(Tagline — Interesting Quotation)
"I will tolerate one gang because that is the nature of things. A certain amount of corruption is inevitable. But if I find two gangs here when I get back, then in a couple of hours there will be no gangs here.”
That's from the best — and most underrated — film in the career of actor Bruce Willis.
Try to remember, it will be important later.
(Intro — Insightful Anecdote)
There is a saying in H-wood, that you never sign to a film because of a story but that you sign on a film because of the Director.
For Hollywood the Director (typically) has the final say on what the story will be and oh my, does the story change — even for people who you would think might be big enough to prevent it.
One instance would The Cider House Rules which is a rather good film on the whole but bears only a halfway resemblance to the novel by John Irving…becoming ever more unrecognizable the latter half.
The basic premise to be conveyed here being — the rules are the rules but who enforces the rules is the most important figure in the place.
(Plot Point One — Reversal of Topic)
Which brings us to the important matter of democracy.
Er, that would be, DEMOCRACY! (If you are at home or a reasonably noisesome place you really ought to say this aloud with the intonation of a Southern Baptist Preacher before a Church Picnic.)
According to just about everybody except myself DEMOCRACY! (see, it's fun, right?) is the most "cherished”, "inviolable”, and naturally, "sacred” thing to exist since civilization oozed onto land.
The only problem? Absolutely no one can tell you of what DEMOCRACY! consists.
DEMOCRACY! is a word used by everyone, understood by no one and which does not serve anyone.
Because, you can bet your last shekel DEMOCRACY! as fought for during WWII is but nothing at all like DEMOCRACY! as battled over during the Ukraine Conflict.
Matter of fact, let's have a little look-see how DECMORACY! has progressed over the years…
(Plot Point Two — Uncomfortable Truth Telling)
Incidentally, we are using World War Two as a benchmark not by the choice of myself, but because myself cannot turn on any "news” program without hearing some refrain of — "IT'S JUST LIKE 1939!”
Alas, back in the bad old days of Grandfather (or by this time, Great-Grandfather)…a lot of wacky shenanigans were going on!
Segregation — The whole United States military was segregated until 1948, well past the sell-date for World War Two. Until 1954 around one-fourth of states were segregated in education. It was far more than this when you toss in cities like…duh, duh, duuuuuuh…New York (yes, it was…widely).
Needless to say, some moron (probably recently arrived from perusing The Guardian) will claim this author is advocating re-segregation. Obviously, that individual needs to enroll in a "Hooked On Phonics” course.
The intent here is to say what EVERYBODY considered DEMOCRACY! in 1945 is what EVERYBODY considers anti-DEMOCRACY! in 2024.
Adult Trannyism — Now it's probably true there was SOME person who was transsexual, transgender or transvestite serving during "The Big One”…but by and large it was frowned on severely.
By the way, Sportsfans, were you ever curious why San Francisco got to be the reputed Homosexual Homeland of America? It was because Navy Regulations of the era stated when "discovered” any person evincing this behavior was to be put off immediately at the nearest available port — which on the Pacific Side of the U. S. meant San Francisco. (The more you know!)
Anyway, if homosexuality was denigrated back then, you can just about envision what transgender individuals would have to endure. Which, again, was brutal.
Today? We have the Ukraine DEMOCRACY! fighting for transgenderism with the Russia DEMOCRACY! fighting against this precept.
Which is correct? Not my business. It's not my war. But you can bet any U. S. Soldier from circa 1945 would highly likely NOT be on the side of Kiev.
Child Prostitution — True story time, Family. One of my relatives and her pals ran a woman out of town for "showing too much ankle” complete with tar and feathers. No punchline. It happened.
They eventually allowed that ankle-bearing slut back into City limits and (spoiler alert) the tramp never again showed herself off to the menfolk.
Nowadays we have pre-teens doing suggestive dances non-stop 24-hours-a-day and post-adults pretending all of this has something to do with anything other than sexual gratification.
As for our invariably intolerant troops of WWII? In their day, only slightly more "evolved” than my relation, pornography was strictly illegal. Obviously, it existed but it was widely suppressed.
To the extent child prostitution was around…sad to say that likely existed as well in an exceedingly limited manner…and if you were found pimping a little girl you got the death penalty, not always by jury.
Since then we have enlightened ourselves right into digital kiddie (clothed, for now) peep-shows on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
Infinity Illegal Invader — Basically Americans, et al, were fighting the war to keep folks out. At least, to make them safe IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES so they wouldn't be emigrating to ours.
As for the "America is a nation of immigrants” nonsense…take a look at the laws, genius. From the very FIRST LAW in 1790 until the Hart Celler Act of 1965 there was a VERY SPECIFIC type of "immigrant” allowed into America…and even in 1965 the Bankers had to lie to get it changed.
Had you shown ANYONE serving in unform in 1945 what Chicago, Detroit, Manhattan or basically ANYWHERE else would look like a few generations later they would have packed up their DEMOCRACY! kit and headed back stateside to defend the Homeland.
At present, one faction of DEMOCRACY! in Ukraine is busying itself liquidating the Slavic population in order to be replaced by Africans and Bangladeshis while an opposing faction of DEMOCRACY! in Russia is…not in favor of eradicating the Slavic race.
(Plot Point Three — Contemporary Shameful Anecdotes)
No doubt we are all far more edified and elevated than those heartless bastards of…The Greatest Generation…er, that is…okay…let's just get into the Public Opinion Polling…
Segregation — Nobody is going to say they support segregation. Except all you have to do is look at the demographics of any Inner City Pre-WWII versus Post-WWII. And while it is often said "Americans have a love affair with their cars!” it is also true that "Americans have a love affair with not being murdered!” The suburbs exist because people can no longer safely live downtown…in any downtown.
Adult Trannyism — Again, must make clear at this juncture, Your Humble Correspondent knows A LOT of very divergent folks and he DOES NOT judge them. At least, to the extent they lead their private lives without walking around with a public chip on their shoulder. Sadly, these days are more chips than a bag of Flaming Hot Doritos. What does the general public think of being blamed, named and shamed because they will not participate in someone's personal truth? They don't like it — AT ALL.
Child Prostitution — Never a popular pastime. Evidence the recent and ongoing efforts to ban TikTok. Yes, yes, yes, it's all "fashion advice” by underage "influencers” and "yacht girls”. Sure, maybe you don't have to pay if you are the blazing-haired Prince of REDACTED (*hint* *hint*) but most of these gals are advertising their wares…which are themselves…out looking for "sponsors”…again, unpopular.
Infinity Illegal Invaders — America, England, France, Germany, Italy and all points inbetween want these folks GONE. Peacefully, if possible. Other ways, if necessary. Except Big Business and Big Diversity LOVE ethic displacement. More squabbling races, less coherent activism. Everybody gets rich! Well…nobody who isn't ALREADY pretty wealthy…but they get REALLY RICH. The actual Citizens? Mostly they are starved to death by want or strangled to death while jogging.
Suffice it to say, basically no Joe in Patton's Army was in favor of ANY of these things…(and Georgie would have slapped them silly if they were!)
Yet, somehow, the DEMOCRACY! millions fought for is the DEMOCRACY! millions are against today.
(Closing — The Main Theme)
All of which is to say only this — the forms of DEMOCRACY! really do not much matter. This is especially true when DEMOCRACY! routinely makes its own rules to suit its convenience.
Segregation? Not ended by ballot. Trannyism? Protected by Court. Child Prostitution? Enabled by Business. Infinity Illegal Invaders? Repeatedly voted AGAINST, always OVERRULED by Bureaucrats.
What was "sacred” yesterday is profane today — despite the voters usually supporting or opposing whatever principle The State has now deemed to be unacceptable instead of "inalienable”.
Good or bad, right or wrong, it may be many things but it is decidedly not democracy.
So what to do when the "Rules Based Order” apparently has no other code than expediency?
Look to the Leader in Politics as you would the Director in filmmaking.
(Ooooooh, see what Somerset did there!?!)
Here are some illustrations:
Meanwhile…
Two of these guys actively hate their own Citizens.
One of these guys may not strictly abide by the rules but without doubt he supports his own People.
(Outro — Tagline Redux)
By the very nature of politics there will always be some level of corruption.
We may disagree with this reality. We may resent this reality. Yet it remains the reality.
Therefore, accepting we do not live in a pristine political world, the question for adults becomes:
Even if flawed, is the Leader someone who HELPS or someone who HURTS the majority of his People?
Perhaps, more specifically:
What sort of film do you want to live in?
A "coming-of-age” tale with all the imperfections of maturity…or a "horror” film where Mexican Zombies ravage your home before eating you alive?
Specifics do matter, but the heart of the Leader matters more.
After all, at the end there can be only one Last Man Standing.
(Ohhhh again!, did you see what he did there!?! Did you? That Guy is so clever…and they say dreamy and handsome too…*swoon*…)
Guy Somerset writes from somewhere in America, DONATE BTC TO THIS WALLET - bc1qjsczn5raldujpm250lm0asr5ssrm9g2cy625uz