Too sexy for mundane tasks
I briefly watched CNN International this morning and one of the pundits mentioned that John McCain won the Florida primary.
One of the analysts working alongside him mentioned that "just a few months ago, John McCain was [gasp] carrying his own luggage in the airport. This is an important win that will certainly help bring in new funds through donations." (approximate dialogue)
Could you imagine if politicos had to waste their time making their own lunches or horror of horrors, drive their own vehicles?
Politics on a pedestal
Speaking of favoritism, when the American embassy in Saigon was being over run by the VC, Hubert Van Es photographed the hectic scene at the top of the compound. Droves of people fought in vane to climb aboard helicopters. Contrary to conventional wisdom, these weren't military aircraft, rather these were hueys operated by the CIA funded organization: Air America.
Among other things Air America was responsible for transporting secret diplomatic delegations, conducting clandestine military operations and running drugs throughout Indochina. All at the expense of the taxpayer and to the sole benefit of the political class.
See also: Air America (the film), American Gangster, and Khun Sa.
Comments (4)
Matthew Graybosch
Mel Brooks said it best in History of the World, Part 1: "It's good to be the king." Why be shocked when the ruling class takes advantage of its position and creates a private law (which is the literal meaning of the word "privilege") that benefits them at the expense of everybody else? The purpose of statism is the creation and perpetuation of privilege.
Published: January 30, 2008 9:05 AM
TLWP Sam
He also said the same quip in Robin Hood: Men In Tights. :P
Published: January 30, 2008 10:05 AM
P.M.Lawrence
Actually, originally privileges weren't all for one group at others' expense. Originally, every group had privileges - different ones - so everyone had something to lose and a stake in the established order. For instance, the aristocracy couldn't engage in trade, only merchants could, and even the peasants had rights in common land; they could keep animals on the local common while the aristocracy could not.
Published: January 31, 2008 3:40 AM
P.M.Lawrence
"Among other things Air America was responsible for transporting secret diplomatic delegations, conducting clandestine military operations and running drugs throughout Indochina. All at the expense of the taxpayer and to the sole benefit of the political class." [emphasis added]
That does not happen to be the case. My father, a British businessman, was on the last flight out of Biafra, where he had gone on business to batten down the hatches on a department store for the duration; that (he found out later, to his discomfiture, because he might have been arrested as a spy) was a CIA flight of that sort, taking regular passengers as cover. The next man out had to spend weeks paddling through the back creeks in a canoe.
Published: January 31, 2008 3:46 AM