by Rick Lowe
What a neat turn of phrase.
Of course "Let them eat cake" was, according to Wikipedia, "supposedly spoken by "a great princess" upon learning that the peasants had no bread. Since brioche was enriched with butter and eggs, as opposed to ordinary bread, the quote supposedly would reflect the princess's obliviousness to the condition of the people."
Let Them Eat Hope is the title of an article by Gene Healy, author of the 2008 book, The Cult of the Presidency. A hard hitting book about the George W. Bush years that gave rise to fears of a resurgent Imperial Presidency. The introduction reminded us that "Those fears are justified, but the problem cannot be solved simply by bringing a new administration to power."
Now in this article he points to how US President Barack Obama is backing away from his 2004 campaign pledges of "among other things, to provide "a cure for cancer in our time," to deliver "a complete transformation of the economy," "end the age of oil in our time," and, perhaps most quixotically, to "fundamentally change the way Washington works" and now thinks "the nature of this office is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times."
Healy correctly points out that;
"Our investment of hope in a presidential savior leads us to do less for ourselves. It encourages a dangerous concentration of power in an office primarily designed for faithful execution of laws passed by Congress. Frustrated by his inability to deliver the miracles he's promised, the modern president continually pushes the limits of his authority." More…
The same can be said about us buying into the cute stories woven by our political class, particularly at election time.
But of course, we cannot eat hope nor the divisiveness that is kept in the air around us these days.
Rick, we are always frightened by the so-called threat of imperialism from the conservative right, but we are always crushed by totalitarianism from the progressive left..
For well over 100 years in the United States, the progressive movement (liberalism) has forced collectivism and government control upon the American people without them being very much aware of what has happened to them.. Through the vast powers of the Federal Reserve, America’s Central Bank, social policies and wars can easily be financed and implemented through the expansion of the money supply with no meaningful congressional oversight or accountability.. Today America’s credit card is just about maxed out as the Fed must resort to so-called quantitative easing policies or just plan old printing of money which has debased the money supply.. We can only wonder “what hath God wrought” as collective socialism has raised it ugly head.. Soon Americans well be asked through the ballot box to chose the future direction of their country.. The choice will be between collective control and individual freedom of choice.. Lets hope American chose wisely as the future direction of their country and perhaps the free world are at stake..