But after checking up upon the 'bona fides' of the subject of a potential blogpost bouquet...and suffering severe disappointment...to wit federal Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton...I'm going awol for the forseeable...
...though I'll have some good things to say about him - in two/three highly specific areas only - in an upcoming blogpost (or this one, when I get back to it)...
...vis-a-vis his - onetime - views upon the internet; a resolution he helped advance/promote/support in staunch defence of China's persecuted 'Wega' people; the ever fraught and contentious issue of abortion; and the 'ad hominem' anti-Christian modus operandi of the mainstream (Western) media...
...though in light of a long-gestating opinion piece I'm hoping to have published sometime soon here in NZ I do believe that at times the credibility of individual politicians - especially those laying claim to integrity they are palpably deficient in - is not akin to such ad hominem 'attacks' or for that matter character assassination...
...for at times the real, unvarnished presentation of the full doss upon folk is indeed imperative...
...as could also be said, in fact, vis-a-vis the aforementioned Senator Cotton's apparent acclaim for none other than *Henry Kissinger; for myself and fellow kiwis, perhaps the best-known then living 70s American politician (alongside Richard Milhaus Nixon, of course). For though he might well write well and interestingly, I'd personally ever and always want to attach a strong and unmistakable, uncategorical caveat to any sort of accolade bestowed in the direction of that particular 'gentleman'...
...for all sorts of almost innumerable reasons...
...though an intelligent, astute politician par excellence Kissinger most assuredly was, carrying the now well-worn 'art-form' of realpolitik to new heights (or rather depths), so much so that no less personage than the 'great' Machiavelli himself would undoubtedly have been duly proud of him...
Postscript - vis-a-vis budding presidential hopeful Joe Biden...
Only to say...the former Vice-President (over the weekend, New Zealand time) gave what can only be described as an admirable, spirited, comprehensive and deeply heartfelt, un-PR spin-saturated, authentic to bits 'mea culpa' the other day...not once claiming he'd never done wrong in regards to the obvious, nor that these alleged incidents hadn't occurred - in itself a wholly refreshing contrast from el usual media 'suspects'...
Though I might have more to say in the future, said incident brings back memories of former NZ PM Key's own 'ponytailgate'...
...except that said deep and meaningful apology by Mr Biden has unfortunately been somewhat - as in severely! - since undermined, and in no uncertain terms to boot, by a flippant, throwaway, 'jokey', offhand remark - about his past behaviour (of being 'out there' in terms of the open affection he ever showed - and moreover couldn't help showing - as an essential part of his character) - he has since made at another pre-campaign meeting/rally or the like...
The old adage of 'adding insult to injury', of 'quitting while one's ahead', and of 'stop(ping) digging oneself a deeper hole', all spring readily to mind...
More's the pity, because though Bernie Sanders would be my personal choice - despite my inability, for (recently) previously blogposted reasons, to cast my vote for him myself (presuming I do vote, which, as a dual American citizen - and moreover, citizen of the world, a world ever dominated in so many important respects by the United States of America - I am certainly legally entitled to)...
'Joe Biden's the man' - no, not in some old-fashioned patriarchal sense whereby prospective female candidates are not even given the time of day to stand, much less ever stand a real chance of gaining their party's coveted nomination - in this sense only, and in particular: he's the **only adult in the room. (**Alongside (would-be 'Colonel'-in-Chief) Sanders, that is!)
Yes, and that despite his well-known and publicly acknowledged - including by Biden himself - flaws. foibles and even outright, full-scale failures...-it's the man's humanity that makes him so personable, endearing, and even lovable (as a politician, you understand!)
End of story...or as I might more usually sign off, 'nuff said'!
*HK's writing anyway, if not necessarily the person himself.
...though I'll have some good things to say about him - in two/three highly specific areas only - in an upcoming blogpost (or this one, when I get back to it)...
...vis-a-vis his - onetime - views upon the internet; a resolution he helped advance/promote/support in staunch defence of China's persecuted 'Wega' people; the ever fraught and contentious issue of abortion; and the 'ad hominem' anti-Christian modus operandi of the mainstream (Western) media...
...though in light of a long-gestating opinion piece I'm hoping to have published sometime soon here in NZ I do believe that at times the credibility of individual politicians - especially those laying claim to integrity they are palpably deficient in - is not akin to such ad hominem 'attacks' or for that matter character assassination...
...for at times the real, unvarnished presentation of the full doss upon folk is indeed imperative...
...as could also be said, in fact, vis-a-vis the aforementioned Senator Cotton's apparent acclaim for none other than *Henry Kissinger; for myself and fellow kiwis, perhaps the best-known then living 70s American politician (alongside Richard Milhaus Nixon, of course). For though he might well write well and interestingly, I'd personally ever and always want to attach a strong and unmistakable, uncategorical caveat to any sort of accolade bestowed in the direction of that particular 'gentleman'...
...for all sorts of almost innumerable reasons...
...though an intelligent, astute politician par excellence Kissinger most assuredly was, carrying the now well-worn 'art-form' of realpolitik to new heights (or rather depths), so much so that no less personage than the 'great' Machiavelli himself would undoubtedly have been duly proud of him...
Postscript - vis-a-vis budding presidential hopeful Joe Biden...
Only to say...the former Vice-President (over the weekend, New Zealand time) gave what can only be described as an admirable, spirited, comprehensive and deeply heartfelt, un-PR spin-saturated, authentic to bits 'mea culpa' the other day...not once claiming he'd never done wrong in regards to the obvious, nor that these alleged incidents hadn't occurred - in itself a wholly refreshing contrast from el usual media 'suspects'...
Though I might have more to say in the future, said incident brings back memories of former NZ PM Key's own 'ponytailgate'...
...except that said deep and meaningful apology by Mr Biden has unfortunately been somewhat - as in severely! - since undermined, and in no uncertain terms to boot, by a flippant, throwaway, 'jokey', offhand remark - about his past behaviour (of being 'out there' in terms of the open affection he ever showed - and moreover couldn't help showing - as an essential part of his character) - he has since made at another pre-campaign meeting/rally or the like...
The old adage of 'adding insult to injury', of 'quitting while one's ahead', and of 'stop(ping) digging oneself a deeper hole', all spring readily to mind...
More's the pity, because though Bernie Sanders would be my personal choice - despite my inability, for (recently) previously blogposted reasons, to cast my vote for him myself (presuming I do vote, which, as a dual American citizen - and moreover, citizen of the world, a world ever dominated in so many important respects by the United States of America - I am certainly legally entitled to)...
'Joe Biden's the man' - no, not in some old-fashioned patriarchal sense whereby prospective female candidates are not even given the time of day to stand, much less ever stand a real chance of gaining their party's coveted nomination - in this sense only, and in particular: he's the **only adult in the room. (**Alongside (would-be 'Colonel'-in-Chief) Sanders, that is!)
Yes, and that despite his well-known and publicly acknowledged - including by Biden himself - flaws. foibles and even outright, full-scale failures...-it's the man's humanity that makes him so personable, endearing, and even lovable (as a politician, you understand!)
End of story...or as I might more usually sign off, 'nuff said'!
*HK's writing anyway, if not necessarily the person himself.
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