May Hope and History Rhyme (Trump#116)

[lionheart]

With thanks to Seamus Heaney for inspiring the President Elect.

"History says, don't hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme."

Just in case anyone here doesn't know (I'm sure you all do)...

Henry II vs Thomas Becket of Canterbury in 1170 was Round 1 in the English state vs the Catholic Church.

Round 2 was Henry VIII vs Thomas More of Canterbury et al.

That one ended with the King breaking with Rome and appointing the head of the sovereign state (himself) also to be the head of the Church in England. Which appointment was enforced on the populace with the 1534 Oath of Supremacy, under pain of death for refusing it.

This Oath and its successors controlled the religious professions of the entire population and completely prevented anyone unwilling to submit to Anglicanism from becoming MPs, from joining the Universities, and from public office for centuries. The head of state as head of the Church is enshrined in law even today.

It is bizarre beyond all measure for anyone to pretend that Church and state are separate in the United Kingdom. Or to pretend that Becket's Catholic church won in any way over the English state.

It's historically tone deaf, isn't it.

Becket had the square root of bugger all to do with Magna Carta, as far as I have ever known; 1066 and All That is more accurate than this farago. (-> see "except the common people" in that excellent work.)

Only the barons, and the high-up members of the Roman Catholic church, got anything from the Carta; the common people were no better off for its existence and had no greater freedom or better access to fair law.

1066 and all that is my favourite history book ever. So on point with their comments.

@AcrossthePond55

Since when does the US issue proclamations commemorating the martyrdom of religious figures (of any religion)? Did he issue a proclamation about the Jewish martyrs at Masada or the 5 martyrs of Shia Islam?

Last I looked the US is still not a Theocracy.

Makes me wonder who in the WH thought this one up.

It does make me think that Jaichangecentfoisdenom may be right with their comments that it is about Biden being a Catholic. Not quite sure how that is supposed to work though- just by showing that he can make more of a statement about a Catholic saint than Biden?

The other weirdness, of course is in

"I ... do hereby proclaim December 29, 2020, as the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket. I invite the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches and customary places of meeting with appropriate ceremonies in commemoration of the life and legacy of Thomas Becket."

The schools are presumably still on their Christmas break, it's a Tuesday and the churches have been a bit churched out over Christmas, and customary places of meeting are mostly closed because of Covid. What exactly did he think was going to happen?

Becket, of course, was not even slightly concerned with religious freedom. To the contrary: he was the head in this country of a monopoly church which required absolute and overt adherence to its tenets, and whose clergy could escape any prosecution under secular law, even for rape or murder, by claiming benefit of clergy and demanding a trial under canon law instead.

It is also quite short notice for inviting people to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies, no? Those who would be so inclined (most likely Catholics and/or historical societies) would surely have made plans before Trump invited them to celebrate and everyone else is unlikely to suddenly decide to observe the day.

Maybe it's a secret message to the underground ?

The illuminati? Or a new Dan Brown book

@DGRossetti

Maybe it's a secret message to the underground ?

I can see that working well on The Bakerloo.

Coincidentally I very recently listened to this on Thomas à Becket (cradle Catholic so used to using the à, though it seems to often be ignored nowadays).

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09hp2rm

I hadn’t realised he was only ordained (the day before IIRC) in order to become Archbishop of Canterbury.

Well seeing as Trump has an emerging interest in Catholic Saint days, may I suggest we tag him on twitter on the 11 August for the feast of St Fiacre, patron saint of venereal disease?

Ach, don't read too much into it, one of his more fanatical acolytes has got hold of The Phone, that's all. The idea that the soon-to-be-ex President has got a bout of religion is unlikely in the extreme; that he has any interest at all in what occurred 800+ years ago in England is even more so; and there's no way he'd approve of a man who accepted high office from the King only to refuse to be the King's puppet. Martyrs are losers anyway.

An imaginary brother.

www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-attacks-brad-raffensperger-brother-1557917

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald-trump-jr-daniel-dale-cnn_n_5feb9319c5b6ff747984c26d?ri18n=true&ncid=engmodushpmg00000004

It seems that there are requests going in to PayPal for payment of $2000 from Mitch's account - he isn't happy

@littlebillie

It seems that there are requests going in to PayPal for payment of $2000 from Mitch's account - he isn't happy

A bit like those Kpoppers reserving tickets for Trump's big rally, if you see what I mean? But does PayPal work like that, anyway?

Kpoppers may not be what I mean.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/30/luke-letlow-us-congressman-elect-dies-of-covid-aged-41

Oh god, aged 41 and two young children. How ghastly.

@SunniCameHomeWithAVengeance

Well seeing as Trump has an emerging interest in Catholic Saint days, may I suggest we tag him on twitter on the 11 August for the feast of St Fiacre, patron saint of venereal disease?

Perhaps St Simeon Salus, patron saint of fools?

Of course, most appropriate for him right now would be good old St Jude, patron saint of lost causes. Although I think Scrotus appealing for intercession from any saint would be a lost cause in itself.

Of course, because he's got to muck it up for the incoming President-Elect, just because he can. US politics have certainly reached a new depth of that never-drained swamp during Trump's regime.

Sen. Hawley announces he will contest certification of electoral college vote

Sen. Hawley announces he will contest certification of electoral college vote.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress-election-vote-certification-objection/2020/12/30/4dce936c-4ab6-11eb-839a-cf4ba7b7c48c_story.html

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced Wednesday that he would object next week when Congress convenes to certify the electoral college vote, a move that all but ensures at least a short delay in cementing President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
...

Hawley has been mentioned as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, and his move is certain to appeal to Trump supporters and parts of the Republican base.

snap! Jaichangecentfoisdenom

I'm really enjoying Parlertakes in Twitter it provides insight to what is going on the Trump supporters

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/trump-could-still-start-last-ditch-war-iran/617530/