Tonight’s question, greetings, and banter here. (More)
Today the Ukrainian parliament fought to elect a speaker, literally: “Lawmakers wrestled with each other and some deputies were knocked over in the melee.” Comments like “The liberals are such sissies we would be on our way to getting the spending under control” and “Politics doesn’t get more honest/pure than this” suggest the strongman theory of government is alive and well. Is “My political leader could beat up your political leader” more mature than “My daddy could beat up your daddy” and, if so, by how many weeks?
December 13, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Today on Campus
Morning Feature – Getting to Yes Again, Part I: Positions vs. Principles
Midday Matinee – triciawyse with Fursdai Furries
December 13, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Oh it’ s definitely more mature…by about three weeks and a hundred pounds. The photos were funny until you think about whar they mean. We’re not far removed from exactly that.
Hugggs and good evening!
December 13, 2012 at 6:15 pm
The melee in the Ukrainian Parliament is unseemly but not unprecedented. There was another fistfight in the Ukrainian Parliament in May, and one in the Italian Parliament last October.
We’re actually fortunate in the U.S., in that we haven’t had congressional fisticuffs since Rep. Preston Brooks (SC) attacked Sen. Charles Sumner (MA) in 1856. It was a Very Big Deal when Vice President Dick Cheney told Sen. Patrick Leahy “F*** yourself.”
Obviously, I disagree with the Yahoo commenters who say we need physical violence in the U.S. Congress. While I recognize the atavistic longing for a Strongman who can beat up anyone who gets in the way, I’d rather we meet that longing through superhero movies. The ability to pummel opponents into submission is not the same as the ability to reach a well-reasoned solution to a complex problem.
December 13, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Well, it’s not much more mature, but then again, there were quite a number of brawls in the early House of Representatives.
December 13, 2012 at 6:21 pm
I love the intro to the photos.
For just a brief moment as I was reading the links, I thought perhaps the US Congress might be a wee bit civilized by comparison. It only lasted a brief moment but then Capitol security here isn’t keeping out naked female protestors.
“My daddy could beat up your daddy” is not a good way to run a country. It’s immature but then probably in keeping with the approval rating of Congress.