty with France, The peace treaty with Britain and the Constitution.

As for better government, as long as it doesn't intrude into their lives, people are happy to not worry about it, but they don't know how much it does affect them. There's a numbness that people are happy about here.

just think, if they re-instituted a draft to keep the Iraq war going (and we're getting close to that inevitability), the 70's style protests at all colleges will be back in full force. It's easy now to turn the other way when we're relying on a volunteer and mercinary army.

[rafdfw.livejournal.com]

The Quick E Mart is supposed to be at Hillcrest and Northwest Hwy, near Northpark Mall. I was going to try and go there tomorrow, but it may have to wait until the weekend.

[blackwingbear.livejournal.com]

At this point, can it truly be 'cleaned'?