Dear Editor,
It appears that Americans are no longer seeking domestic tranquility and peace among nations, especially our allies. Certain media is reporting that the U.S. President is or has changed America’s policy and opinion in favor of a Federal, Semi-Presidential Republic under an Authoritarian Dictatorship.
We know a Dictatorship form of governmental control has existed since man was first born. I liken what is happening in America today to the reigns of the two French Kings Louis XIII, recognized for increasing the Power of the Monarchy, and Louis the XIV, Known as the “Sun King” for his Absolute Rule.
The Three Musketeers served under both of these Kings, and notably were not good or bad, but rather complex characters with flaws, loyal only to each other and their King. Apparently, the dark side of the Musketeers prevailed and they went to Hell.
Their New Leader, needing a group to do his bidding, somehow found a portal out of Hell for the Musketeers. Coming from Hell, they had quadrupled in number.
Satisfied he had sufficient number of Musketeers, the Leader launched an all-out war on the U.S. Intuitions that restrained him from deviating outside of established norms.
Americans, weakened by a general lack of knowledge of their Constitution; how their Republic Democracy and Bureaucracy works for them, do not ask simple basic questions regarding the Musketeers. Who is paying the Musketeers salaries, Tax Payers or Private Dollars? Are they Contract Workers; has the President designated them as Special Governmental Employees as he did with Musk? Or did Musk, Unconstitutionally, appoint them Special Government Employees?
Have they been given unbridled authority and by whom?
Wouldn’t you wish to know?
Clyde L. Younger
Watertown Resident
Thank you, Clyde! I always appreciate what you have to say.
As this is an opinion piece, I’ll just answer any misstatements of fact.
“[T]he U.S. President is or has changed America’s policy and opinion in favor of a Federal, Semi-Presidential Republic under an Authoritarian Dictatorship.”
The US has always been a Federal, (fully) Presidential Republic. The President runs the Executive branch, checked and balanced by the Legislative and Judicial branches of government. This is no less true now than when President Obama answered Congressional oversight with “I won.” The charge of “Authoritarian Dictatorship” fails utterly, in spite of media hyperventilation, just seven weeks into office.
“I liken what is happening in America today to the reigns of the two French Kings Louis XIII […] and Louis the XIV, Known as the “Sun King” for his Absolute Rule.”
President Trump (XLV/XLVII) won two (possibly three) elections, and will have served eight years in his two terms (though significantly fewer, in practical terms, due to Deep State insurrection). Neither Louis was elected, and XIV served for 72(!) years.
“The Three Musketeers served under both of these Kings […] Apparently, the dark side of the Musketeers prevailed and they went to Hell.”
The Three Musketeers is a work of fiction from 1844, in which no one went to Hell. Even as a metaphor, this makes no sense.
“Americans, weakened by a general lack of knowledge of their Constitution; how their Republic Democracy and Bureaucracy works for them…”
Americans know plenty about how their “Republic Democracy” works for them. Sometimes they vote for the auto-pen (President Biden may not have signed, approved of, or even known about many or even any of the pardons and executive orders his “signature” vouched for); sometimes they vote for the personalized Sharpie President Trump uses when signing documents—in public, on camera, while taking questions from the press. None of which President Biden did, or only rarely.
As for “their Bureaucracy”, it’s not theirs at all. It has been revealed to be a massive money laundering scheme to support far-left causes at odds with American public opinion. Good people who labor in obscurity have come forward to point DOGE toward stashes of money and caches of data hidden from scrutiny until now. The American Republic would have collapsed under its own debt—and may yet—but for the fact-finding missions of the “Musketeers”. Elon says he’s staying on until they find one trillion dollars in savings for the American people. For his effort he is repaid with arson, gunfire, and rank slander from those “defending democracy”. Put my share ($3.00) toward paying off the debt. It’s the least I can do to support Mr. Musk’s sacrifice for his adopted country.
I am always surprised by the lies and absurd ideas posted by fans of the felon president and his henchmen.
“Bureaucracy, it’s not theirs at all. It has been revealed to be a massive money laundering scheme to support far-left causes at odds with American public opinion. Good people who labor in obscurity have come forward to point DOGE toward stashes of money and caches of data hidden from scrutiny until now” there is no logic or provable fact in any of this jumble of words.
1, ” massive money laundering scheme to support far-left causes” What laundering? What scheme? And “at odds with American public opinion” What public?
“Good people who labor in obscurity have come forward to point DOGE toward stashes of money” More lies spit out for anger addicts to lap up as if it’s some success of their saving America when in fact the goal is to destroy democracy.
I could go on, but the clear fact is,
The felon president and his corrupt Republicans have declared war on democracy, women, gay people, people of other gender identities, educators, police and the rule of law not to mention respectful discorse and proper public conduct. This war is not something that can be ignored but must be confronted in every forum and every corporation that is contributing an administration engaged in this destruction of the once shinning example of freedom and security in the world known as America.
As the felon president said, when he sent an armed mob, which he had summoned on Jan. 6th, and then sent to capital hill to stop an election he leagally lost, WE must fight fight fight or you won’t have a country any more. This will not be a repeat of the rise of Nazi’s ike in the 1930’s, we will stop you.
Man, you don’t merely question authority, you declare insurrection against it! And deny a national election (three, actually: President, Senate, House). And misstate the record, but that’s your right to freedom of expression. As for the rest of it, I counsel caution. Some of those Jan 6th prisoners you and others so deplore did prison time for mere trespassing. Those few who actually were violent were held in solitary confinement. Your protesting a democratically elected government (less than two months in office) is not worth being put “in the box”.
Josh:
It’s getting sort of boring as we witness the constant whining about MAGA, DOGE – and the perennially quoted JANUARY 6!!. That’s all they got. They are angry and frustrated – hence the tirades and moaning.
Notice they have no response to the many notable failures of Biden administration. Every time I have listed them in this forum, all I get is MAGA bad, DOGE bad and, you guessed it, JANUARY 6!!!
Let’s test something, and see how they would respond to a couple of things:
Do you think that stopping the waste and corruption in the federal government is a good thing?
Do you approve of an open border policy where millions of illegal aliens invaded our country?
These are yes or no questions. Well, do you?
Let’s test something: Do you think that two ego maniacal sociopaths should be taking a wrecking ball to American institutions? That’s a yes or no question.
Every institution that humans build, whether it is a government, a corporation, a trade union, a religion or any other entity, will need reform eventually. This is simply due to human nature.
But this isn’t reform. It is wholesale destruction fueled by megalomania and bad intent. And accusing others of tirades is a bit of the pot calling the kettle black.
Amen!
Are the MUSKeteers American Citizens?
I don’t know. But if that’s what we’re asking now, it’s about time!
No. They are fictional French characters occasionally used in silly and trivial essays.
Inasmuch as I am in a special mood today, I wish to thank you, Watertown, for developing my CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. AND, I will be forever grateful for Robert Chase and John Moxley who taught me to QUESTION AUTHORITY.
Kurland (1995) suggested, “Critical thinking is concerned with reason, intellectual honesty, and open-mindedness, as opposed to emotionalism, intellectual laziness, and closed-mindedness. Thus, critical thinking involves… considering all possibilities… being precise; considering a variety of possible viewpoints and explanations; weighing the effects of motives and biases; being concerned more with finding the truth than with being right…being aware of one’s own prejudices and biases”
I find nothing in your letter to be remotely related to critical thinking. And the bit about Musketeers going to Hell is a rather odd, senseless comment.Where did you get that?
“I wish to thank you, Watertown, for developing my CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. AND […] to QUESTION AUTHORITY.”
Hear, hear, Mr. Younger. Welcome to the club. Try the Seafood Fra Diavolo. (But skip the creamed spinach unless that’s your thing.)
As a friendly warning, however, questioning authority usually elicits pointed responses. “Denier” is about as kind as it gets, but “deplorable”, “idolator”, “bitter clinger”, “semi-fascist”, even “dregs of society” is the level of answer one is likely to receive for daring to suggest that the emperor is buck naked. As the previous emperor was, at least cognitively, the past four years. My concern was at least as much personal as it was political: who could be so cruel—to the man as well as to the nation—to put Joe Biden forward as president? It served neither man nor nation well.
President Trump won two (possibly three) elections, one each after the terms of Presidents Obama and Biden. To use my own critical thinking skills (rusty as they may be), the electorate hasn’t been wholly convinced by either side. They certainly weren’t convinced by multiple farcical impeachments and political court cases against a once and future president. President Trump is the ultimate QUESTIONER of AUTHORITY. To paraphrase Grouch Marx, many people wouldn’t want to belong to a club that would have someone like him as a member. I hope you choose to stay. We are all about asking questions; we don’t judge anyone who does.