We Salute the Rank, Not the Man

I'm following a page on Facebook dedicated to the architecture and history of the Gilded House, and it recently featured a beautiful photo of the Oval Office as it appeared in 2023 ...

before the garish redecoration that made it look (in my opinion) like the waiting room at a tacky Vegas whorehouse ...

I left a comment on the first photo that read, "A dignified office for a position that once carried dignity and gravitas," to which another commenter replied, "And still does." 

This led to a brief chain of dueling comments, in which that commenter reminded me that, "The position of president will always have dignity regardless of who’s in office. Always respect the office," and ended up with him chiding me that "... if [Der Furor] didn’t have to clean that mess ["Biden's open boarders (sic) process"] up, things might actually be different." Which, of course, had nothing to do with the garish new Walmart Liberace look of the Oval Office and the less-than-dignified behavior of its current occupant.

I was reminded of a scene from Episode 10 of the wonderful World War II miniseries "Band of Brothers" in which the Easy Company commander reminded his much-disliked predecessor, who had failed to salute him, that "We salute the rank, not the man" ...

In this, the fellow who tried to chastise me was surely correct - the office of the presidency holds the weight of the dignity and gravitas earned by leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt, and so deserves to be respected. But my point, that the dignity and gravitas of the office has been demeaned by its current occupant, is equally true.

I respect the office of the President as designed by The Founders and shaped by men who understood its meaning and the limits of its authority and responsibilities. I have no respect for the self-absorbed and dangerous buffoon who is doing his best to demean the office built by better leaders.

Have a good day. Be sure you have a plan to vote, in the November midterms and the Presidential Election of 2028. The stakes are as high as they've ever been.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Presidents Day, 2025

Today, the third Monday in February, is Presidents Day, the holiday which honors all the wealthy white men (and Barack Obama) who have served, with varying degrees of honor and success, as the nation's chief executive.

The holiday was originally known as Washington's Birthday in honor of the first president, who was actually born on February 22nd. It was later combined with Abraham Lincoln's birthday (February 12th) to honor two of our greatest presidents.

Things grew more complicated with the arrival of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, which permanently moved all Federal holidays other than Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's to a Monday to create three-day holiday weekends. The act would also have officially renamed the Washington's Birthday holiday "Presidents' Day" to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, but that proposal failed in committee, and the final bill signed into law on June 28, 1968, kept the official name "Washington's Birthday." 

Nevertheless, today we call it Presidents Day to honor of all 45 of our presidents (not 47, because Grover Cleveland and Der Furor each held office twice) and to provide a convenient handle for sales of automobiles, furniture, clothing, and other items. At one time, the White House website hosted a list of the presidents, but that page has been deleted, probably because it mentions presidents other than Der Furor; for a complete list of presidents, you'll need to go to Wikipedia, which now has a better track record of documenting US history than the White House. 

Presidents Day also provides an opportunity for historical reflection on the evolution of Republican presidents ...

So, happy Presidents Day to those who celebrate. Perhaps in another few years we'll again have a president worth honoring.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo