Libertarian Times

I've been incredibly busy lately, so I have time to get up and watch Morning Joe, which is the best news show on at that time, which says a lot about the quality of news shows. This morning, Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Meacham and Evan Thomas were on, then the authors of The President's Club, to honor 4th of July week by talking about wartime presidents. Scarborough is awed by presidential history, especially the most dictatorial, as it seems are all in the political class.

As I listened to the stories told by the historians and the pundits, it struck me that these men they discussed were mostly egotistical, petty, control-freakish, fame-seekers who were able to manipulate others with the power they possessed by virtue of the office and the power we've given the office. They started wars that some historians, less awed by the office, have shown to be unnecessary wars, and were largely started for political reasons rather than reasons of national security. As an aside, though, can you imagine what rational, non-political, historians will write about the Democrats' and the media's attempts to glorify the killing of Osama bin Laden -- a decrepit old man alone with his multiple wives in a run down compound, shot in the eye by a Seal team? They will find it amusing that many are currently equating it with true acts of presidential valor.

We've glorified presidents long enough -- we need better, less awed, historians to write about presidents. The Morning Joe crew all praised FDR and LBJ, two of the most statist, controlling, manipulative presidents to date, although neither represent what America stands for. Inventors, entrepreneurs, American workers, scientists, artists, all are far more interesting and far more more important to what molded the greatness of America, in spite of the damage done by presidents.