Wednesday, November 02, 2016

The Donald, the Guv'ner, and the Cottolene Salesman


Every so often the American political 'system' bloops out a monumentally idiotic and corrupt demagogue of a candidate for high office who nonetheless catches the public fancy.

As near as I can figure they seem to be a product of the times we live in.

Bear in mind we are not using the term "demagogue" as some sort of home made verb. We don't "demagogue" someone.

We shout them down, maybe.

Or ignore them. Or humiliate them. Or sometimes someone administers a course of treatment recommended by Doctor Colt.

They always come unglued, though.

While I was nosing around in my Black's Law Dictionary (4th ed. 1968) which wore out two or three lawyers before I got my mitts on it at a yard sale for a dollar I found this:

systematized delusion: One based on a false premise, pursued by a logical process of reasoning to an insane conclusion, there being one central delusion around which other aberrations of the mind converge.

Of course there is the closely associated folie a deux, which is a delusion shared by any number of associated individuals. It closely resembles a joint enterprise where the inventory is delusion.

Under the heading of 'delusion' generally there is the argument that Charles Guiteau did not assassinate President President Garfield, in fact the death of the president being contrary to Guiteau's intent.*

This age is no different and it has produced its wacko avatar-although one uses the term "system" with a large grain of salt like of the type put out for cattle.

The unifying  theme exploited by the candidates seems to be a broad based dissatisfaction with things as they are, coupled with a sneaking suspicion that it's all the fault of others in some vast conspiracy. No matter if it is the railroads, grain pit speculators, the Jews, the Masons, the Illuminati, the Knights Templar, the 'big banks' or the Negroes. Of such raw stock were 'segregation now, segregation tomorruh' George Corley Wallace, the Cottolene salesman Huey P. 'every man a king' Long, and this generation's deadbeat Donald "Make America great again" Trump.

Cottolene is an interesting insight into the minds of such folks, because Cottolene combined two waste products-tallow and cottonseed oil-and turned it into an allegedly edible shortening similar to Crisco. No doubt Cottolene gave people the trots, which adds body to the comparison between Cottolene and today's reincarnation of the Kingfish.

I've never been more ready to see a candidate sent back to the ignominy from whence he sprung than this one. It'll be over this time next week.

*note. this fellow insists that Charles Guiteau did not assassinate President Garfield, in fact the death of the president being contrary to Guiteau's intent. Of course this was the exact argument that Guiteau, a failed lawyer and frustrated office seeker, made. Contrary to this assertion is the fact that Guiteau spent six weeks obtaining a pistol and practicing with it, stalking the President, and making plans for a getaway which is prima facie evidence of conscious criminal intent. That's contrary to the general understanding in law that he who essays a criminal act owns the necessary and probable consequences of that act.

The case also posed an interesting jurisdictional question in that President Garfield was shot in Washington, D.C. but died three months later in Monmouth County, New Jersey.It was ruled that the murder occurred where the felonious blow was struck.

You can read about it here.http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/guiteau/guiteauapprev.h

1 Comments:

At 7:38 PM, Blogger Robert Luedeman semi retired attorney and amp mechanic said...

Was I ever wrong about this, too. Maybe I shouldn't quit my day job.

 

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