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"Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018)
Gilbert --- W. Shakespeare's Plays.
(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Author Not Given) Details Source DMCA
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Can many of Shakespeare's major characters get together on one stage? Well, yes they can. If the stage is set in a painting.
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As some of my readers know, at the end of last month I posted two tweets (at my Tweet-site, om/tpjmagazine) on the then-developing controversy over whether, given his "debate performance," President Biden should stay in the race as the Democratic candidate, or should he bow out --- hopefully leaving enough time for a rational process to be developed so that at the Democratic Convention a successor could be chosen in an orderly manner. So far, as is well known, the President has declined to do that.
And so:
June 29: "Biden has a choice. Does he want to be remembered as the man who beat Trump or the one who ushered in Trump-Republo-Fascism."
June 30: "One person, with the initials J. B., will be making the decision about whether the President will the Democratic candidate for the position in the next election. That person's first name is not 'Joe'."
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Having circulated those Tweets to one of my personal lists, I received a response from a friend, that I found to be particularly interesting. Why? Because it took the developing drama and placed it into a Shakespearean context. With the permission of that friend I am reproducing it here, with very modest editing, and at the request of the writer, anonymously.
"Immediately after the debate, Jill took Joe by the horns and told him he had won the debate because he had answered all their questions. You may have seen the video; millions have seen it, and so have I.
"Then to evade the firestorm, Jill convened a family council at Camp David, where they emerged with their decision - Joe would remain the candidate for president.
"The Biden family meeting suggests they believe themselves in full and total control of the White House, the Democratic Party, and the DNC, and that, as Joe said, 'I am running the world.' They apparently think of themselves as America's 'royal family.' Slightly pretentious, at the very least and presumptuous as well.
"One week later, with a firestorm blazing away about his appalling performance, Biden reassured George Stephanopoulos that in his opinion, 'I am the only one who can beat Trump.' Narcissistic? Certainly, no modesty here, even though he has been trailing Trump in the polls for about 18 months.
"I have been thinking about the many parallels between Joe Biden and characters in Shakespeare.
"Biden reflects the overweening narcissism of Julius Caesar, who fancied himself a god and created animosity amongst powerful friends and associates who turned against him, assassinated him, and announced their rationale [for so doing] to Rome. Biden's [sense of] self-importance as the only potential candidate [able] to defeat Trump appears to be a godlike pretension.
"Richard III pursued a ruthless agenda to remain on the throne, assassinating his elder brother, Clarence, to clear his pathway to [it], and sending his two young nephews who were princes with potential claims to the crown to die in the Tower of London, and even to poisoning his wife in order to marry a daughter of the dead king to strengthen his claim. Biden's systematic grasp on the nomination began on day one of his presidency when he launched a disinformation campaign against one of his most feared potential rivals, RFK Jr., and his plan to retain the nomination without resorting to primaries or debates was as brazen as [was] Caesar and ruthless as [was] Richard.
"But the closest parallel that I can think of is, of course, Macbeth, whose wife, Lady Macbeth, goads him into murdering his rivals to the Scottish throne beginning with the King, Duncan, who [had previously] rewarded him with [his] title, Thane of Cawdor. While [King Duncan] is a guest in their castle at Inverness, the Macbeths kill [him] --- Lady Macbeth gives drugged wine to Duncan's guards, permitting Macbeth to enter the king's chamber where he murders Duncan. Macbeth launches a reign of terror to murder more rivals and takes refuge in a remote location, Castle Dunsinane, where Lady Macbeth confesses her crimes to her physician and then commits suicide. Macbeth's forces are defeated by those of Macduff, who beheads Macbeth and presents the trophy to Malcolm, the next king of Scotland. [Without the beheadings, to be sure --- although if it were Trump or one of his most loyal minions --- just guess which one --- who knows(?)] Biden's systematic elimination of any and all political rivals mirrors the onslaught of murderous cruelty in Macbeth.
"That said, let us turn to Jill's reassurance to a shattered Joe Biden who told her he did not feel well --- that he won the debate, declaring her royal verdict before the 'King' had formed his own opinion. Jill fits the role of Lady Macbeth, who has driven so much of the ambition of Joe to become president, and to retain the honour at all costs, moral and monetary.
"According to my sources, a lot is happening at a high level behind the scenes in the party, and they seem to be striking fear into Biden, who has stated that the 'elites' want him to go. Indeed, they do.
"Unless Joe announces his retirement in the next few days, he will be ridiculed beyond comprehension by the RNC --- a perfect battleground setting in Milwaukee for the [Trumpists] to humiliate the mumbling president who thinks his family is Royal and believes himself to be King."
And that's it, and that's that --- from a friend of long-standing, with a high level of political experience, knowledge, and understanding.
(Article changed on Jul 11, 2024 at 10:26 PM EDT)
