Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Oprichnina and zemshchina, American style
Before he would return from self-exile following the Lithuanian army's victory over Russia in 1564, Tsar Ivan IV demanded the creation of a special zone in Russia: the oprichnina, for loyalists. Understandable. The defeat came at the hand of a traitor prince.
The church consented. Creation of the oprichnina effectively created the zemshchina for traitors. Russia functioned as a state within a state, as Ivan the Terrible led loyalists who he gave free rein over traitor boyars from about 1565 to 1572.
Oprichnina comprised about one-third of Russia, but not always in large swaths. In places, oprichnina and zemshchina varied street by street, building by building, house by house.
In the United States today are two main camps, which underlie almost everything else in public life:
There are those who see things in black-and-white, who appeal to authority they believe is unassailable, whether it be a fundamentalist belief that the Bible is the inherent, infallible, unquestionable "Word of God" -- a useful metaphor but an unholy weapon used to bludgeon opponents if taken literally -- or a strict-constructionist view of the Constitution. Right is right, might is might, and right is might.
And there are those who know that nothing on this mortal coil is as clear as black and white, whose appeal is to reason as well as faith, to honest doubt over false certainty, who are open to the Word of God found in Scripture but impatient with the conflation of that grand, holy notion with paper, glue and ink stitched together by mortal man inspired by his high hopes but informed by his low station vis-a-vis God Almighty, and who know that a Constitution trapped in an 18th-century philosophical lockbox is a toetag for the form of governent of our fathers, rather than the license to live in freedom that they meant it to be.
That's Red and Blue America. It was never really about political party alone. But we know it's not "red state" vs. "blue state" and it never was.
It's red church vs. blue church. Red house vs. blue house. On the highways, it's red car vs. blue car. It's red judge vs. blue judge. Red lawmaker vs. blue lawmaker. Red person vs. blue person.
If anything causes the presidential election to be postponed, President Bush will be in a position to remain in office, that is, to be recalled from constitutional exile.
In a state of emergency could Tsar Bush II insist on special zones for loyalists and traitors? Oprichnina and zemshchina, American style?
Could he lead loyalists against perceived traitors, those duped, it's often thought on the Right, by intellectuals as devious as the Lithuanians who turned Russian Prince Andrei Kurbsky's head in 1564?
The template is there, in 16th-century Russia.
--ER
The church consented. Creation of the oprichnina effectively created the zemshchina for traitors. Russia functioned as a state within a state, as Ivan the Terrible led loyalists who he gave free rein over traitor boyars from about 1565 to 1572.
Oprichnina comprised about one-third of Russia, but not always in large swaths. In places, oprichnina and zemshchina varied street by street, building by building, house by house.
In the United States today are two main camps, which underlie almost everything else in public life:
There are those who see things in black-and-white, who appeal to authority they believe is unassailable, whether it be a fundamentalist belief that the Bible is the inherent, infallible, unquestionable "Word of God" -- a useful metaphor but an unholy weapon used to bludgeon opponents if taken literally -- or a strict-constructionist view of the Constitution. Right is right, might is might, and right is might.
And there are those who know that nothing on this mortal coil is as clear as black and white, whose appeal is to reason as well as faith, to honest doubt over false certainty, who are open to the Word of God found in Scripture but impatient with the conflation of that grand, holy notion with paper, glue and ink stitched together by mortal man inspired by his high hopes but informed by his low station vis-a-vis God Almighty, and who know that a Constitution trapped in an 18th-century philosophical lockbox is a toetag for the form of governent of our fathers, rather than the license to live in freedom that they meant it to be.
That's Red and Blue America. It was never really about political party alone. But we know it's not "red state" vs. "blue state" and it never was.
It's red church vs. blue church. Red house vs. blue house. On the highways, it's red car vs. blue car. It's red judge vs. blue judge. Red lawmaker vs. blue lawmaker. Red person vs. blue person.
If anything causes the presidential election to be postponed, President Bush will be in a position to remain in office, that is, to be recalled from constitutional exile.
In a state of emergency could Tsar Bush II insist on special zones for loyalists and traitors? Oprichnina and zemshchina, American style?
Could he lead loyalists against perceived traitors, those duped, it's often thought on the Right, by intellectuals as devious as the Lithuanians who turned Russian Prince Andrei Kurbsky's head in 1564?
The template is there, in 16th-century Russia.
--ER
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I don't have a comment for that. I just thought I'd tell ya so.
For people who are interested, I reckon that's interesting stuff. For most of us, though, we'd prefer to know about the trip to the casino.
I'm not askin' about money won or lost. The ultimate fare at the casino has nothing to do with slot macines or gaming tables, in my opinion, but in people-watching. Count the mullets or the tube tops. Stuff like that.
It's much more interesting than whatever you just wrote. :-)
For people who are interested, I reckon that's interesting stuff. For most of us, though, we'd prefer to know about the trip to the casino.
I'm not askin' about money won or lost. The ultimate fare at the casino has nothing to do with slot macines or gaming tables, in my opinion, but in people-watching. Count the mullets or the tube tops. Stuff like that.
It's much more interesting than whatever you just wrote. :-)
In 1999 I would have laughed at the absurbity of such a thought.
Now there are recently passed laws that would allow it to happen and two questionable presidential elections have already happened.
Still, it can't happen here. It can't happen here. It may not happen here. Surely it won't happen here.
Now there are recently passed laws that would allow it to happen and two questionable presidential elections have already happened.
Still, it can't happen here. It can't happen here. It may not happen here. Surely it won't happen here.
teditor said:
"For people who are interested, I reckon that's interesting stuff. For most of us, though, we'd prefer to know about the trip to the casino."
"All it takes for the bad guys to win, is for the good guys not to care."
---Hezekiah
"For people who are interested, I reckon that's interesting stuff. For most of us, though, we'd prefer to know about the trip to the casino."
"All it takes for the bad guys to win, is for the good guys not to care."
---Hezekiah
You’re starting to read like one of those conspiracy sites:
Hey, maybe you could rename your blog to “Leftwing Loon.”
Hey, maybe you could rename your blog to “Leftwing Loon.”
# posted by 
: 10:54 AM
: 10:54 AM
I gotta agree with Teditor: “For people who are interested, I reckon that's interesting stuff. For most of us, though, we'd prefer to know about the trip to the casino.”
I’m in the “most” crowd.
I’m in the “most” crowd.
# posted by : 10:58 AM
: 10:58 AM
I THINK I read it. I THINK I yawned a lot. I THINK I decided pooping was a better use of my time.
Don't THINK I didn't THINK through the piece. It's your blog, ER, and you can write what the hell you want to write. I don't have to like what your write or agree with it. I'll still read it.
In this case, I just didn't like what I read.
Don't THINK I didn't THINK through the piece. It's your blog, ER, and you can write what the hell you want to write. I don't have to like what your write or agree with it. I'll still read it.
In this case, I just didn't like what I read.
Read Francis Schaeffer (founder of L'Abri in Switzerland, and American Christian professor of Philosophy) in "How Then Shall We Live" - written 30 years ago, died since then - at the end of his synopsis of the progression of western philosophy he foresaw a time in the 30-year future when the western world (specifically North America)would be at a point where its citizens would sacrifice their rights and constitutional freedoms for a false sense of security and a false idea of what is important. Their fear of losing material goods and the right to leisure etc, and their complacency would blind them to the dangerous politics of that day and they would hand over all power to the state willingly, meanwhile losing their voice.
I have thought of this ever since 9/11 was turned into a fear festival with all the propaganda involved, and now with certain laws that are so vague that the government can do anything it wants to (fear of loss of property in the July 17th law, total control of all levels of gov in case of emergency), that the line is fine that divides the US as it is and was and the US as a type of dictatorship, formed in the name of keeping everyone "safe" from the "enemy" (internal and/or external).
It's not being a "leftwing loon", but being someone who is awake, lucid and who recognizes that history does indeed repeat itself.
I have thought of this ever since 9/11 was turned into a fear festival with all the propaganda involved, and now with certain laws that are so vague that the government can do anything it wants to (fear of loss of property in the July 17th law, total control of all levels of gov in case of emergency), that the line is fine that divides the US as it is and was and the US as a type of dictatorship, formed in the name of keeping everyone "safe" from the "enemy" (internal and/or external).
It's not being a "leftwing loon", but being someone who is awake, lucid and who recognizes that history does indeed repeat itself.
# posted by : 11:42 AM
: 11:42 AM
I really do hope that all this turns out to be left wing looneyness. But I'm not sure sitting here on my butt scratching my gonads and waiting to see it on CNN is a logical way to behave. I've done a lot of things in my life under a sworn duty to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. I really would like to think that they have all been worthwhile. It would trouble me some to think I killed all those people for nothing. Then again in the scheme of things a country isn't really much after all.
What the hell is it you smoke to make you come up with shit like that. You look like a fool when you try to act smarter than you really are.
# posted by : 4:24 PM
: 4:24 PM
I guess what Anon is saying is "come on down", to my Anon level. Kind of like McDonalds had to do in the 80's by just putting the pictures of the food on the cash register keys.
McErudit McRedneck, B.S., B.S., M.B.S. (Bullshit, Bullshit, More Bull Shit).
Then McAnon can understand it all.
Hell ER, I think your smart. You married Dr. ER didn't you?
McErudit McRedneck, B.S., B.S., M.B.S. (Bullshit, Bullshit, More Bull Shit).
Then McAnon can understand it all.
Hell ER, I think your smart. You married Dr. ER didn't you?
Whatever. It don't matter whether I'm "smart." What matters is whether I'm paying attention, whether I think, and whether I give a shit about something other than myself. Yes. Hell yes. And yes.
God, in prayer I ask that you damn Bush's presidency.
Without credibility. Without sense. Without honor. Without any damned excuse.
Without credibility. Without sense. Without honor. Without any damned excuse.
ER, God doesn't have to damn Bush's presidency. Bush has done that himself. Surely you don't want George himself damned.
All American Presidents alive and dead are looking at George and saying holy shit, in my worst momment I wasn't that bad. He actually said to a recent biographer that he was going to "...play the war until October or November", so that the next president will see that they have to stay in Iraq. PLAY the war?
Now here is a good time for a Sunday School lesson. God's grace extends even to George Bush, even now, after all this.
Therefore perhaps we should pray,that God will not damn George Bush, nor those of us who support or voted for him, but rather that he show the President and indeed the Vice President His full Grace and Glory by taking them into his Bosom before they kill more of our children, if it be his will to do so. Incha Allah.
All American Presidents alive and dead are looking at George and saying holy shit, in my worst momment I wasn't that bad. He actually said to a recent biographer that he was going to "...play the war until October or November", so that the next president will see that they have to stay in Iraq. PLAY the war?
Now here is a good time for a Sunday School lesson. God's grace extends even to George Bush, even now, after all this.
Therefore perhaps we should pray,that God will not damn George Bush, nor those of us who support or voted for him, but rather that he show the President and indeed the Vice President His full Grace and Glory by taking them into his Bosom before they kill more of our children, if it be his will to do so. Incha Allah.
When I was a kid, and first found out about the Holocaust, and read Anne Frank, saw the pictures etc. I struggled with why everyone didn't get out in time, or see what was happening and stop it or something, and as I got older and learned more about it (lived in Germany) and about the ways of universal (wo)mankind, I realized: some people did see and went into exile, some left, some saw and didn't care because they didn't feel personally implicated, and the masses were either willingly blind or just ignorant of a larger picture than their little individual worlds, because they only had strength enough to put bread on the table and pay the rent, and raise their children.
And it'll always be like that - but we still need those who recognize the danger and speak out prophetically and as witnesses, because later they'll all be saying "I didn't know anything about it..."
And it'll always be like that - but we still need those who recognize the danger and speak out prophetically and as witnesses, because later they'll all be saying "I didn't know anything about it..."
# posted by : 8:31 PM
: 8:31 PM
Now. I never said said a word about Geo. W. Bush is own self. His presidency, and his legacy, is not worth the trouble of us wipin' it off our boots. He's a damned snake oil salesman, and a true believer besides. Jesus.
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