Turning Over in his Grave
I just finished reading Benjamin Franklin biography by Edmund Morgan. The book reads a bit like a fan letter to Franklin, but it sure is fascinating to see the birth of the nation through the life of this man. Even if you filter out the adolation, BF must have been one amazing person. I remembered the basics from school, the Boston Tea Party, Continental Congress writing the Declaration of Independence (the Declaration is hardly mentioned in the book), George Washington being the general, etc. But I didn't really know much about the particulars of the colonists grievances except a vague sense that it was tax related.
The book nicely describes the issues, growing resentment of the colonists and the different grievances against Britain and petty infighting between themselves they had. The Continental Congress comes across quite blundering. And although I knew that the French were in support of the Americans against their arch enemy Britain, I didn't realize how much the revolution was dependent on their financing, and how this money drain contributed to the eventual overthrow of the French King and the French Revolution. How the different personalities (we refer to them as Founding Fathers now) helped--and impeded--the revolution, war, and following peace is quite iluminating. It shows that not much has changed and that the loud nuts often prevail over the wiser, but quiterer, minds.
So I wonder what Franklin, the pacifist and negotiator would think about today's state of affairs. I haven't really written much about my disgust with how Austin is chopped up (link via TheChunk). Not to mention my feeling about the administration's machinations, incompetence and deceit as described by Seymour Hersh in his article Stovepipe in The New Yorker.
I don't think he'd be thrilled to see what's become out of his dreams and hopes. But he probably would not be too surprised, though saddened, to see that the corruption, mediocrity and near-sightedness that he fought against in London is now alive and well at home.
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Ah ha, an preview of your comments to come at bookgroup tomorrow evening . . .
I agree with much that you wrote, but I would add that I believe Ben Franklin would be completely and absolutely appalled at the extent that money is involved in politics today--the way campaigns are financed, the amount of time incumbents must spend on fund-raising, etc. That played no part at all in the politics of his time, at least not to any length that I noticed in the book.
Whenever my History Teacher Rolf "the Yellow Dart" Eklund said the name Ben Franklin he would always say "I like him not."
For Example,"Ben Franklin - I like him not - went to france as an ambassador."
Im not exactly sure why he didnt like Ben, but I will make sure to get to the bottom of that.
ciao
Rolf Eklund (My Hisory Teacher) had this to say about his objection to Ben.
My objection is mostly that he stole a lot of stuff from other sources and then passed it off as his own. Read the essay on Franklin in T. E. Lawrence's STUDIES IN CLASSIC AMERICAN LITERATURE and you can decide for yourself. However, I always advocate adopting MY opinions instead of forming your own. That way you save a lot of work.
Mr. Eklund (I like him alot).