Two Party Opera by Brian Carroll for February 06, 2023

I liked the one where Trump touted the “wonderful opportunity” afforded the little black girl… turns out it wasn’t paid for by government but by Betsy DeVos, advocate for government to sell off schools to corporations and churches.

For Jefferson, such pompous displays of rank belonged in the royal courts of Europe — not in the republic of the United States. Jefferson simply wrote his info in a letter and had Meriwether Lewis hand it to Congress.

“Hamilton and myself agreed at once that there was too much ceremony for the character of our government.” — Tho. Jefferson

He [the president] shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.

Jefferson’s wise precedent lasted for over 100 years, only to be broken by Mr. Pomposity himself, Woodrow Wilson, and every chief executive since.

Article II, Section 3: “He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient”. Jefferson offered his SOTU’s in Writing, until Woodrow Wilson, a True monarchal-type (not Adams), started the personal appearances in 1913. These days the SOTU is a media circus, highly politicized and used as a political cudgel.

Jefferson, in his 1801 written SOTU offered this full throated attack on the bloated Federal Governement and pointed out the proper role of the states.

“When we consider that this Government is charged with the external, and mutual relations only of these States; that the States themselves have principal care of our persons, our property, and our reputation, constituting the great field of human concerns, we may well doubt whether our organization is not too complicated, too expensive; whether offices and officers have not been multiplied unnecessarily and sometimes injuriously to the service they were meant to promote. I will cause to be laid before you an essay toward a statement of those who, under public employment of various kinds, draw money from the Treasury or from our citizens. Time has not permitted a perfect enumeration, the ramifications of office being too multiplied and remote to be completely traced in a first trial. Among those who are dependent on Executive discretion I have begun the reduction of what was deemed unnecessary. The expenses of diplomatic agency have been considerably diminished. The inspectors of internal revenue who were found to obstruct the accountability of the institution have been discontinued. Several agencies created by Executive authority, on salaries fixed by that also, have been suppressed, and should suggest the expediency of regulating that power by law, so as to subject its exercises to legislative inspection and sanction. …(continued below)

“….The inspectors of internal revenue who were found to obstruct the accountability of the institution have been discontinued. Several agencies created by Executive authority, on salaries fixed by that also, have been suppressed, and should suggest the expediency of regulating that power by law, so as to subject its exercises to legislative inspection and sanction. Other reformations of the same kind will be pursued with that caution which is requisite in removing useless things, not to injure what is retained. But the great mass of public offices is established by law, and therefore by law alone can be abolished. Should the Legislature think it expedient to pass this roll in review and try all its parts by the test of public utility, they may be assured of every aid and light which Executive information can yield. Considering the general tendency to multiply offices and dependencies and to increase expense to the ultimate term of burthen which the citizen can bear, it behooves us to avail ourselves of every occasion which presents itself for taking off the surcharge, that it never may be seen here that after leaving to labor the smallest portion of its earnings on which it can subsist, Government shall itself consume the whole residue of what it was instituted to guard.”

http://presidentialrhetoric.com/historicspeeches/jefferson/stateoftheunion.1801.html

“Our constitutions purport to be establishedby ‘the people,’ and, in theory, ‘all the people’consent to such government as the constitutions authorize.But this consent of ‘the people’ exists only in theory.It has no existence in fact.Government is in reality established by the few;and these few assume the consent of all the rest,without any such consent being actually given.”— Lysander Spooner(1808-1887) Political theorist, activist, abolitionist

The SOTU, big waste of time. The head guy elected from one side talks, his side cheers and applauds the other side sits and frowns. Then the media comes on to tell us what we just heard. I think that about sums it up.

Remember, whatever President Biden says, FAUX Noise and their talking head will HATE IT!

That’s what they are paid to do.

Nice, Mr. Carroll! I had to laugh when I saw Adams.

Followed by a long hashing and re-hashing of the speech designed to make certain nothing that was said was understood in any meaningful way. If Biden makes any gaffe, that will be the focal point on Faux News. 60% of the speech will be called lies by the Republicans. Maybe Biden should come out and say “Obviously, each of you have already made your own mind up about what state the Union is in, and nothing I can say will change your mind. That said, thanks for coming, good night”

Adams didn’t have the nickname “His Rotundity” for nothing……..

I hope McCarthy rips up Biden’s speech at the end. A nice tradition in civility :P

Of course, if there is anyone who is “aristocratical,” it sure as heck ain’t Adams living in his European-style mansion served by numerous slaves.

I suspect McCarthy will not be tearing up the speech behind the President, but then again, maybe he will be as petty as his predecessor.