My Ear-Trumpet Has Been Struck By Lightning

I am too far, too increasingly out of sympathy with our political system, and with the political attitude of the bulk of my countrymen, to be a successful politician in the ordinary sense. I am an anachronism. It may be I was born too late, it may be I was born too soon. In the latter, I think the less probable case, I may be of some use in politics—as an outsider, though, never again as an active participant in the fray. But I am not going to make myself miserable any more, or to embarrass any Ministry or party, by holding office on the terms, on which under the conditions of our day it can alone be held. Every man can afford to hold some unpopular ideas. But I have amassed all the most unpopular. I hold, with real conviction, a whole posse of them, and I mean to allow myself the luxury of holding, perhaps even of occasionally expressing them.
Viscount Milner writing to a friend in 1903 about his reason for leaving politics
Quoted in Edward Crankshaw’s The Forsaken Idea: A Study of Viscount Milner (1952)
(from Helen Rittelmeyer)

I am too far, too increasingly out of sympathy with our political system, and with the political attitude of the bulk of my countrymen, to be a successful politician in the ordinary sense. I am an anachronism. It may be I was born too late, it may be I was born too soon. In the latter, I think the less probable case, I may be of some use in politics—as an outsider, though, never again as an active participant in the fray. But I am not going to make myself miserable any more, or to embarrass any Ministry or party, by holding office on the terms, on which under the conditions of our day it can alone be held. Every man can afford to hold some unpopular ideas. But I have amassed all the most unpopular. I hold, with real conviction, a whole posse of them, and I mean to allow myself the luxury of holding, perhaps even of occasionally expressing them.

Viscount Milner writing to a friend in 1903 about his reason for leaving politics

Quoted in Edward Crankshaw’s The Forsaken Idea: A Study of Viscount Milner (1952)
(from Helen Rittelmeyer)

sbasdeo1:

Punch Jan 5th 1910

"1) Everyone is conservative about what he knows best.
2) Any organization not explicitly right-wing sooner or later becomes left-wing.
3) The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies."

— Robert Conquest’s Three Laws of Politics (HT Porphyrogenitus)

edwardianpromenade:

Sidelights on Parliament, Oct 31, 1908 The Graphic

turner-d-century:

peterseaman:

I approve most heartily of this meticulous analysis of world history.

The trick is to take over the world like Augustus did - control the state, the treasury and the army, appoint trusted underlings to important positions, control the food supply and consolidate all political power into yourself, while leaving the illusion of democracy.

Interestingly, once Augustus got into his stride he was mostly benevolent, and when he died (probably of old age), the Senate made him a god.

“All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.”~~Enoch Powell, Joseph Chamberlain (Thames and Hudson, 1977), p. 151.

forgottenantiquities:

“The Prime Lobster” political cartoon, 1828.

(via trockneblumen)

ragbag:

senatorial summer styles

if you are like me, then you are continually leafing through all the latest fashion magazines to see what the hot new summer styles are going to be in the u.s. senate.

senator vandenberg (r-mi) in dressy flannels and a barbershop quartet hat

senator byrd (d-va) in a double-breasted white linen pharmacist’s jacket

future president harry truman (d-mi) in snappy tropical worsted and hepcat lapels

senator bankhead (d-al) in seersucker and posing hard

senator neely (d-wv) wearing a palm beach suit and brand new bowling shoes

__

source: life magazine june 1938

(Source: ragbag)

klg19:

Nice! As you can see from Disraeli’s distinctive profile, as well as from the JT monogram in the lower left, this was drawn by John Tenniel, best known as the illustrator of Lewis Carroll’s Alice books.

Via victoriasrustyknickers:

Punch Cartoon featuring Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, as Abanazer from the pantomime version of Aladdin, offering Queen Victoria an imperial crown in exchange for a royal one.

Published on April 15, 1876

My Ear-Trumpet Has Been Struck By Lightning

"1) Everyone is conservative about what he knows best. 2) Any organization not explicitly right-wing sooner or later becomes left-wing. 3) The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies."

"1) Everyone is conservative about what he knows best.
2) Any organization not explicitly right-wing sooner or later becomes left-wing.
3) The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies."