In today's Washington Post...
Mar. 12th, 2003 01:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
heidiThey profiled one of my favorite books in life - Josephine Tey's The Daughters of Time (and yes, Cassie, I like it more than Brat Farrar, despite the lack of cute boys). Winston Churchill disagreed with Tey's conclusions about Richard III, but they certainly have to prove food for thought about perspectives - both literary (i.e. Shakespeare as a writer, period) and historical (Shakespeare as a writer in a Tudor (i.e. Lancaster-descended regime).
Then again, as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
queerasjohn pointed out over the weekend in his post about the "butcher of Tianamenn Square, it's all a matter of spin anyway. Some congressman said over the weekend that all political protest (i.e. protest against the regime in power) is illegitimate and traitorous.
Well, of course it is... if you're Saddam Hussein, or the man who sent the tanks into Tianamenn. In other words, if it's traitorous to speak out against going to war against Iraq at this moment, and was likewise traitorous to speak out agains the Spanish-American War (hello, Mark Twain!), what is it when you're living in a democracy and speaking out against the decisions made by the government? In other words, would that congressman be so set against a French citizen who said that his government was losing face by not standing up with the United States?
Or would he invite him over, and ask him to bring some brie?
Then again, as
queerasjohn pointed out over the weekend in his post about the "butcher of Tianamenn Square, it's all a matter of spin anyway. Some congressman said over the weekend that all political protest (i.e. protest against the regime in power) is illegitimate and traitorous. Well, of course it is... if you're Saddam Hussein, or the man who sent the tanks into Tianamenn. In other words, if it's traitorous to speak out against going to war against Iraq at this moment, and was likewise traitorous to speak out agains the Spanish-American War (hello, Mark Twain!), what is it when you're living in a democracy and speaking out against the decisions made by the government? In other words, would that congressman be so set against a French citizen who said that his government was losing face by not standing up with the United States?
Or would he invite him over, and ask him to bring some brie?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
HUGE Propaganda.
Date: 2003-03-12 10:27 am (UTC)From a trailer for "The Pentagon Papers" on F/X: "If my most patriotic act is treason, so be it."
Every single colonist fighting for a new America was a traitor to the English crown.
Treason is defined by the winners.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-03-12 10:30 am (UTC)(For an entertaining spoof, see Elizabeth Peters' The Murders of Richard III, a murder mystery set at a meeting of Ricardian devotees...)
Every time I see US citizens making statements such as "protesting for peace means you're anti-American and treasonous!" I feel like pointing out the same home truth -- the US was founded on freedom of speech, even if you don't like what the other person is saying.
Of course, the fact that Congress' cafeteria is now serving "Freedom Fries" and "Freedom Toast" says much about their opinion of those who disagree with the US administration.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-03-12 10:35 am (UTC)Well, that's not 100% accurate - it's not Congress' opinion - it's the opinion of the one Congressman who has the power to mandate things in the restaurants & cafeterias there. It's not like there was a vote - not even a committee vote...
(no subject)
Date: 2003-03-12 11:09 am (UTC)My favorite is how people forget that the damn country was founded on dissent. Le sigh.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-03-12 11:33 am (UTC)Sorry, but must pester for correct spelling in this instance. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-03-12 11:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-03-12 11:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-03-12 12:02 pm (UTC)CUTE BOYS IN BRAT FARRAR. MUCH BETTER BOOK. WOOT.
Daughter of Time - damn fine book
Date: 2003-03-12 02:45 pm (UTC)If you every get a chance to read them, Horace Walpole wrote a defence of Richard in the 18thC, Historic Doubts on the life and Reign of Richard the Third and then in 1984 (500th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth) Channel 4 did a very good mock trial of Richard (with David Starkey doing his usual pro-Tudor stuff), called the Trial of Richard III. It was introduced by HRH the Duke of Gloucester, the first Richard Gloucester since good old Dick himself, and he was a second son who was never expected to become duke - long are the shadows cast by history.
I've always rather hoped against hope that it was Buckingham wot done it, but realistically, as a Medieval Studies graduate, I'd probably have to plump for Richard, with the caveat that he was a good king and England at the time couldn't have survived a minority ruler.
P.S. Regarding traitors, Henry VII tried to backdate his reign to the day before the Battle of Bosworth so he could declare all those who had fought with Richard and thereby seize their assets if they had any. In the strike for democracy (given the limited democracy in medieval England), Parliament refused to back him on this, and he had to back-down and date his reign from the end of the battle.
Re: Daughter of Time - damn fine book
Date: 2003-03-12 02:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-03-12 03:01 pm (UTC)I am amused, however, that the French ambassador's only comment is that French Fries are really Belgian. ;)
*wishing I had some pommes frites right now...*
Re:
Date: 2003-03-12 04:10 pm (UTC)Really? Oh, that's wonderful! Way to be dignified and remind Congress what idiots they are at the same time. Brilliant, I say.
And I'd each french fries except no solid food for me. :(
(no subject)
Date: 2003-03-12 07:05 pm (UTC)