Sunday 5 February 2023
The fool's cap
Biden's State of the Union: Agony and ecstasy of writing the president's biggest speech
As US President Joe Biden puts the finishing touches to his State of the Union address, spare a thought for the behind-the-scenes toil of the White House speechwriters, the hardest-working team in Washington this time of year.
That’s how it always is with these Schilleresque noble hearts; till the last moment every goose is a swan with them, till the last moment, they hope for the best and will see nothing wrong, and although they have an inkling of the other side of the picture, yet they won’t face the truth till they are forced to; the very thought of it makes them shiver; they thrust the truth away with both hands, until the man they deck out in false colours puts a fool’s cap on them with his own hands.
Fyodor Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment (1866)
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3 comments:
A splendid idea would be to amend the constitution so as to compel the incumbent to write their own speech. Lock them away with plenty of coffee for 24 hours, and then away they go for the assembled press. A test of their self-discipline, creativity, and ability to work under pressure.
Those who would thereby beclown themselves would hopefully eliminate themselves from the presidential race in the first place.
I doubt that Brandon could write his own name now, with his obvious mental decay. The only thing preventing his removal, before he does something embarrassing or dangerous, is the thought of his cackling, stupid VP in power.
Sam - that would have stymied Joe and Kamala at a stroke. It's hard to tell if Corbyn wrote his own material or if a couple of his batty mates did it.
Ed - I agree, she is probably keeping him where he is and may well do that until it doesn't matter anyway.
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