In this season when we will celebrate the manipulative and double-crossing Squanto as a gift from God and a trustworthy go-between who brokered the first Thanksgiving, let us reflect on the meaning of legends in history.
Hoover doesn't deserve all of the ciriticism he has received, except what he gets for his technocratic and emotionally disconnected leadership in a time of crisis. Yet, the legend of history will always link his name to the Hoovervilles that bore his name. Similarly, although Obama, as you say, does not resemble FDR in any way except for his determination to inspire a can-do spirit, the pattern would be similar enough that any Democrat who followed a Hooveresque period of Republican leadership will be seen with a Rooseveltian shadow.
For this reason and many others, even though people persist in their attempts to call history a "social science", it will always be an art.
Current Events » in reply to re: Yeats is sublime
Historical drama
The whole thread (26 posts)
- The coming economic crisis will destroy the popularity of the Democrats for a long time,
- Don't bet on it.
- That seems to be the pattern for Dem presidents.
- OK...what's the *bad* news? (n/t)
- re: The coming economic crisis will destroy the popularity of the Democrats for a long time,