Feb 19Liked by Justin Stapley, Jonathan Meilaender
Excellent piece. This is a movie made for our times though we have forgotten. Robert Shaw’s frenetic speech to More under the tree reminds me greatly of Trump’s phone call to Raffensperger.
You must also notice that had More taken the advice of Roper and arrested Rich, he may well have saved his own skin. More’s restraint is the foundation of liberalism but it killed him in a society bereft of such quaint notions. Donald Trump would call him a sucker, as I pointed out here:
We have forgotten that restraint and shared power is a vital component of our republic. We are all Boromir, dreaming of what we might do should someone but lend us the ring. When Sam told Galadriel that she should take the ring and she would quickly set things right, she said:
“I would. That is how it would begin. But it would not stop with that, alas!”
Feb 19Liked by Justin Stapley, Jonathan Meilaender
I think there are a couple of different types of people, Jonathan, and you and I (and probably most other readers) are one type, but many people aren’t. I agree with everything you wrote, perhaps most especially your conclusion. To us, the price of sniveling and groveling (for what? It’s not clear. A few more years of being “in the conversation?”) seems absurdly high. It’s almost an easy choice. If we care a great deal about our integrity and very little about the trappings of success, why on earth would we make decisions like so many in Trump’s orbit have made.
To other people, it’s almost an easy choice the other way. Tim Scott’s decision makes no sense to you and me, but it makes a lot of sense to them.
Excellent piece. This is a movie made for our times though we have forgotten. Robert Shaw’s frenetic speech to More under the tree reminds me greatly of Trump’s phone call to Raffensperger.
You must also notice that had More taken the advice of Roper and arrested Rich, he may well have saved his own skin. More’s restraint is the foundation of liberalism but it killed him in a society bereft of such quaint notions. Donald Trump would call him a sucker, as I pointed out here:
https://thebelltower.org/blog/f/the-tragedy-of-liberalism
We have forgotten that restraint and shared power is a vital component of our republic. We are all Boromir, dreaming of what we might do should someone but lend us the ring. When Sam told Galadriel that she should take the ring and she would quickly set things right, she said:
“I would. That is how it would begin. But it would not stop with that, alas!”
I think there are a couple of different types of people, Jonathan, and you and I (and probably most other readers) are one type, but many people aren’t. I agree with everything you wrote, perhaps most especially your conclusion. To us, the price of sniveling and groveling (for what? It’s not clear. A few more years of being “in the conversation?”) seems absurdly high. It’s almost an easy choice. If we care a great deal about our integrity and very little about the trappings of success, why on earth would we make decisions like so many in Trump’s orbit have made.
To other people, it’s almost an easy choice the other way. Tim Scott’s decision makes no sense to you and me, but it makes a lot of sense to them.
“Be brave while courage is cheap.”
A very important and underrated truth.