Tea at Trianon: Caravans

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Caravans

From TFP:

As three human caravans snake their way through Mexico, two different visions of America emerge. The first vision can be represented by several metaphors that reflect a materialistic, mechanical mindset. Thus, some see America as a giant shareholding company in which immigrants, legal or otherwise, are seen from a purely economic perspective of new workers or potential shareholders. Others might see America as a gigantic cruise ship where they invite immigrants to join a great party in which everyone chases after happiness. Everything is centered upon the individual and the frenetic pursuit of material well-being. This vision thrives in an atmosphere of unrestraint, sensations and emotions. It naturally finds resonance in liberal media and politics.

However, a second vision is represented by those who see America as a nation. Those in this latter group can evoke organic metaphors to express their view. Thus, we might say that America represents a community with a shared history, calling and set of social values. America is similar to a family that loves, shelters and nurtures its members. America is a special land that is the object of sovereignty, identity and patriotism. All these elements unite and forge us into a people. The emphasis of this vision is the symbiosis between a nation and its people. While including social cooperation, its foundations are cultural and spiritual values. The nation bestows blessings upon members but also exacts duties and sacrifices. These two visions clash in the present caravan debate. The caravans are just the latest expression of the dispute in the general public over what America should be as a nation. And they further divide and polarize the country. (Read more.)

julygirl said...: I am fed up with being preached to that we are a 'nation of immigrants', but we cannot become a refugee camp. Current immigration, as it has in the past, must follow procedures, as it did in the past.; November 15, 2018 at 2:17:00 PM EST