"In my opinion, the presidency should be a non-partisan position." I must agree, but sadly I don't see it anytime soon. Big noise currently wins over calm messaging, hyperbolic over reasoned and measured thought. Thanks again, Dave, good "At Large."
My knee-jerk reaction to this article was that there's a reason why nearly every culture and society throughout human history looked (and looks) to it's elders for wisdom and leadership. As I read Dave's thoughts on the founding fathers, it made me wonder whether they might have foreseen some of the problems we've become so mired in if they had been older (and wiser). Who knows?
Nevertheless, I have to admit that Dave's analysis of the Covid debacle was pretty compelling. I can't say it changed my mind, but it sure as hell broadened my perspective. He convinced me we need a healthy balance between the open creativity of youth and the tempered perspective of age.
I like where your mind is going, David. Maybe we need something like 'public servants emeritus', where people who have been skilled in government would cycle out with term limitations, but remain in the loop for occasional consultations. Non-voting influencers, freed of their duty to either party, and able to be objective and frank.
Excellent essay. Listening to young people make music the other night, I thought about all the subtle differences between generations within a genre. No question that they bring perception and skill to the table that we don't have. No question also that they need us. I love the idea also of a non-partisan President of the country. What a difference that would make.
Some well considered thoughts. Thanks Dave. Politics is entertainment now. They say you shouldn't fully embrace nihilism and cynicism, but we have no choice. Dave, you have too big of a heart. As Cormac McCarthy wrote in No Country For Old Men: "You fix what you can fix and you let the rest go. If there ain't nothin to be done about it it aint even a problem. It's just aggravation."
If one can only conquer one habit of mind, it should be cynicism. Obviously, in spite of my swiping his title, I'm not a fan of Cormac McCarthy. Thanks for the comment, Tyler.
"In my opinion, the presidency should be a non-partisan position." I must agree, but sadly I don't see it anytime soon. Big noise currently wins over calm messaging, hyperbolic over reasoned and measured thought. Thanks again, Dave, good "At Large."
My knee-jerk reaction to this article was that there's a reason why nearly every culture and society throughout human history looked (and looks) to it's elders for wisdom and leadership. As I read Dave's thoughts on the founding fathers, it made me wonder whether they might have foreseen some of the problems we've become so mired in if they had been older (and wiser). Who knows?
Nevertheless, I have to admit that Dave's analysis of the Covid debacle was pretty compelling. I can't say it changed my mind, but it sure as hell broadened my perspective. He convinced me we need a healthy balance between the open creativity of youth and the tempered perspective of age.
Another great insight Dave.
I like where your mind is going, David. Maybe we need something like 'public servants emeritus', where people who have been skilled in government would cycle out with term limitations, but remain in the loop for occasional consultations. Non-voting influencers, freed of their duty to either party, and able to be objective and frank.
Excellent essay. Listening to young people make music the other night, I thought about all the subtle differences between generations within a genre. No question that they bring perception and skill to the table that we don't have. No question also that they need us. I love the idea also of a non-partisan President of the country. What a difference that would make.
Some well considered thoughts. Thanks Dave. Politics is entertainment now. They say you shouldn't fully embrace nihilism and cynicism, but we have no choice. Dave, you have too big of a heart. As Cormac McCarthy wrote in No Country For Old Men: "You fix what you can fix and you let the rest go. If there ain't nothin to be done about it it aint even a problem. It's just aggravation."
If one can only conquer one habit of mind, it should be cynicism. Obviously, in spite of my swiping his title, I'm not a fan of Cormac McCarthy. Thanks for the comment, Tyler.