Thank Goodness It's Monday #464

 Considering The News of the World

GUIDANCE WORTH HEEDING
FROM VOICES OF EXPERIENCE 

Here we're about Information and Inspiration. At least that's what it indicates in the Catalyst Collection/Thank Goodness It's Monday template that surrounds this blogpost, right?

But at this point in a conflict that should not be happening in the Ukraine, there are obstacles to providing timely and objective content and insight.

What then to do and say here?

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Seek wisdom from some experts. And thus strive to gain understanding. 

Not necessarily experts in today's geopolitical goings on, or advocates of positions pro or con about governance in the 21st Century. Those folk lack the leveling factor of discovered outcomes over historic time.

Rather, let's turn to the voices of experience from eras past and look for the wisdom gained by their interaction with the similar challenges in their day. 

And let's add just one more caveat to the ideas we'll consider. No overt arguing from an unyielding militaristic standard. Otherwise, we'll end up ill-advised by the likes of --

Adolf Hitler -- "Mankind has grown great in eternal struggles, and only in eternal peace does it perish."  (Mein Kampf, 1924) 

Or --

Louis XV -- "Ultima ratio regum." Circa 1735 the French King ordered this phrase engraved on his cannon. It translates as: "The last argument of kings." 

Or --

Catherine II -- "The only way to save our empire from the encroachment of the people is to engage in war, and thus substitute national passions for social aspirations."

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Consider instead, both now and in the eventful days ahead, the counsel of such as --

Karl von Clausewitz -- "War ... is an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will."

Lenin -- "War is part of a whole. That whole is politics. (This observation was a marginal note in his copy of Clausewitz' On War.)

Alexis de Tocqueville -- "There are two things which will always be very difficult for a democratic nation: to start a war and to end it." (The French social philosopher made that observation in his 1840 masterwork Democracy in America. He added: "All those who seek to destroy the freedom of the democratic nations must know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish this. This is the very first axiom of their science.")

Winston Churchill -- "Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events."

Germaine Greer -- "War is the admission of defeat in the face of conflicting interests: by war the issue is left to chance, and the tacit assumption that the best man will win is not at all justified. It might equally be argued that the worst, the most unscrupulous man will win, although history will continue the absurd game by finding him after all the best man."

Douglas MacArthur -- "I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes." (In an address to Congress in 1951.) 

George Washington -- "My first wish is, to see this plague to Mankind banished from the Earth; & the Sons & daughters of this World employed in more pleasing & innocent amusements than in preparing implements, & exercising them for the destruction of the human race. Rather than quarrel [about] territory, let the poor, the needy, & oppressed of the Earth; and those who want Land, resort to the fertile plains of our Western Country, to the second Land of promise, & there dwell in peace, fulfilling the first & great Commandment.” (In a letter to David Humphreys, July of 1785.)

Benjamin Franklin -- "There never was a good war or a bad peace." (In a letter to John Quincy, September 1783.)

Theodore C. Sorensen -- "We have contingency plans for war, but none for peace." (Appearing on The Today Show in November 1989.)

Ruth Benedict -- "If we justify war, it is because all peoples always justify the traits of which they find themselves possessed, not because war will bear an objective examination of its merits." (A US anthropologist, she propounded that view in Chapter 1 of her 1934 book Patterns of Culture.)

Karl Kraus -- "War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that he too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost." (The author was an Austrian satirist commenting in 1917.)

Jeannette Rankin -- "You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake." (In 1916, four years before the Nineteenth Amendment guaranteed the right of women to vote, Rankin became the first woman elected to the US Congress, representing Montana.)

Enough for now. 

Well, nearly enough. Admittedly this list is cherry-picked and biased in my doubtless opinionated attempt to make an unbiased presentation that virtually any reader might ponder and be influenced by. 

That's the way a "catalyst" is supposed to function and that was my sincere intent. And if the attempt has fallen short, I beg to default to the wisdom of two legendary poets of the era of "the war to end all wars" (which, of course, what we now designate as World War One did not).

W. B. Yeats -- "I think it better that in times like these

                        A poet's mouth be silent, for in truth
                        We have no gift to set a statesman right."

The Irish poet and playwright penned those lines under the title On Being Asked for a War Poem.

And in a similar vein --

T. S. Eliot -- "War is not a life: it is a situation.

                    One which may neither be ignore nor accepted."

This was the Anglo-American poet and critics observation in a piece entitled A Note on War Poetry.

Pax.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

Englewood, NJ 07631
tgimguy@gmail.com

Thank Goodness It's Monday #463

 Presidents Day 2022

WHAT ARE WE CELEBRATING ...

COMMEMORATING ...

OBSERVING ...

THIS PRESIDENTS DAY?

Presidential Portraits
Mount Rushmore National Monument

Presidents, nominally, right?

But what the heck does that really mean?

And what are we supposed to do about it -- other than shop for mattress bargains? (Does the emphasis on mattress sales come out of the “George Washington slept here” tradition?)

The answer: It’s complicated.

In a nutshell: Presidents Day (or President's Day, or Presidents’ Day – the official holiday has no apostrophe but... you choose) is the bungled attempt of the federal government – encouraged, some say, by travel professionals  – in 1968 to implement a Monday Holidays Act.

Essentially the day is what had been a date-specific Washington’s Birthday observance ... with heavy overtones of also February-born Lincoln ... and now, in some parts of the vast country, flavored with more than a passing jingoistic acknowledgement of any other Presidential notable with local roots or devoted following. 

But hold on a TGIM minute. What if Presidents Day is not about a man or men (so far) but a concept of leadership?

TGIM Takeaway: Then, just maybe, we all have something to celebrate.

Consider this: While we traditionally imagine George Washington nobly turning down the opportunity to become King of America, the facts are, even before the lead-the-new-nation opportunity arose for General Washington, the individual who presided over the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary period and under the Articles of Confederation had the title President of the United States in Congress Assembled.

Etching of John Hanson
based on a portrait
by Charles Wilson Peale
 that was painted from life
in 1781–1782
the time of his "Presidency"

The first was John Hanson.  

And guess what: That was often shortened to President of the United States. 

That job, however, conveyed very little distinct executive power.

With the 1788 ratification of the Constitution, a separate Executive Branch was created.

At its head: The President of the United States – straightforward and without qualification or limitation.

Now we’re talking “Executive Power.” And compared to the “President of Congress” designation, even this presidential title was a major understatement of the actual role empowered to the office by the Constitution. 

But ... BIG BUT ... even at that, the deliberate choice of words can be understood as a purposeful effort by the Founding Fathers to prevent the head-of-state position from becoming monarchial, with the accompanying potential for abuse of such power.

A president's executive authority under the Constitution, tempered by the checks and balances of the Judicial and Legislative branches of the federal government, was designed to solve several political problems faced by the young nation and to anticipate future challenges, while still preventing the rise of an autocrat.

So today – Presidents Day 2022, when people around the world still valiantly strive for what American citizens enjoyed for over two centuries, let’s celebrate, commemorate and observe the Founders’ IDEA of a presidency, as well as the worthy individuals who filled the presidential position and continued to shape the job and the republic.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Assume your “Glorious Burden.” 

That’s what the presidency has been called. 

As we consider an office that many would seek to hold but, to date, only 46 have achieved, we should be committed to learning all we can about what characteristics have made the greatest of those office holders great and what flaws have hampered the achievements of those who stumbled on their way. 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Take an oath to use your “Executive Power” wisely, justly and democratically. Become the commander in chief … head of state … principal diplomat … and political leader of the constituents who elect to put their faith and trust in you.

As you do, be guided and inspired by the best efforts and successes of the 46 individuals (6 living) who -- often in their unique way -- represented that they were caring for our fragile democracy and steering us safely.

And even if you can’t name them all in numerical order ... or don't need a new mattress ...  and/or don’t celebrate, commemorate or observe any particular Presidents Day ritual --

Enjoy the day.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

Englewood, NJ 07631

tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. “I have no other view than to promote the public good, and am unambitious of honors not founded in the approbation of my Country.”  George Washington wrote that sentiment in a letter to Henry Laurens, dated January 31, 1778.

 

Thank Goodness It's Monday #462

Valentine's Day 2022

She Tells Her Love While Half Asleep

Robert Graves
(1895-1985)

She tells her love while half asleep,

    In the dark hours,

        With half-words whispered low;

As Earth stirs in her winter sleep

    And puts out grass and flowers

        Despite the snow;

        Despite the falling snow. 

Many scholars contend that this is the “best” love poem by poet, novelist, mythographer, critic & historian Robert Graves (1895–1985). 

As a Graves fan I’m not sure I agree. But it seems quite appropriate for the "Spring has not yet fully arrived in the great Northeast" February observance of Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy celebrating.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

Englewood, NJ 07631
tgimguy@hotmail.com

Thank Goodness It's Monday #461

Go ahead. Call me a Momma's Boy ...

 TODAY IS YOUR DAY
AND MINE

This day, 101 years ago, my Mother was born in Falmouth, England.

So, I hope you don't mind but, this TGIM will be a bit more personal than most. 

Go ahead. Call me a Momma’s Boy. I trust I’m not, of course, in the derisive sense of that phrase. But I do try to adhere to the mindset she meant to pass along.

While there are likely countless growing-up lessons my Mother espoused and lived that might shape your thinking as they have mine, I'll spare you.

I will, however, take this opportunity to share this Betty Steck (1921-2004) Daily Discipline.

She left a typewritten copy of the following words with her important family documents. 

While they are not original to her, she called them “The creed by which I try to live” and noted, “You will find these words over my kitchen sink where I read them at the beginning of each day.”

The image above is the postcard-sized reproduction I had made of Betty’s kitchen-sink reminder and distributed at her memorial service. 

This one hangs over my computer screen, thus the fuzzy photo and the hint of yellow wallpaper border. 

Another is on my dresser where the content of my pockets goes every evening and where it’s gathered at the start of each day. 

So there’s barely a day when I don’t bump hard into a tangible reminder of what I hope I have adapted as a lifelong behavior.

TGIM CHALLENGE: Got a “creed” by which you try to live? 

I’m sure you do. So how about this –

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Share it. For starters, post it up on social media with a little bit of explanation if necessary. Let me know – post a comment here, share via Facebook or LinkedIn or some such, or just shoot it to me straight at the tgimguy@gmail.com e-mail, or whatever -- so I can see and share in it if it’s not likely I’d catch a glimpse of it in passing.

Now is the time.

Go play your part.

Seize your unique day.

I’ve already started with mine. 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

Englewood, NJ 07631
tgimguy@hotmail.com