The Speech
"Are we live? Good. Just keep it rolling. You know what? Just take a step back and enjoy the show. Yeah, move! I'm okay. Don't worry about it. Back! Git! Move! That's better."
The President was looking across a polished desk and smiled his toothy trademark grin. Lots of teeth. All neatly stacked beside each other. There was something eerie about it, like a bunch of ghostly white tombstones being illuminated by a patrol car during a moonless night. There was also a Smith & Wesson Model 28 lying on top of the leather blotter, but you should ignore it for now. Like the big red button on the other side of the table.
For a while, he just sat there in silence, with pearls of sweat running down his forehead. Not necessarily because of stress—he was rather relaxed, actually—but due to the hot studio lights blasting him from all sides. Karen, the president's nervous makeup artist, was hanging on the sidelines and looked like she was bracing herself for a 100-meter dash. Any time she was about to launch, the president would gaze at her and shake his head before she could make another step. He was a dynamic man, especially in times like these.
"I've spent my career smiling. I don't even know why. I guess it's just one of those little lies. By all accounts, you shouldn't trust me, but here I am smiling like I mean it. I don't. Hell, I can't think of many politicians that do. It's smoke and mirrors because we know you -want- to be lied to. You don't want the truth—you want comfort. So you trust me because you like to think I have your best interests at heart."
His smile was gone.
"I sign kill lists for breakfast. Then I watch the weather report. I don't even think about it. I've killed women, children, the elderly, all kinds of innocents in the name of progress, tradition, God. My progress. I bamboozled you into compliance, and if you stand in my way, I'll kill you too. If you're lucky. That's how it goes. There are no friends in politics, only interests. You should've realized that by now. So what are you going to do?"
The president took up the gun and pointed it at the camera. A few crew members started pushing their backs against the wall and slowly shuffled into opposite directions, away from that muzzle of his.
"See this gun? That's a .357 double-action Magnum. Six rounds."
He cocked the revolver with his thumb.
"You think there's a difference between me and a stickup man? I'd shove this barrel up your ass and have you bite on it. I don't care. I want my money, and I want it now! Don't got any? Too bad." click
He pulled the trigger and caused everybody in the room to flinch. Then he placed the gun back onto the table.
"Yesterday I woke up. It was the middle of the night. Susy was still sleeping, probably dreaming about curtains. I don't know, don't care. We stopped loving each other a long time ago, if we ever did at all. It was just a convenient arrangement, and we kept supporting each other, for the higher good. Our good. Meanwhile, I fucked more interns than the average HR department, and she joined a coven."
The president raised an eyebrow.
"So I woke up, and I was feeling like... I just felt doomed. In my bones, I knew I was going to hell. Not just because of the things I've done, but in a general sense of my very being. There's a permanent stain on my soul and no possible chance for redemption. It was never even an option. Part of me thinks we're in hell already, you and me. A trash heap for God's broken toys."
He grinned and raised his chin in defiance.
"Nonetheless, I've decided to end this on my own terms. I know who I am, I know what I did for power, but I'm tired. The kind of tired sleep can't fix. That said, granted I'm an evil son of a bitch, but part of me likes the idea of toppling this house of cards and ruining the game in the process. Not because I could be redeemed, but because it makes me feel powerful. A final act of mutually assured destruction. I'm going to take down this whole corrupt machine, and then maybe something new might arise from its ashes. One last march towards annihilation, together."
The president squinted and went on.
"I'm sure by there's angry orders being screamed into telphones, and armed men are being on their way, but for now, we've got a little time. Just call this number, and we'll talk. Random callers will be selected—none of you will be screened."
The President looked over to his loyal assistant James, who was standing in one of the corners wearing a headset.
"Do we have any calls yet?"
James nodded and pointed his arm at the phone. GO!
This is exactly what I thought when I read your post yesterday, that you are American with a big smile 😁
But back to the story, it is indeed true, how it became in America, it is more show rather than reality, the politician know long ago what people want to hear, that is the trick that even for Trump made it possible to come for the second run . Actually it makes me scared to know how sometimes people light-headed and naive when making an important decision and elect the person number#1 for their country.
It is just a show and game, some can play well and get over it after one or often two periods of their Presidency some just one time.
What is running at present time is like an action movie, we hope for the better end of it in November :)
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Oh, most of what I write comes with a wink, so I'm not above smiling on principle (just doing most of it internally).
I'm not sure if we as people are any better than the Americans. Obviously, the U.S. has its own unique issues and challenges, but American society is still a good predictor of our own future. I suppose part of it might be a self-fulfilling prophecy, considering how we are more or less intentionally following in their footsteps. They're the cultural hegemon and aren't necessarily into... how shall I put this... carving our own path? Sure, we've got our own trailblazers and innovators, but they're few and far between, and I always thought there's something phony about "us" taking credit for their accomplishments. Much of that feels more like a despite rather than a because.
In terms of politics and our own media, I guess some of the same principles apply. We're devolving into some kind of vibe democracy that's obsessed with the packaging rather than the actual contents. Partisan appeals to emotion, wanting to be part of the winning team, brands, and carefully crafted narratives meant to accomplish certain goals. Take Christian Lindner, for instance. I remember some old report about him as a younger man, still in school at the time, driving his leased Mercedes around and lecturing the viewer about being a "business consultant." All while wearing a cow-pattern tie, like some pathetic attempt at individuality. Frankly, it was a lot of horse shit, and I'm pretty sure his business went insolvent not much later, but really he was just developing his skills as a politician. Style over substance, just bamboozle them with confidence.
It's the same really with most of our politicians being lawyers who are doing lawyer things, rather than "ordinary citizens" who just step up temporarily and then go back to their regular jobs. The Americans, for that matter, at least have term limits for their presidents. That said, I'm aware technically the Bundespräsident does as well, but the chancellor could rule indefinitely as long as he manages to consolidate power. Clever coalition making, good branding, effective narratives, and so on. Especially when you're dealing with an ideologically possessed/biased type of media.
I love the idea of checks and balances, but essentially it seems like we've been dealing with a shadow version of that concept. Like instead of preventing bad people from capturing democracy, we're creating artificial boundaries to keep normal people out. So I guess you're expected to play ball, or you're not playing at all. You know what I'm saying?
Don't take this as an endorsement of the political right, the AfD makes my skin crawl. What I like is Kant's idea of a philosophical enlightenment. Enlightenment being the... what is the translation... escape from self-caused immaturity. Immaturity being the inability to think for yourself without the guidance of others. Always got a kick out of that. Not a great Kant scholar, but I know that one. Kant also talks about how encouraging immaturity always backfires and turns against those who've been propagating it. That seems to be happening in America right now.
Sorry for the ramble, that one came naturally :-)
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I agree with you, US is a country of extreme contrast even in politics both inner and outer, maybe that is a reason why we see them more than we see ourselves. I believe every country and politic of each country has its own good and bad side.
Often in politics we see people who from beginning on decided to go to politics, like for example in UK Boris Johnson and David Cameron both graduated from Oxford and took part in debating club, such universities like Oxford and Cambridge are well known for that.
As to German election, it is a bit different people vote for Party and then party will choose their leader, it was of course a lucky turn for Angie that CDU had majority from 2005-21 and so she was chosen.
Whatever Party will come to power in Germany I hope that not AfD, it was concerning to see that they got more % recently but with Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht now seems everything slightly shifted to left :)
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Didn't they also visit Eton? If it was just the universities it would be one thing, but then there's the whole notion of having elite boarding schools on top of that. Wouldn't be surprised if there was some Ivy League equivalent for kindergardens somewhere.
Also I remember some supposed scandal reminisant of Black Mirror, involving David Cameron and a pig's head. It really does seem like they're potty training sociopaths for a life of blackmail and hidden agendas. It just is what it is, I guess.
I know technically we Germans vote for parties, but essentially it's still a popularity contest. The Americans for that matter at least have their primaries with debates and all that jazz, where registered voters decide upon the candidates (at least in theory – neverminding thing like superdelegates). Our parties just announce their candidates and the average German doesn't have say in it, or not in terms of them following a formal protocol. Same in context of the coalition making, unless they're feeling generous and ask their registered base (or rather their own version of superdelegates).
Sarhra Wagenknecht seems much preferable to AfD. In some way it just seems like the culmination of the SPD consistently refusing to reform, starting way back when disgruntled party members created the WASG. And they've been bleeding voters ever since. The whole absorbtion of said WASG by the PDS into the LINKE was more or less just a detour. Either way I think the SPD destroyed itself for a few breadcrumps of power being the poodle of the CDU during the era of the big coalition. Well, instead of actually reforming itself.
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I actually needed to check again about Cameron and Johnson, seems they both met and studied in Eton but then later in Balliol College of Oxford Uni, that is why I was thinking about Oxford, because I remember the famous photo:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_Bullingdon_Club_photograph
That was all in newspaper at the time of Brexit and also it is on special board of graduates of Oxford. Anyhow, the politicians often met long ago their political carrier. I remember that scandal with Cameron, there is also a movie about that, can't believe that sometimes such things happening. Often journalist can dig out such nasty stuff, it is quite bad here with press.
Politic is a hard job in any country, I never envy them but someone has to do it.
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Yeah, the british press seems to be something else. We've got some rags but not that hungry heyena type of gutter press. Might be an extension of british banter culture, in a weird way.
Politics is a hard job, no doubt about that. You must be crazy to volunteer for that, which seems to be part of the issue. Makes me think of The Thick of It, especially in context of the UK.
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Thanks man!
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My guess is he was an actor for toothpaste before or he was one of that dentist couple showing their teeth just like aggressive or threatened dogs do. It's a sign you better back off before he hits that button.
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Ha! wish I would've thought of that. It does make sense in context.
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You know what? Part of the time I have no idea what I wrote.. Good I can check it before I answer. Script writing is posted!
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