 | It's standard fare in political discourse to deride such-or-such government action as a joke, or to dismiss some politician or other as a clown. But there may be even more truth to these epithets than is commonly realized.
In ancient Rome, satirist Juvenal lamented that the citizens had given up their civic responsibilities and liberties in exchange for free food and entertainment -- "bread and circuses". Today, it seems, government is the circus, with the bread going mainly to feed the clowns and their friends. |
Alas, there's only so much that the rational and productive among us can do to change the nature of politics and government, and to slow, let alone reverse, the creeping encroachments on our liberty and resources. So we might as well at least take the dysfunctions of government as a source of entertainment and get as many laughs out of them as we can.
With the Clown of the Day Award, Juvenal recognizes those on the public payroll for the entertainment they provide for us. The Award won't be bestowed every day, (although certainly there's enough material to draw from). But from time to time, Juvenal will acknowledge a "public servant" who has performed a noteworthy act of foolishness, dishonesty, incompetence, corruption, waste of public resources, abuse of citizens, violation of the public trust, or for being a useless but meddlesome nuisance under the guise of trying to help us, etc.
On with the show. Post your nominations for the first Clown of the Day in the comments, please.
Posted by Juvenal at June 25, 2008 10:36 AM | Email ThisThese people are over the top, certifiably, flipping crazy... and Americans are letting them run the country????
Get a grip AMERICA!!!
SIDEBAR: I'm not blaming the Tribes here: They are playing the game to their maximum advantage; and even if this smells hugely of quid pro quo there is no credible evidence in the public domain that they the Tribes violated the law. But even if no law was explicitly broken, that does NOT shield the Gov from responsibility and culpability in this instance.
Posted by: Methow Ken on June 25, 2008 12:19 PMVery well written. Good Job!
Posted by: Richard on June 25, 2008 12:46 PM/cowers in corner at the thought of Pennywise
Posted by: Palouse on June 25, 2008 12:49 PM
Vote for Borat you racists!
In this analogy the bull riders are the liberal establishment, riding on the backs of the bulls (the people), while exploiting the bull as much as possible so the riders can demonstrate their power and control over the dumb animals.
The clown represents the liberal mainstream media, that works to deceive and distract the bulls (the people) keeping the bull riders (the liberal establishment) safe and able to mount the next bulls to ride again.
Posted by: Reality on June 25, 2008 03:14 PMBoth left and right have their clowns.
For the left, it is the fear of global warming. It is a problem they can't solve, but they will tax us, and violate our liberty, and enhance their own power while telling us they are doing something about it, though they never will.
For the right, it is the Iraq war. We can't impose democracy or peace on a people who want neither. It is a fool's errand. But the right sells us fear, and tells us they can protect us, when they can't, and our occupation and meddling in the Middle East (which predates the invasion by decades) caused the problem in the first place.
Reality @ 19 is right on as well.
Posted by: Bruce Guthrie on June 27, 2008 10:40 PM