Bazza

"...or any nation...conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...can long endure. ...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." ~ Abe Lincoln
 
Today, the 19th of Nov (+/- a day), I celebrate one of America’s greatest sons, Abraham Lincoln and his Gettysburg Address. This short speech encapsulates the values he inherited from the Founding Fathers.
 
Earlier this year and for many months afterward, I've been interested in US history in a way I haven't ever been before. I’m still learning, reading, clarifying and verifying, a lot of this info. Chief amongst this, is what is referred to as the American System of economics (political economy) tradition founded by Alexander Hamilton and advocated by the likes of Henry Clay, Abe Lincoln, Henry C Carey, William McKinley, FDR, and others. I'm not sure yet if JFK was also a supporter, I need to find out more. 
 
The American System (AS) is an alternative to the Adam Smith laissez-faire economics, also known as free trade, and AS is for a “tariff to protect and promote American industry; a national bank to foster commerce; and federal subsidies for roads, canals, and other ‘internal improvements’ to develop profitable markets for agriculture…[f]unds for these subsidies would be obtained from tariffs and sales of public lands. (US Senate quote)” The system is also known as "Protectionism" and by federal subsidies we also mean government-regulated credit. Other features were an emphasis on the productive work of individuals (not money, trade, or scarcity of natural resources); and the empowering of individuals through education, creativity, and civilised work. The high protective tariff and land sales meant America could thrive without income taxation. It was the American System / Protectionism that enabled America to recover so quickly after the Civil War and become a world power; and is the system behind (so it is said) FDR's New Deal. Reading Elliot Roosevelt’s recollection of a discussion aboard the Augustus between FDR & Churchill, FDR favoured the American System. From what I can gather, the New Deal only started to fall apart in the 1970s in favour of free trade economics and the privatisation of public assets. In other words, these 1970 era policies undermined the Hamiltonian political economy model.
(https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/Speeches_ClayAmericanSystem.htm)
 
The American System spread internationally to China, Germany, Japan, France and Russia. As I am discovering, four of five of these nations were interested in extending the American railway line to not only create their own national railway lines, but to link them together thus having a transcontinental line from Europe through Russia to Alaska to America to South America, with goods obviously shipped via it. In China the chief supporter was Sun Yet-Sen; Germany was statesman Otto von Bismarck, and economic theorist Georg Friedrich List; in Japan was the Meiji restoration that industrialised Japan (at the expense of losing the cultural identity of its samurai tradition – bad); in France it was President Sadi Carnot; and Russia was a big supporter with Tsar Alexander II and III and other influential high ranking government ministers inc. Witte and Mendeleyev. Between 1865 and 1899 it seemed like there was going to be an American-led coalition centred around its values and political economy...before it vanished. Tsar Alexander II believed in a strong America that he positioned the Russian navy for months along the East & West coasts to dissuade the British, French & Spanish from entering the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy. This, he is said to have said, was done to directly support Russia's interests in seeing the Union prevail. Another reason for Tsar’s “friendly gesture” with the Russian Navy was likely due to America’s Monroe Doctrine foreign policy.
(https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/r/the-russian-navy-visits-theunited-states.html)
(https://archive.org/details/cosmopolitanrai02gilpgoog)
 
"…My politics are short and sweet, like the old woman's dance. I am in favor of a national bank. I am in favor of the internal improvement system, and a high protective tariff."
~ Abraham Lincoln, "Announcement of His Candidacy for the State Legislature. About March 1, 1832."
(https://archive.org/details/earlyspeeches18300linc/page/n19/mode/2up)
 
So this day I celebrate Mr Lincoln, his famous address, his values, the political economy he supported, and his steadfast adherence to his principles in what amounted to great personal danger because of them. I also salute both the Union & Confederate soldiers who fought at Gettysburg, which became, and remain, America’s heartbeat.

Thank you, Abe.  😢  #salutes
 
 
 

And Hildegard of Bingen. She invented her own alphabet & language, centuries before Tolkien…  (who was also Catholic.)

What a sad song that will be. 

What's the difference between Iron Man & Aluminium Man? Iron Man stops the bad guys. Aluminium Man just foils their plans.

You really should use ointment on that. If it persists, see a doctor or a proctologist. 

You really should use ointment on that. If it persists, see a doctor or a proctologist. 

You really should use ointment on that. If it persists, see a doctor or a proctologist. 

How do you get a country girl’s attention? A tractor. 

An elderly man rear-ended a younger man who was driving an expensive European sports car…
Enraged, the younger man hops out & confronts the old man. "Look what you did to my car…!!!  ”He yells
"I demand that you give me $10,000 right now or I'm going to beat you to a pulp!"
"Oh my…" the old man said nervously, "I don't have that kind of money.”
“ Just let me call my son…,” he said with hope, “he trains dolphins and he will know what to do."
"Dolphins..!?!?! Right" the other driver huffed, while rolling his eyes.
The old man took out his phone, dialed his son, & just as his son answered, the irate man snatched the phone away from the old man.
"So, YOU'RE a dolphin trainer, huh..?!?!” The irate man yelled, “Well, your old man here just rear-ended my car and I need TEN GRAND right now, or I'm going to beat you AND your old man to a pulp…!!"
"I'll be there in 10 minutes," says the voice calmly on the other end.
Exactly 10 minutes later, a Jeep pulls up and a guy hops out and proceeds to pulverize the bully, leaving him in a heap on the side of the road.
When he finished, he walked over to his father and said….
" Dad .for the last time, I train Seals… Navy Seals.”
“NOT dolphins..!!”

"Glenn Maxwell defied intense pain to play one of the greatest innings in history and pull off the mother of all heists in a World Cup epic against Afghanistan in Mumbai.
 
A cramping Maxwell (201no from 128 balls) could hardly walk, let alone run, through the back half of a 202-run partnership with captain Pat Cummins – the biggest for the eighth wicket in ODI history – as the Aussies rose from the dead to seal a semi-final berth.  
 
Maxwell hit his ninth and tenth sixes to bring up the first ODI double century ever by an Australian man and seal a victory that, three hours earlier, various win-predictor calculators suggested was a less-than-one-percent chance of happening."
 
"Suffering numerous cramps and back spasms, Glenn Maxwell was nearly forced to retire hurt but defied logic to stand and deliver one of the game's greatest knocks."
 
"Glenn Maxwell admitted he came close to retiring hurt during his miracle World Cup innings after suffering cramps in both legs and his back when Australia were still more than 50 runs away from victory.
 
In his first game back after concussing himself falling off the back of a golf cart last week, Maxwell's unbeaten double century – the first ever scored in the second innings of an ODI, and the first to be scored by any batter who was not an opener – is certain to talked about for years to come.
 
The 35-year-old's discomfort became increasingly unbearable as he eventually collapsed in a heap after limping through for a single. 
 
At the time, he was on 147 and his side still needed 55 to win, and the toll of having earlier bowled his full allotment of 10 overs through the hottest part of the day had only added to his fatigue.
 
"We talked about coming off, trying to get some work into my back and trying to loosen up my legs a little bit," Maxwell told reporters after his 201no from 128 balls lifted Australia to an all-time comeback win."
 
Maxwell's miracle in Mumbai seals extraordinary win
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3772289/glenn-maxwell-201-not-out-double-century-australia-beat-afghanistan-odi-world-cup-2023-mumbai-highlights
 
Cramping Maxwell plays through the pain for a World Cup epic
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3772958/cramping-maxwell-plays-through-the-pain-for-a-world-cup-epic
 
More 
'He's a freak': Maxwell innings lauded as greatest ever
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3773003/hes-a-freak-glenn-maxwell-double-century-greatest-ever-odi-innings-world-cup-afghanistan
 
Rapid Stats: All the milestones from a magical night in Mumbai
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3773079/all-the-stats-milestones-glenn-maxwell-double-century-australia-afghanistan-odi-world-cup-mumbai

In part, that was the responsibility he has a Sorcerer Supreme. It is a title for one person, not a committee. 

In part, that was the responsibility he has a Sorcerer Supreme. It is a title for one person, not a committee. 

What's-a matter you? Hey! Gotta no respect?
What-a you t'ink you do, why you look-a so sad?
It's-a not so bad, it's-a nice-a place
Ah shaddap-a you face!

Um, Creepy Pics Thread....

Who would win: Stan Lee the scriptwriter or The Fans? 

It kinda did. I’ve watched most of Phase 4, most because I’ve found it consistently underwhelming. Most of it has been enjoyable, sure, but afterwards, it’s like, I don’t really have an inclination to rewatch it; unlike Phase 1-3. 

Just you. 

Good news today. 

@Pariah save Quantumania for next Covid home iso. 

:D 

I WANTED TO GET MY PANTS HEMMED QUICKLY SO I CALLED TAYLOR SWIFT

in the style of Liefeld? Fail. I can see his feet.  

America’s frisbee.