The Fire Below

George W. Bush up to and in his early years as President believed he had the God-given right to be leader of the Free World. He might have been right and had that right. Even if not, his delusions of and allusions to grandeur are still understandable. If you have a taste and indeed a driving necessity for acceptance and ratification why not shoot for the top, particularly when that of the literal and paternal definition of “our father” has been less than forthcoming? George then took one step further in making it abundantly clear, particularly in the setting of social and foreign policies, that the will of the American electorate (twice) is somewhat secondary to that of God (interpreted). So young men and women die in Iraq and malformed foetuses do not. Such is the will of George W. Bush with God side-lined in apparent compliant silence. Or is God that silent? Might we now think that He has finally lost patience with his self-proclaimed protégé? That the problems now besetting the Bush Presidency may in fact be God-Given? One can of course exclude the man-made that eroded the electorate’s faith in the current President—they include the scandals that resulted in the resignation of so many in his administration and contributed to the departure of “good people” whose belief turned to disgust. But then we have natural events such as the hurricane that destroyed New Orleans, and now the fires of California. Were they sent by God to teach Bush a lesson? It is humbling and somewhat frightening to think so, but the answer, of course, is probably not. However, allow me my flight of fantasy. And allow me to go even further: would it not be interesting to think that with the “Bush fires” of California, as tragic as they are, God is now saying to Bush, “Look, I have named these fires after you as parting gift. Now, get the Hell out of the White House before I really lose My cool?”


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A Penny: For My Thoughts

In days or yore when men were bold and women told, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Duchess of Aquitaine and Gascony and Countess of Poitou (1122^[1] – April 1, 1204) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in the world. She was Queen consort of both France (to Louis VII) and England (to Henry II) and later mother of two kings of England, Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland.

But, though some may argue in favour of Boadicea, it was not until much later, with the reign of Elizabeth I, that we have a woman rule in her own right. We then fast forward millennia, passing such personages as Catherine (The Great, as experienced by her horse) and Victoria (as experienced by John “what’s up Maam” Brown) to arrive at Penny Webster.

Penny is the first female mayor of Rodney District. She was elected last Saturday and the result confirmed last Wednesday. She will be sworn in next Thursday; I shall be in attendance, not as I had hoped as one of her councillors but as one of here advisors. I missed out on an election—not by much, but enough. A miss, as they say, is as good as a smisle.

Penny will be good for this district. She is open, honest, articulate and intelligent. She is at present conciliatory and compassionate in extending an olive branch and building bridges to those who fought against her and lost. I personally would neither damage the tree nor pay for the bridge; neither is worth it. But I am also neither a Penny nor, clearly, even the full quid when attracting popular appeal to myself.

Nevertheless I am told I am deserving of some satisfaction for having helped deliver what many are now predicting will be the most unified Council this district has seen in 21 years. As for me, neither the Queen Maker nor Svengali I be, a mere functionary is the allotted role for me. But I am at the feet of the seat of power, and the view from here is not at all bad. I am quietly content.

My thanks and love to Maggie for patiently husbanding me through this electoral process at and during a time when she needed and deserved to see more of me.

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