On the high gravity planet, Staurn, the drugs in human medikits include gravanol and kinesthan. I cannot find kinesthan anywhere else but gravanol now exists in several fictional universes.
Walking in Staurnian gravity is a "..Sisyphus task..." (p. 108)
Parliamentarism is perhaps another Sisyphus task. Great Britain will have a General Election on the Fourth of July! This blog will NOT present regular election updates. Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition and probable next Prime Minister, once defended my late son-in-law, Ketlan, in court and that is all that this blog will say about any of the candidates. We trust that our trans-Atlantic cousins will have a good Presidential election later this year. Next time here I will return to The Star Fox but I am out at a meeting this evening.
16 comments:
Yeah, this isn't the place for that stuff.
Though here's an anecdote. Back in the 1970's, I was assisting a Canadian parliamentary candidate as he canvassed an apartment building, many of whose residents were retired British immigrants.
The candidate had a standard opening: he'd ask where they came from (Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, etc.) and then say:
"Ah, yes, I was there with the RAF during the war!"
On the top floor we were greeted by a little old lady, and my candidate asked where she came from.
"Dusseldorf," she said.
"Ah, yes," the candidate said. "I was there with the RAF during the war!"
(The RAF bombed the bejayzus out of Dusseldorf, needless to say.)
I cut in: "And I was born not far away from Dusseldorf -- near Metz."
Distracted, she said: "Ah, yes, good German city..."
The candidate thanked me later for a quick rescue!
Right. That's the kind of election story we need here!
Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!
Paul: I have my own emphatic views on which party should win the July General Election, but I'll hush up!
Strictly speaking doesn't that mean King Charles dissolved parliament and the current PM now only holds office as a caretaker?
Mr. Stirling: Ha, that was amusing! Your candidate had gotten so fixated on his standard opening line that he overlooked adjusting it to something more appropriate for that German lady.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
It's ok to state an electoral preference.
That is correct. The King has dissolved Parliament and now will not engage in any public events that would distract from the election.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
That surprises me. Not even such routine things as ceremonially cutting ribbons at opening a new bridge?
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
No. Just quiet, behind the scenes stuff.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Got it, just things like the usual weekly meetings with the PM and other officials. Well, the King might also be meeting ambassadors.
Ad astra! Sean
That sort of thing. I think he also receives people who are brought to his attention and honoured in one way or another.
Kaor, Paul!
That sounds good and appropriate to me. But I thought that's usually done at the Birthday and New Year's Honors Lists.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Well, maybe. I don't really know what goes on.
Paul.
One of the reasons I like a constitutional monarchy is that it separates the 'operational' and 'expressive/symbolic' functions of government.
Nobody thinks the PM is the symbol of the nation... 8-)
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, that form of gov't has many advantages over what either France or the US has.
I say bad things to "Josip's" mug shot almost every time I pass it at work!
Ad astra! Sean
sean: yeah, that's the drawback of Presidentialism.
The Founders had the 18th-century British monarchy (cleaned up) in mind when they defined the Presidential role.
At that time, monarchs were still active politicians as well.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
No political systems invented by humans can be completely "cleaned up" or "rational."
I have read of how there were some suggestions in the 1780's that the US should adopt a monarchical form of gov't. Would that have happened if George Washington had any sons?
I see signs in your BLACK CHAMBER books that the vastly expanded and more powerful US led by Theodore Roosevelt becoming more and more Imperial, with TR grooming his son to succeed him as President. Will his grandson be proclaimed Emperor?
But, the problem with the new system being set up by TR and the "Progressive" Republicans is that it depends on able men continuing to govern. I can see bunglers and incompetents making a mess of things 100 years later!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: that's a safe bet with any system.
One of the drawbacks of very able men in power -- Bismarck comes to mind -- is that they tend to establish systems that -need- very able men to work well or at all.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Exactly, with both points you made.
I agree, political systems that really works when only very able men, like Bismarck or TR, are in power are dangerously fragile when incompetents/bunglers inevitably succeeds them, sooner or later. However gallingly "18th century" impatient "reformers" find the US Constitution, at least its drafters tried to set up a system allowing for human beings so often being quarrelsome, power hungry, or merely corrupt.
I think that was the basic reason why William Howard Taft, the President who died so conveniently for TR in the 1912 of your BLACK CHAMBER timeline, opposed his estranged friend.
Ad astra! Sean
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