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Tag Archives: scapegoating

Suing President Obama: Related Posts

04 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by michelinewalker in Art, United States

≈ Comments Off on Suing President Obama: Related Posts

Tags

Debussy, harassment, Henri Matisse, Mr. John Boehner, obstructionism, President Barack Obama, scapegoating, Suite bergamasque, United States

 
Branch of Lilacs, by Henri Matisse, 1914

Branch of Lilacs, by Henri Matisse, 1914 (Photo credit: WikiArt.org)

My sincere apologies to anyone who found my last post offensive.

My post was not offensive, nor was it subversive. However, this new event invites serious reflection on a number of issues. Among these, the numerous attacks on the President of the United States. These point to behaviour that cannot be considered reasonable and acceptable. There are rules of conduct that preclude harassment.

I hope sincerely President Obama did not abuse the power vested in him. I doubt that he has. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the United States’ military, but he is not belligerent.

My post entitled “Suing President Obama” contained a list of related articles. This list disappeared. My computer is no longer stable. It sometimes erases part of what I have written. I think I need a birthday.

RELATED ARTICLES

  • From Manifest Destiny to Exceptionalism  (10 November 2013)
  • The Debt-Ceiling Crisis: the Aftermath (5 November 2013)
  • “The Crow and the Fox:” its Dissemination (27 October 2013)
  • La Fontaine’s “The Raven and the Fox” Updated (24 October 2013)
  • A Deal: Finally! (17 October 2013)
  • Hardline Republicans: Arrogance, Greed & Disregard for Human Life (13 October 2013)
  • A House Divided… (10 October 2013)

“Suite bergamasque, four-movement suite for piano by French composer Claude Debussy, begun in 1890, when the composer was a student, and revised and published in 1905. Its most readily recognizable segment is the third movement, the ever-popular Clair de lune (“Moonlight”).

The work’s title derives from Bergamo, a city with ancient origins that is located in the foothills of the Italian Alps. It is traditionally considered the home of Harlequin, a standard figure of the commedia dell’arte. The first movement, Prélude, has open and flowing phrases with much use of legato phrases. The second movement, Menuet, and the fourth movement, Passepied, are quick and light-footed, more staccato in mood than the first. The gentle and familiar Clair de lune in its original context provides an elegant contrast to the sprightly second and fourth movements.”

Betsy Schwarm[I]

My kindest regards to all of you.

_________________________

[I] “Suite bergamasque.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 04 Aug. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1944683/Suite-bergamasque>.

Pascal's Pensées, Henri Matisse

Pascal’s Pensées, Henri Matisse, 1924 (WikiArt.org)

Debussy‘s “Clair de lune” (Suite bergamasque)
Angela Hewitt
Angela Hewitt performs a live concert for the Royal Conservatory of Music at Toronto’s Koerner Hall.
 

Bouquet of Mixed Flowers

© Micheline Walker
4 November 2014
WordPress

 
Henri Matisse, 1917
(Photo credit: WikiArt.org) 

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The Art of Andrew Wyeth & Posts on the United States (1)

19 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by michelinewalker in Art, United States

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Andrew Wyeth, First Snow, obstructionism, Posts on US, President Barack Obama, scapegoating, Spring Fed, The Master Bedroom

 tumblr_mhly48Gdby1qc4o9bo1_1280
The Master Bedroom, by Andrew Wyeth
Photo Credit:  Google Images
 
first-snow_jpg!xlMedium 
First Snow, Andrew Wyeth
(12 July 1917 – 16 January 2009)
(Photo credit:  Wikipaintings)
 
The US Economy (19 July 2011) 
On Raising the Debt Limit (26 July 2011)
First things first: President Obama’s address (26 July 2011)
A Great Favor (28 July 2011)
The Damage so Far (29 July 2011)
The Compromise (5 August 2011)
Leaders and Education (8 August 2011)
More on Education (9 August 2011)
President Obama as Scapegoat (10 August 2011)
“It is the fate of princes to be ill-spoken of for well-doing” (15 Sept. 2011) 
Fraternité: Individual Needs and Collective Needs (17 Sept. 2011)
A Sense of Urgency (19 September 2011) 
The Short Term and the Long Term (19 September 2011)
Obstructionism: the Consequences (26 October 2011)
Respect for life: on Anti-Abortion Extremism (28 October 2011)
Austerity the Republican Way (10 December 2011) 
An Obama-Clinton Ticket (13 December 2011)
Mutiny in Congress: Ship them to Guantanamo (21 December 2011) 
Respect for life: on Anti-Abortion Extremism (28 October 2011)
The Art of Alfred Thompson Bricher & Posts About the United States (2)
 
spring-fed_jpg!xlMediumSpring Fed, Andrew Wyeth
Photo credit: Wikipaintings
 
© Micheline Walker
19 June 2012
WordPress
 
 

 

 

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Posts on the United States

02 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by michelinewalker in United States

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Barack Obama, Government Shutdown, Jean de La Fontaine, Le Coq et la Perle, obstructionism, scapegoating, United States

Scene_at_the_Signing_of_the_Constitution_of_the_United_States
Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
 

On President Barack Obama

No one is perfect.  But President Obama has been keeping his nation afloat and growing.  Given the burden he inherited, he has in fact done very well.  Were it not for President Obama and members of his administration, it would be extremely difficult for the international community to trust the US.  At the moment, the credibility of the US within the world community is based almost entirely on the intellectual and moral principles of its President.

This is cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face and it is petty, in the utmost.

A lot of people are like the cock of the fable told below, by Jean de La Fontaine (8 July 1621 – 13 April 1695).  They cannot tell quality.

◊◊◊

“The Cock and the Pearl” (I.20)

A cock scratched up, one day,
A pearl of purest ray,
Which to a jeweller he bore.
“I think it fine,” he said,
“But yet a crumb of bread
To me were worth a great deal more.”
So did a dunce inherit
A manuscript of merit,
Which to a publisher he bore.
“It’s good,” said he, “I’m told,
Yet any coin of gold
To me were worth a great deal more.”
 
Jean de La Fontaine (I.20)
Le Coq et la Perle (I.20)
 

Post on the United States

Here are two lists of posts and two posts.  The second list is not complete.

List One

  • Watching the US  (Andrew Wyeth)
 
 

List Two

 
  • The Art of Alfred Thompson Bricher: Posts about the United States
 

imagesCAI0D4K5

(Photo credit:  Google Images) 
 
  • Watching the US (1) (Andrew Wyeth)
  • The Art of Alfred Thompson Bricher: Posts about the United States (2)
  • The US: Obstructionism and Scapegoating (7 November 2011)
  • Mutiny in Congress: Ship them to Guantanamo (21 December 2011)

◊◊◊

Giuseppe Tartini (8 April 1692 – 26 February 1770)
”Devil’s Trill Sonata”
Itzhak Perlman, violin 
 
 
 
 140775904 
© Micheline Walker
October 2, 2013 
WordPress
 

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More on Dragons and less on Swords

08 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by michelinewalker in Myths

≈ 42 Comments

Tags

dragons, good foreign policy, Hillary Clinton, Jacques de Voragine, Jesus fed a multitude, miracles, Piers Morgan, President Obama, scapegoating, St George

dragon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Chinese Dragons

Myths are needed

It appears that we require mythical creatures, such as the dragon, because of their function as symbols or metaphors.  It also appears myths, such as the story of “St George and the Dragon,” are more powerful because they are narratives.  They have a context.  Certain mythicals animals are the embodiment of a story, which is the case with the phoenix.  The phoenix rises from his own ashes.  So the phoenix is a both a symbol and a story.

However, in itself or himself, our mythical dragon does not tell much.  The meaning he has is the meaning we tag on him.  So, given that in the Western World and Middle-Eastern countries he symbolizes evil, we seldom isolate him.  Evil is perpetrated onto someone as in the story of “St George and the Dragon.”  However, we can redeem the evil dragon by turning him into a protector, but, again, he would have to protect someone or something.

From St George to George the dragon-slayer

Consequently, although St George is no longer a saint, it may be unwise to dismiss him altogether. Formerly a saint, George is now mythic.  He is the mythic dragon-slayer and we require dragon-slayers even if the new George does not get on his horse, take off his sword and slay dragons.

St George’s Requests

However, we can remember that after saving the king’s daughter, George made requests, one of which was never to forget the poor, which is Christian thinking but also transcultural thinking.

Yesterday, as I was browsing the pages of Northrop Frye’s Words with Power, these words slimply leaped up the page:

Then again, Christ is constantly associated with the miraculous provision of food.  Miracle of feeding large multitudes with very small amounts of food are recorded in all four Gospels, sometimes more than once, and such miracles are explicitly antitypes of the provision of manna in the wilderness (John 6:49-51).

Dragons

Dragons still dwell among us.  A few days ago, in a televised interview, a candidate for the leadership of the Republican party stated that health-care reforms were not constitutional.  If Barack Obama were not President of the United States, a Nobel Laureate, admired all over the world, and ably assisted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the world would have laughed or stood in horror as it listened to a metaphorical dragon.

Just how can a candidate to the leadership of the political party, express such complete disregard for the welfare of the nation and think he is qualified for the job he is seeking?  Before the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, slavery was not looked upon as morally reprehensible, but times have changed.

The former slave is now on the same footing as his former owner, which means that we can no longer oppose social programs as they are consistent with the notion of equality, as is paying one’s fair share of taxes.

Many of my blogs are about fairly tales and mythic creatures, but as mentioned above, they re-present in our imagination what does exist palpably or what should exist.  They are born of a need to compensate for an imperfect world.

Scapegoating and Obstructionism:  it’s official

Journalists have now used the words scapegoat and obstructionism in connection with the manner in which Congress operates and treats President Obama.  Certain members are short of faults, so they try to create faults that they can impute to President Obama and his administration.  But they have showed they were robotic naysayers by saying ‘no’ when it was in their best interest and that of the party to say “yes.”  Just imagine the phone calls and the e-mails the naysayers received from the more enlightened members of the Republican party.

A Swordless George

But, George may have to use his pen and write words with power: metaphors, symbols, etc. to defeat inequality.  He cannot use his sword.  The horrific attacks of 9/11 were a prelude to great distress and to a financial disaster, so swords must be put away as the US rebuilds.

US: Foreign Policy 

However, there are happy pages to this chapter.  President Obama did as he said he would do.  He listened and asked members of his administration to listen.  The picture of President Obama having a polite discussion with President Karzai of Afghanistan is etched in my mind.  That is how real Christians treat others.

I am therefore confident that, like the phœnix, the United States will rise from the ashes of war and it comforts me to think that as commander-in-chief the President is looking after the veterans.

The world must fight terrorism, but they must do as did the Navy Seals.  The Navy Seals did kill Bin Laden, which is what they had to do.  But George, as in Washington, may prefer to fight inequality, prejudice, anti-tax extremism, the death-penalty, etc.  Wars kill, maim and cost a fortune.

I still think that the humanists went a little too far in their rejection of Jacques de Voragine’s Légende dorée or Golden Legend.  We still need miracles.  By the way,  The Golden Legend, i.e. the text, is now online.  Click on The Golden Legend or Légende dorée.

Round Dragon

Beethoven: Two Piano Pieces, Ginluca Cascioli (piano)
(please click on title to hear music)

_________________________

[i] Northrop Frye, Words With Power, Being a Second Study of “The Bible and Literature” (Viking, the Penguin Group, 1990), p. 287.

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The US: Obstructionism and Scapegoating

07 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by michelinewalker in United States

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

competence, extremism, obstructionism, President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, President G.W. Bush, racism, scapegoating, WordPress

imagesCAI0D4K5
(Photo credit: Google images)
 

Obstructionism

Since the 2010 mid-term elections, Tea Party members and hardline Republicans have systematically opposed all proposals brought forth by the current President of the United States, President Barack Obama, and his administration.  That is called obstructionism, and it is a very ugly practice.

Scapegoating

Moreover, since the 2010 mid-term elections, Tea Party members and hardline Republicans have also, and systematically, blamed the President and his administration for not doing what they, i.e. Tea Party Members and hardline Republicans, are systematically preventing him from doing.  That is called scapegoating, and it is also a very ugly practice.

Distortion of reality

As things stand, President Obama and his administration are even being blamed for the debt caused by the two unfunded wars authorized by the Bush administration, a Republican administration.  The former President (R) and his administration are the ones who engaged into two wars, gave tax-cuts to the affluent and incurred a huge debt.  Not to mention that these wars, unnecessary wars, caused the maiming, the death and the disorientation of thousands of young lives.

After 9/11, America had to hunt down Bin Laden.  All that was required was intelligence work and well-trained commandos.  This is how Bin Laden was found, under a Democratic administration.

—ooo—

Given the above, I would like to ask not that a former Republican President and his administration be crucified, but that Americans remember the facts.  By the same token, I would also like to ask that Americans stop throwing stones at a Democratic administration that did not incur the debt now bedeviling the United States and destabilizing global markets.

President Bill Clinton:  his legacy

When President Bill Clinton left office, Americans had a substantial financial surplus.  In fact, America was rich.

Consequences:  America was near bankruptcy

However, because the former President Bush declared two unjustified wars and gave tax-cuts to the affluent, the former President spent the funds the United Sates needed to remain a prosperous country.  President Bush (R) may have had the best of intentions when he went into Afghanistan and then entered Iraq, a sovereign nation, but he acted blindly and irresponsibly.  He took money from less affluent Americans until the bubble burst.

The Bubble burst

Yes, the bubble burst.  This happened in the late summer and early autumn of 2008.  Having been apprised that the ship was sinking, President Bush went to the Democratic Party, told that the United States was no longer solvent, and asks for assistance on the part of the Democrats.  The Democrats agreed to prevent the collapse of both the US economy and the economies of its financial partners.

The Mid-Term Elections: robots are voted into office

After President Obama and his administration were voted into office, a shockingly unqualified Sarah Palin started sabotaging the work of President Obama and his administration.  She was not alone; she had helpers.  She opposed health-care reforms claiming that big government would kill grandmothers, etc.

Birth of the Tea Party

Out of Sarah Palin’s ill-conceived speeches and the support of mindless and irresponsible politicians, grew the Tea Party.  After the mid-term elections of 2010, members of the Tea Party and hardline Republicans suddenly found themselves in a position that prevented not only a reasonable, but also a sane discussion of issues facing the US.

Robots

With all due respect, those members of Congress voted into office in 2010 are robots that have been programmed to say “no” to any action President Obama presents to save America.

As you know, robots do not think.  They are programmed and the ones I am speaking of have been programmed to say “no” systematically to any action proposed by President Obama and his administration.

Saving America

Saving America begins with making sure Americans have jobs.  Too large of chunk of American products are manufactured by people who will accept a very small income.  Consequently, too may products are manufactured abroad.  And, to make matters worse,

  • the robots in Congress will vote against any package that would stimulate the growth of jobs.  Tea Party members and hardline Republicans are saying “no.”

—ooo—

Therefore, I would ask

  • that Americans stop blaming President Obama and his administration for a debt he and his administration did not incur.

And I would also ask

  • that Americans support President Obama in his attempt to help his nation.

Conclusion

It short, I am seeing bad faith, amnesia, various forms of extremism, ignorance of societal needs, frequent instances of inhumanity, blindness, pig-headedness and the tail end of racism.  Sorry, but the job, i.e. the Presidency, goes and should go, to the person best qualified to perform the required duties.  Unfortunately, there have been too many exceptions to this fundamental requirement:  competence.

If the Republican Congress will not provide President Obama with the funds he and his administration require to create jobs, I’m sorry but, between obstructionism and scapegoating, the narrative is over.  The consequences will be an economic depression so profound and so broad, it will hurt everyone including Tea Party members, hardline Republicans and, eventually, those who fund their campaigns.

Stop the robots or face the consequences.

The End

© Micheline Walker
November 7, 2011
WordPress

 

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