Some choice words on moral values and politics, courtesy of Bob Dylan’s Chronicles (my current read):
“Clausewitz’s book seemed outdated, but there’s a lot in it that’s real, and you can understand a lot about conventional life and the pressures of environment by reading it. When he claims that politics has taken the place of morality and politics is brute force, he’s not playing. You have to believe it. You do exactly as you’re told, whoever you are. Knuckle under or you’re dead. Don’t give me any of that jazz about hope or nonsense about righteousness. Don’t give me that dance that God is with us, or that God supports us. Let’s get down to brass tacks. There isn’t any moral order. You can forget that. Morality has nothing in common with politics. It’s not there to transgress. It’s either high ground or low ground. This is the way the world is and nothing’s gonna change it. It’s a crazy, mixed up world and you have to look it right in the eye. Clausewitz in some ways is a prophet. Without realizing it, some of the stuff in his book can shape your ideas. If you think you’re a dreamer, you can read this stuff and realize you’re not even capable of dreaming. Dreaming is dangerous. Reading Clausewitz makes you take your own thoughts a little less seriously.” (Chronicles, p. 45)
I know this post is off topic but I would like to solicit your opinion on it. Driving to get my morning coffee I was listening to an AM radio show
that had among their guests, the editor of the Wall Street Journal. he offered a piece of news I was unaware of. The fact that in order to offset the massive deficit the current administration has
gotten massive loans from foreign banks, namely China. Somehow a nasty feeling came over me the thought that one day people will wake up to the fact China will make us their “Bitch” they will
relish the fact they own us. Bad Dream? You tell me?
Hadn’t heard that in particular, and I’m not an economist…but in general I’d say the Dubya administration’s fiscal irresponsibility and subsequent tanking of the Dollar is going to have extremely egregious econiomic effects in the not-too-distant future. For now, tho’, the market seems perfectly happy with more of the same, doesn’t it?
That makes sense to me. Hope and pray the dollar does not tank.
Off topic as well … stumbled across this while checking out some mash up sites and thought it might be up yer alley … It Ain’t Me, Babe / Rain