American Dinosaur

The More Things Change.....

The more they stay the same.

In the last week of one of the worst election cyles I have ever witnessed, I bring your this quote from John Adams about the arrogance of politicans:

"The longer I live and the more I see of public men, the more I wish to be a private one. Modesty is a virtue that can never thrive in public. Modest merit! Is there such a thing remaining in public life? It is now become a maxim with some, who are even men of merit, that the world esteems a man in proportion as he esteems himself.....I am often astonished at the boldness with which persons make their pretensions. A man must be his own trumpeter, he must write or dictate paragraphs of praise in the newspapers: he must dress, have a retinue and equipage: he must ostentatiously publish to the world his own writing in his own name....he must get his picture drawn, his statue made, and must hire all the artists in his turn to set about works to spread his name, make the mob stare and gape and perpetuate his fame."

Written in 1779, long before the likes of Clinton or Kerry or any of the other assorted arrogant politicans from both sides of the aisle. It clearly demonstrates that we have not really gotten very far in all these years. How I loathe those who make this public prostitution their calling.

Quote taken from John Adams by David McCullough