Two Addresses

The Gettysburg’s Address, 1863

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The Washington Address, 2011

Two centuries, three decades and five years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty for landowners, and dedicated to the proposition that all white men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great economic war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived yet so divided, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of Washington, D.C. We have come to contribute a minute portion of our wealth, as a last resort for those who have lost everything they owned that the rich of the nation might get richer. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this but no more.
Yes, in a larger sense, we will not contribute more. We can not support, we can not encourage, this group. The foolish men, living and dead, who lived on credit, have maintained economic level, far above our poor power to sustain or destroy. The world will little note, nor long remember what little we do for them here, but it can never forget how they consumed here. It is for us the thriving, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who withered here have thus far so naively advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that, from these misguided heroes we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave their last borrowed cent-that we here highly resolve that these impoverished souls shall not have lost their all in vain- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom for the wealthy- and that government of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations, shall not perish from the earth.

Thoughts of the week:

The election of Ms. Redford, a Red Tory in the Joe Clarke mold and a single mother to boot, confirms the movement of Albertans from far right to the centre of the political spectrum. No doubt it will send the disaffected red necks to the Wildrose Alliance but there numbers are not as large as many party stalwarts may fear. As the poor showing of Ted Morton in leadership campaign and the election of liberal mayors in Calgary and Edmonton show, Albertans are not the lookalikes of TEA party advocates south of the border. They want a government for all Albertans rather than only for those who are in a fortunate position not to need a helping hand. Last but not the least, it also sends a note to Mr. Harper and gives him ammunition to control his rabid former Reformers.

Makes sense:

Every person above a certain age should have married someone younger – by ten years for those above seventy and by twenty years for those in eighties.