But always — do not forget this, Winston — always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever. — George Orwell (1984)
We control life, Winston, at all its levels. You are imagining that there is something called human nature which will be outraged by what we do and will turn against us. But we create human nature. Men are infinitely malleable. — George Orwell (1984)
The new leftist mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, recently came up with a 62 point safe street initiative; an aggressive plan to curb traffic accidents and deaths in the Big Apple. He personally shot a public service announcement announcing the crackdown. That public announcement included the words “We’ve put a very bold plan before you, and we want the public to know we are holding ourselves to this standard.”
And a day or two later… de Blasio is seen in his (chauffeured) car totally ignoring New York traffic laws. His cars (two in the caravan) routinely were documented speeding (sometimes 20 or 30 mph over the limit), blowing through stop signs, and breaking all kinds of traffic laws. The reporter who documented all this noted enough infractions that the driver’s license would have been legally suspended had he actually been held accountable.
When the mayor finally commented on the incident, he took a page from his President and threw his driver and the NY Police Department under the bus. It seems the police are in charge of his transportation and he was just an innocent passenger, begging them to obey the law the whole time. His response is, of course, bull shit; but more than that its royalty dismissing out-of-hand a petty concern of his subjects.
The issue here isn’t the ignoring of the law so much as the prevailing attitude among many the elites in government, Hollywood, and the ultra-rich.
When de Blazio comes up with new rules and laws concerning how you should drive in New York… those restrictions are meant for YOU, the little people, the serfs. It never occurred to the mayor or anyone in his organization that those rules or laws would ever apply to him. Even when his own words in the announcement said “we are holding ourselves to this standard”, thinking those words had meaning would be ludicrous. It’s the mind-set of these jerks.
And I don’t want to just pick on the mayor of New York here. This is a common belief system among the elites.
When Al Gore says you need to reduce your carbon footprint. He doesn’t include himself in that. He’s too important. He’s the exception… along with every other elite prick pushing global warming. Jets, mansions, limousines? At best they offset that by buying carbon credits from one of Al’s companies; Al paying Al for permission to do as he pleases. What it really comes down to is; it’s us little people who must pay and obey.
When Obama and the Democrats pushed Obamacare on us; it was under the guise of providing for the little people. And while it’s true the law does give subsidies to the poor… what is says to the middle class is “buy this crap or pay a fine”. Again, it’s the serfs who must obey. When Congress realized they forgot to exclude themselves or their employees they threw a hissy fit about a “brain drain”. Their solution? Have the bureaucrats declare “Oh, the law doesn’t apply to you guys after all”. And why should it? As if they were serfs like the rest of us.
Foreign diplomats and United Nations guys get a pass on certain U.S. laws? Understandable in theory; we don’t want our guys harassed over there. It’s a quid pro quo; except the practice is heavily abused. Why? They’re not like us. They’re not serfs.
The IRS screwing the tea party guys in coordination with the ATF, Justice Department and other government agencies is partly due to the attitude of those pulling the strings saying “Who do these serfs think they are? We’ll show them their proper place…”
The list of abuses goes on and on and on… Eventually (one would hope) the serfs have to say, enough is enough. The concept of the rule of law must be reborn in the psyche of this nation. Laws must apply to everyone… even these elites. Accountability must be brought to bear. But the system is so screwed up that law and accountability are out the window… probably irreversibly.
TexasLynn — We may have found a place of common ground. I think that there needs to be an amendment to the Constitution that prohibits Congress from exempting itself from any law that it passes.
Shires
Amen Brother! 🙂
I guess a Constitutional Amendment would be the only option in accomplishing that. It’s not as if public outrage is sufficient or would even be listened to.
>This is a common belief system among the elites.
It’s true. Elites abuse the common people for their own selfish needs. I am proud to share this page with a fellow populist!
So, will I see you at the Elk River anti-coal-mining-pollution protest on Saturday? Because you know those damn elites don’t have to drink that water, so they don’t give two shits about “the environment” — meaning, “where rednecks and coyotes live.”
We serfs must indeed say, “enough is enough!” 🙂
>> So, will I see you at the Elk River anti-coal-mining-pollution protest…
I know you’re being facetious… but No, of course not. The “pollution” part is added for appearances. It’s really just an anti-coal protest which is part of the elites using useful idiots in their war on coal. Meanwhile they siphon off trillions of tax dollars (into their own pockets) via “clean” and “green” energy that doesn’t actually produce much in terms of actual “energy” (or jobs as they eventually go belly-up).
The elites also don’t have to worry about jobs provided by coal mining nor the price of energy which is “necessarily skyrocketing” (as Obama planned). That’s for us little people to worry about and pay for.
Perhaps I should be more specific about the serfs who need rise up. It’s the serfs who work and pay the bills… not the looters who want to stop them in the name of mother earth or global warming or whatever golden calf they currently bow down to. And especially not the elites who use them as a means to an end… the end being or money, jobs, and freedom.
>I know you’re being facetious… but No, of course not. The “pollution” part is added for appearances.
Yep, I was. And no, the pollution is real. The MCHM chemical foam they wash the coal with is now in the river (because they put unlined drainage tanks next to the river), which means 300,000 people don’t have potable water. Freedom Industries, the polluters, will be sued out of business (as they should be). But maybe I misread your intent on “pollution part is added for appearances.”
>Meanwhile they siphon off trillions of tax dollars (into their own pockets) via “clean” and “green” energy
That is true.
It is also true that that’s exactly how natural gas is promoted — America’s Clean Energy! (Indeed, it does burn clean, but getting it out of the ground, processing it, and transporting it is a dirty business.)
The truth is, there is no clean energy. But there are ways to follow the rules, and ways to flaunt them.
>Perhaps I should be more specific about the serfs who need rise up. It’s the serfs who work and pay the bills…
I don’t think the majority of the 300,000 people without water in West Virginia are sponges on society. They’re just too poor to move.
I’m having a little fun here, of course. Otherwise, why chat on a blog?
In short, I agree that the carbon footprint industry is the bitcoin of environmentalism. With all the coal burning power plants India and China are projected to build this century (and without US EPA standards for cleaner smokestacks), nothing we do in that regard is going to matter. It’s simply too late.
The funny thing is, Gore’s attempt to capitalize pollution is a nod toward the libertarians — an attempt to correct things through the market. The problem is, of course, it’s not a market of something people naturally want to own.
So, in a funny way, we’re on the same page. I think we’re doomed as far as CO2 levels are concerned, and you think we’re doomed as a Republic. So I probably shouldn’t pick on you so much for being a doomsayer. We just believe in different dooms.
I think we both agree that people won’t act until it’s too late… and, further, that it’s already too late. What will be interesting to see is, will we develop technological and economic mechanisms to alleviate our problems, if not fully overcome them? It’s possible.
In my case, I can see an advantage to the polar ice melting — more ocean surface will mean more area for algae, which can process CO2 (but I’ll try not to say that to the large percentage of human population that lives on the coast and will have to move inland). But I’m not sure what the economic disguised-blessing is, in this scenario. There may not be one. I’m better informed on science than economics, and there’s just a lot I don’t know in that regard.
Dude… I just don’t know where to begin.
First… major tangent… The post was about elites making rules that didn’t apply to them and considering the rest of us serfs. I just don’t see how that applies to the Elk River chemical spill. Who got away with what?
Maybe one could say the Freedom Industries guys in a fit of hubris didn’t follow the rules of containment but the second part of the equation (them getting away with it) doesn’t seem to apply here. Maybe you can give me an example of the guys lining their pockets like Solyndra… but I’m not hearing that. I’m hearing they $#@ed up and soon won’t exist anymore.
And on the subject of the Elk River spill… you say “I don’t think the majority of the 300,000 people without water in West Virginia are sponges on society…” Are you saying these hundreds of thousands of people are still without potable water over a month later? Are you sure about that? This sounds like crap you would get from the Huffington post or the New York Times. 🙂
New squirrel to chase… Natural Gas bad… no such thing as clean energy? OK… but coal, oil, and natural gas keep the world running at an affordable price (when the politicians don’t screw things up). Solar, Wind, etc… negligible energy at an enormous price. Clean energy is just a warm fuzzy scam to line the pockets of the left with tax dollars.
Carbon footprint industry… Al Gore attempts to capitalize pollution… a nod towards libertarian?
I just have no clue how to even begin to answer that…
Doomed because of CO2, polar ice melting, coasts disappearing, global warming?
I just… it’s that… OK… you see… yeah… [deep sigh of resignation] [Remind self again that the “science” is settled.]
OK.
Good self-restraint… which was really the response I should have given. 🙂
Sure — I mean, I understand your perspective. I go on tangents because I don’t really have much to say about the topics you choose (the mayor of New York, Al Gore, etc). You seem to only enjoy agreement or on-topic debate, so there’s really not a lot I can feed you, in that regard. So, please understand my silence not so much as irritation, just as… this isn’t my conversation.
So, again… you other 52 folks. I can’t carry this party forever. Silence may be acceptance, but it’s also boring. This is social media. Be social. Otherwise, I’m not sure what the point is. Talking to yourself is called “a diary.”
I’m really not fair to you sometimes and I apologize for that. Every now and then the chosen tangent(s) just throws me for a loop.
I do appreciate your comments and they do make me think. In fact my take on “climate change” is in the works… specifically because you mentioned it in one of your tangents. 🙂 As is immigration as a whole… not illegal… The Mitt Romney thing… I nixed (out of sheer frustration with the GOP) but I appreciate the suggestion none-the-less.
So you do have a positive impact on my through process. 🙂 But there’s just so many squirrels I can herd at one time. 🙂
As for as my blog goes; like I said I appreciate the comments and debate from anyone interested. But that isn’t the main purpose for me. I would blog no matter the number or readers or comments; for the journalistic therapy aspect of the endeavor.
HA!