Somebody who writes jokes for a living I've always had a professional interest in what makes things funny. So I will probably buy ‘Comedy Book’, by Jesse David Fox, who is, apparently, a comedy critic at New York magazine. Hell of a job, really. I just saw it
Yes. This. What motivates people to seriously consider a convicted "sex abuser," among many other sins, to be the leader of the United States? It must be entertainment, the hellish endpoint of an unending flood of internet memes and bullshit that doesn't withstand the slightest critical analysis. Leadership matters, and I ask myself daily how we get leaders who aren't held to the same standards routinely applied to Second Lieutenants fresh out of OCS. For 1/100 of these politicians' actions, I would have been relieved for cause and cashiered. How does this make sense?
Ah, my old friend, the Uniform Code of Military Justice. A list of the shit I would have been charged with as a company grade officer if I had followed the example of certain politicians. Article 81, Conspiracy. Article 88, Contempt toward officials. Article 92, Failure to obey order or regulation. Article 94, Mutiny or Sedition. Article 104, Public records offenses. Article 107, False official statements; false swearing. Article 108, Military property of the United States—Loss, damage, destruction, or wrongful disposition. Article 115, Communicating threats. Article 116, Riot or breach of peace. Article 117, Provoking speeches or gestures. Article 120, Rape and sexual assault generally. Article 120c, Other sexual misconduct. Article 121b, False pretenses to obtain services. Article 124, Frauds against the United States. Article 128, Assault. Article 131, Perjury. Article 131a, Subornation of perjury. Article 131b, Obstructing justice. Article 131d, Wrongful refusal to testify. Article 131e, Prevention of authorized seizure of property. Article 131f, Noncompliance with procedural rules. Article 131g, Wrongful interference with adverse administrative proceeding. Article 132, Retaliation. Article 133, Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. Article 134, General article. Not a day goes by that members of the United States Armed Forces are not tried and fried by this code. A single article in this list can send an ordinary Joe or Jane on a cost-free vacation trip to Leavenworth. Why are our "leaders" not held to the basic standard we apply to eighteen-year-old kids, fresh off the street? On Day One of entering military service, you learn in a real hurry that these laws apply to you. Why should things be different for those we trust to sustain the republic? Well, they indisputably are not, and look at where we are. Fantasic.
I think our leaders aren't held to these standards because of stuff that goes back all the way to when they were hereditary monarchs with absolute power. It's fashionable to talk about the Magna Carta(s) as foundation constitution documents, but what they also were about was trying to find a way to curtail absolute power of an incompetent or evil king without having to go to the effort of chopping off their head and hoping that the next guy would be better.
From King John to Louis the umpteenth, from Tricky Dicky to John Kerr (the representative of the late Queen here in Australia in the 1970s), all the way to Trump. I think the head of state has always has had some measure of absolute power, which includes a degree of immunity from the rules that apply to their subjects/citizens.
not commenting on Jason's posts because down that path madness lies :) but i'm flabbergasted that whenever i hear any quotes attributed to Trump his voice is in my head! Now that's branding of the nth degree. I wonder if it is affected and he does it at home when he is "not on" and if he does do it at home no wonder he got divorced a lot. Imagine asking him what he wants for breakfast and you get his diatribe about how he buys the best eggs from that little place down the road, good ol American eggs mind you, you get a little american flag in each one, not like those mexican ones from across the border that have that weak pale orange almost white colour, not that deep rich one USA produces (well, the help buy the eggs but they dont count) . I'm also trying to figure out if it is funnier with a pause before he says Abraham Lincoln or before saying "when he is wearing his hat"
Yes. This. What motivates people to seriously consider a convicted "sex abuser," among many other sins, to be the leader of the United States? It must be entertainment, the hellish endpoint of an unending flood of internet memes and bullshit that doesn't withstand the slightest critical analysis. Leadership matters, and I ask myself daily how we get leaders who aren't held to the same standards routinely applied to Second Lieutenants fresh out of OCS. For 1/100 of these politicians' actions, I would have been relieved for cause and cashiered. How does this make sense?
Ah, my old friend, the Uniform Code of Military Justice. A list of the shit I would have been charged with as a company grade officer if I had followed the example of certain politicians. Article 81, Conspiracy. Article 88, Contempt toward officials. Article 92, Failure to obey order or regulation. Article 94, Mutiny or Sedition. Article 104, Public records offenses. Article 107, False official statements; false swearing. Article 108, Military property of the United States—Loss, damage, destruction, or wrongful disposition. Article 115, Communicating threats. Article 116, Riot or breach of peace. Article 117, Provoking speeches or gestures. Article 120, Rape and sexual assault generally. Article 120c, Other sexual misconduct. Article 121b, False pretenses to obtain services. Article 124, Frauds against the United States. Article 128, Assault. Article 131, Perjury. Article 131a, Subornation of perjury. Article 131b, Obstructing justice. Article 131d, Wrongful refusal to testify. Article 131e, Prevention of authorized seizure of property. Article 131f, Noncompliance with procedural rules. Article 131g, Wrongful interference with adverse administrative proceeding. Article 132, Retaliation. Article 133, Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. Article 134, General article. Not a day goes by that members of the United States Armed Forces are not tried and fried by this code. A single article in this list can send an ordinary Joe or Jane on a cost-free vacation trip to Leavenworth. Why are our "leaders" not held to the basic standard we apply to eighteen-year-old kids, fresh off the street? On Day One of entering military service, you learn in a real hurry that these laws apply to you. Why should things be different for those we trust to sustain the republic? Well, they indisputably are not, and look at where we are. Fantasic.
I think our leaders aren't held to these standards because of stuff that goes back all the way to when they were hereditary monarchs with absolute power. It's fashionable to talk about the Magna Carta(s) as foundation constitution documents, but what they also were about was trying to find a way to curtail absolute power of an incompetent or evil king without having to go to the effort of chopping off their head and hoping that the next guy would be better.
From King John to Louis the umpteenth, from Tricky Dicky to John Kerr (the representative of the late Queen here in Australia in the 1970s), all the way to Trump. I think the head of state has always has had some measure of absolute power, which includes a degree of immunity from the rules that apply to their subjects/citizens.
"Don't make me laugh...bitterly" -Bernard Black.
not commenting on Jason's posts because down that path madness lies :) but i'm flabbergasted that whenever i hear any quotes attributed to Trump his voice is in my head! Now that's branding of the nth degree. I wonder if it is affected and he does it at home when he is "not on" and if he does do it at home no wonder he got divorced a lot. Imagine asking him what he wants for breakfast and you get his diatribe about how he buys the best eggs from that little place down the road, good ol American eggs mind you, you get a little american flag in each one, not like those mexican ones from across the border that have that weak pale orange almost white colour, not that deep rich one USA produces (well, the help buy the eggs but they dont count) . I'm also trying to figure out if it is funnier with a pause before he says Abraham Lincoln or before saying "when he is wearing his hat"