Tag: politics

AI-o AI-o It’s Off to Work I Go

by earlthepearl137

I’m currently working on a stage play about President Buchanan called Buchanan: A Rock Between Two Hard Places.  It takes place at Wheatland, his former mansion, but now a tourist location in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The situation shifts back and forth from 1863, when the Southern Army is in Gettysburg, Pa, just across the river from Lancaster, Pa.  to the present day when a group of tourists are taking a guided tour of the house.  They go from room to room and the modern group tells the story of the Buchanan administration, while in 1863, ex-President Buchanan is trying desperately to convince his niece, Harriet Lane, that she should evacuate Lancaster for a place further away from the war.

The tour group debates the issues of the Buchanan administration and his standing in history.  Most either don’t know much about Buchanan or have a low opinion of him (based partly on the short video they watched prior to starting the tour), but one Franklin & Marshall student taking the tour is a big fan of Buchanan.

That’s what I entered into Bing Copilot, Microsoft’s entry into the AI market.

This is what I got back:

Copilot:

Your stage play, “Buchanan: A Rock Between Two Hard Places,” sounds intriguing! The juxtaposition of historical events and the present-day tourist experience at Wheatland creates a captivating narrative. Let’s delve into the layers of your play:

  1. Setting and Structure:
    • Wheatland, once President Buchanan’s mansion, now serves as a tourist attraction in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
    • The play oscillates between two critical time periods:
      • 1863: The Southern Army looms near Gettysburg, just across the river from Lancaster. Ex-President Buchanan grapples with convincing his niece, Harriet Lane, to evacuate to a safer location.
      • Present Day: Tourists explore Wheatland, moving from room to room. Their discussions weave the story of the Buchanan administration.
  2. Tourist Debates:
    • The modern-day tour group engages in lively debates about Buchanan’s legacy. Their opinions are shaped by a short video they watched before the tour.
    • Most visitors either lack knowledge about Buchanan or hold a dim view of his presidency.
  3. The Buchanan Enthusiast:
    • Amidst the skeptics, a Franklin & Marshall student stands out—a staunch Buchanan supporter. Their admiration for the ex-President adds an interesting dynamic to the play.
  4. Buchanan’s Dilemma:
    • In 1863, Buchanan faces the weighty decision of ensuring Harriet Lane’s safety during the war. His desperation to convince her to leave Lancaster underscores the urgency of the situation.
  5. Historical Context:
    • Buchanan’s presidency was marked by challenges, including the impending Civil War. His actions during this critical period continue to shape his reputation.
  6. Title Symbolism:
    • The title, “A Rock Between Two Hard Places,” aptly captures Buchanan’s predicament—caught between historical forces and personal relationships.

As you craft your play, consider exploring Buchanan’s complexities, the impact of war, and the enduring questions about leadership and legacy. 🎭📜

1: Exploring the writer’s perspective: Between a Rock and a Hard Place – Aron Ralston 2: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Teaching During COVID 3: James Buchanan: A Rock Between Two Hard Places

I did a double-take.  Or more like a triple-take.  Did Bing Copilot just use as its 3rd reference an article I wrote myself on my own blog.  It sure did. I’ve become the “go-to guy” on the subject of James Buchanan.

Here’s that original blog, in case you’re curious.

James Buchanan: A Rock Between Two Hard Places

november 5, 2018 by earlthepearl137

Usually when historians are asked to rate the U.S. Presidents, they put James Buchanan at the bottom.  I think this is very unfair.  He was a very good President, who just happened to be elected at the very worst time in U.S. history.

The country was on the verge of Civil War when he was elected in 1856.  Abolitionists in the North desperately wanted to crush slavery and the South along with it.  Secessionists in the South were afraid of the dire consequences they would have to face if slavery, which had legally existed in America for 200 years, was outlawed and 4 million negroes were suddenly free to take merciless revenge on their masters.  Buchanan had to use everything he learned during his forty plus years of public service to keep the powder keg from exploding, and he managed to do so.  Then the election of Abraham Lincoln lit the fuse, and all Hell broke loose.

Rather than acknowledging Buchanan’s peace keeping efforts, both sides immediately blamed him for the war.  Though Buchanan had strong sympathies for the South, he was also a strong Unionist and, for the sake of the preservation of the Union, he had to endure the lies that were spread about him by both sides.  He didn’t want to further incite the South, so he couldn’t level blame on them for seceding, and he didn’t want to cast aspersions on the new President during wartime by blaming Republicans and Abolitionists for driving the South to secede.  He was literally a rock between two hard places, and for the sake of the Union had to take the abuse that was heaped on him without defending himself.  His silence only caused both sides to increase their level of abuse until his reputation was utterly destroyed.

He did not wish to stand idly by, though, and he wrote his memoirs to correct all the lies that were being spoken and printed about him.  He loved his country so much, though, that he refused to publish his defense until the War was over.  Then the Civil War dragged on and on for years and by the time he published his memoirs in 1866 it was already too late to save his reputation.  History had already painted him as the villain, and he knew that a century would have to go by before his name could ever hope to be cleared.  Unfortunately, a century and a half has gone by, and historians still fail to give him a fair trial.  I’m sure they feel that removing blame for the Civil War from Buchanan would force them to place some of the blame on Abolitionists and Lincoln, and that just ain’t gonna happen.  Lincoln had already been made into a god.  After all, Lincoln freed the slaves, and he was the victim of an assassination.  He’s one of the four Presidents on Mount Rushmore.  His place in history was literally and perpetually carved in stone.  So, Buchanan has to continue suffering “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.”  Maybe, it will be another century before James Buchanan can get a fair hearing with historians and escape the bottom ranking…unless, of course, if Donald Trump continues the way he’s going.

Our representatives are chosen in free elections.  The best way to get good representatives in government is for the people to study the issues, study the candidates, and be sure to vote.  Tomorrow is Election Day.  Vote wisely.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

James Buchanan’s Birthday PartyApril 26, 2020In “James Buchanan”

Ten-Cent JimmyFebruary 21, 2022With 1 comment

The Royal TreatmentJune 3, 2019In “Buchanana Park”

tagged james buchananedit”james buchanan: a rock between two hard places”

AI continued to use articles I wrote as reference material.  I was both flattered and impressed.  I decided to keep going with the AI, just to see how much more it could help me.  James Buchanan became the President in 1857, the same year that the S S Central America sank in a hurricane leaving 450 men dead and 21 tons of California gold rush gold lying at the bottom of the ocean.  I read all about it in a book called, The Ship of Gold at the Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea.  Captain Herndon was the captain of the S S Central America.  When he knew that the ship would eventually sink, he got all the men on board busy bailing out the incoming water while he transferred lifeboat after lifeboat of the women and children to the nearest ship to them, the Marine, captained by Captain Johnsen.  Captain Johnsen rescued 100 passengers.  Some 50 passengers who were floating on flotsam and jetsam from the ship were later rescued by a Norwegian ship, Ellen, which was passing through the area.

I asked AI about the incident.

Among other things, AI told me that President Buchanan gave a gold chronometer to Captain Herndon in recognition of his heroism during the disaster.

Wait a minute.  Captain Herndon was swimming in Davy Jones locker, and certainly not available for any medals ceremony in Washington, D.C.

AI lied to me, and I knew it.  Dead men get medals, but they don’t appear at medal ceremonies.  I also knew from reading the book that President Buchanan actually issued the golden Chronometer to Captain Johnsen, the live captain of the rescue ship, Marine.

So, my point is that AI is an incredible tool that can help just about everyone with just about everything, but it won’t hesitate to stretch the truth a bit for the sake of a good story.  It’s my kind of ap.

By the way, Captain Herndon was recognized for his heroism with a 21-foot-tall Granite Monument at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.  Every year the first-year students celebrate the end of their first year at Annapolis by climbing to the top of the monument.  And every year the senior class puts about 50 lb. of grease on the monument to make it a lot more interesting.  The story of the Herndon Climb is another thing I learned from AI, and, of course, I fact-checked it. Maybe on James Buchanan’s birthday, April 23rd, I’ll see if I can get some Franklin & Marshall students to grease Buchanan’s statue in Buchanan Park and we’ll see if anyone can climb it.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

If We Turn off the lights, the Party is over.

by earlthepearl137

The two-party system has been a dominant feature of U.S. politics, almost from the beginning.  George Washington, our first President, did not run for President on a Party ticket.  George Washington was not elected by a popular vote in the way modern presidents are chosen. Instead, he was unanimously elected by the Electoral College. He is the only President who ever won with a unanimous vote of the electorate.  Later, when different political parties formed, he was considered a member of the Federalist Party.  The Federalist Party was one of the country’s first political parties. It was led by figures such as Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. The party favored a strong federal government and was supportive of the Constitution. The Federalists declined after the War of 1812 and eventually dissolved.

For as far back as I can remember, the major political parties have been the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.  However, there have been third-party candidates representing other political viewpoints.  In 2020, the Libertarian Party nominee for President was Jo Jorgensen.  The Green Party candidate was Howie Hawkins.  Don Blankenship was the candidate for the Constitution Party.  None of these third-party candidates garnered any electoral votes, and they knew ahead of time that they wouldn’t, but they wanted to have a platform to express their views, and they did.

Many different political parties have come and gone over the years.  The Whig Party emerged in the 1830s as an opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson. The party attracted a coalition of anti-Jackson forces, including former National Republicans and Anti-Masonic Party members. The Whigs were active in the mid-19th century but collapsed due to internal divisions over issues such as slavery.

The Know Nothing Party, also known as the American Party, gained prominence in the 1850s. It was characterized by nativism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and opposition to Catholicism. The Know Nothings were influential for a brief period but faded away due to the national focus shifting to the issue of slavery.

The Progressive Party (Bull Moose Party) formed by former President Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, was a short-lived third party. Roosevelt ran as its presidential candidate after losing the Republican nomination. The party advocated for progressive reforms, but it ultimately declined after the 1912 election.

The Dixiecrats (States’ Rights Democratic Party) formed in 1948 as a faction of Southern Democrats dissatisfied with the Democratic Party’s civil rights platform.  Led by Strom Thurmond, the party opposed desegregation. While not a long-lasting party, it reflected regional discontent within the Democratic Party.

These parties played significant roles during their respective times but either disbanded or declined due to changing political landscapes, internal conflicts, or shifts in public opinion. The two major parties in the U.S., the Democrats and Republicans, have remained the dominant political forces for many years.  Both parties have evolved over time, adapting to changes in the political and social landscape. The Democratic Party has a longer history, while the Republican Party emerged as a response to the sectional conflicts of the mid-19th century.

The Democratic Party is one of the oldest political parties in the world and has its roots in the Democratic-Republican Party formed in the 1790s in opposition to the Federalist Party.  The Democratic-Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, advocated for states’ rights, agrarian interests, and strict interpretation of the Constitution. It eventually split into factions, with the followers of Andrew Jackson forming the Democratic Party.  That party embraced the idea of popular democracy and expanded suffrage to a broader segment of the population. Jackson’s election in 1828 marked a turning point in the party’s history.

The Republican Party was founded in the mid-19th century in response to the contentious issues of the time and the expansion of the United States westward.  Opposition to the spread of slavery into new territories was a key factor that led to the formation of the Republican Party. Activists, former Whigs, and anti-slavery Democrats came together to form a new political force.  The Free Soil Party, active in the 1848 and 1852 elections, opposed the extension of slavery into the newly acquired territories, and many Free Soilers later joined the Republican Party.  The Republican Party was officially founded on March 20, 1854, in Ripon, Wisconsin. The party’s first platform focused on opposition to the expansion of slavery and promoting industrialization.

The election of Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, further solidified the Republican Party as a major political force. The election played a role in the secession of Southern states and the onset of the Civil War.

So, while it is difficult for us nowadays to picture any political parties other than the Democrats and the Republicans, there have been many many groups that have formed over the years, and now it seems that there is yet another one forming, the MAGA Party, led by Donald Trump.  He has steadily siphoned off almost half of the Republican party, forming his new party, a party that wants to suspend the Constitution and give the President more power, similar to the authoritarian powers of Vladimir Putin in Russia, Kim Jong Un in North Korea, and Viktor Orban in Hungary.  These powers would also include immunity from prosecution for any and all crimes committed by the President, including the assassination of his political rivals. 

Is this the end of the Republican Party?  Not likely.  The current party leaders lack the guts to stand up to the Trump mob, and even Nikki Haley, who is running against him in the Republican primaries, has stated publicly that she will support him if he is the Republican Party’s nominee for President.  Eventually, new, more courageous leaders will emerge, though, who will take back the ideals of the Grand Old Party, but that will first require a crushing defeat of the MAGA Party in the November election. 

We need two strong political parties in this country.  I feel that the liberal Democratic Party is the gas pedal that propels the country forward, and the conservative Republican Party is the brake pedal that keeps us from skidding out of control and running off the road.  One, without the other, is not good for the country.  So, I call upon all Democrats to help save the Grand Old Republican Party from the MAGA cancer that is killing it from within.  Help restore sanity in government by solidly crushing the MAGA Party in November.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

December 15th

by earlthepearl137

In my last rant, I mentioned a few dates that will live in infamy.  Today, I want to talk about another day that we don’t hardly remember, but it should be a National Holiday, December 15, 1791.  The “Founding Fathers” signed The Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1987.  Almost immediately, 12 Amendments to their original Constitution were proposed.  These matters were so important to the brand-new citizens of the United States of America, that the necessary mandate of 3/4ths of the States quickly voted to accept 10 of those Amendments.  Those 10 Amendments became known as the Bill of Rights and took effect on December 15, 1791. 

As of that day, the Constitution guaranteed the American people freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to peacefully assemble, the right to petition the government, the right to keep and bear arms, and the protection from quartering troops in private homes without consent.  We also were guaranteed protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, protection against self-incrimination, and the right to due process of law, and all those rights were given in just the first 5 amendments.  The other 5 Amendments in the Bill of Rights guaranteed Americans the right to a fair trial and protection from cruel and unusual punishment, among other things.

Recently, the Constitution in General and the first two Amendments specifically have been the subject of much debate.  Language has evolved over the past 232 years, and interpreting both the intent of the Founding Fathers, and the spirit of the Amendments has now become a political football.  What is and what isn’t protected by free speech?  Does freedom of religion include freedom from religion?  Does “Fake News” have the same freedom as real news, and what is real and what is fake?  Can every citizen own a basement full of assault weapons?

Now, thanks to the State of Colorado, another Amendment has jumped into the spotlight, the 14th Amendment, an old Civil-War era Amendment written with the intent on keeping Confederates, a.k.a. insurrectionists, out of office in the United States.  It is just one small section of the 14th Amendment that has caused all this fuss.  It is known as Section 3 – Disqualification from Public Office.  It states:

“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

Using this Amendment, the State of Colorado has stricken Donald Trump’s name from the primary election ballot there.  Did Donald Trump engage in insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution of the United States?  That’s something for a court to decide.  Did Donald Trump give “aid or comfort to the enemies thereof”?  Well, he promised to pardon all those convicted of insurrection and other charges resulting from their activities in the Capital on January 6,  2021.  I’d say that offering pardons to convicted insurrectionists most definitely qualifies as giving aid or comfort to the enemies of the Constitution.   Basically, he said, “Vote for me, and I’ll set you free.”  Now, where have I heard that before?  Oh yeah, it was in a song by the Temptations called Ball of Confusion.

Now, some Trump supporters think that we shouldn’t use an old Amendment against their “Orange Jesus.”  They claim that the 14th Amendment is out of date because it was ratified way back in 1868.  Well, despite being old, it’s still the law of the land, and, for that matter, the Amendment that permits Trump supporters and everyone else to voice their dissenting opinion dates back even earlier to 1791.  Their 2nd Amendment right to bear arms is also 77 years older than the 14th Amendment, as it dates back to 1791, also. If you want to talk about updating and rewriting old Constitutional Amendments, I think that the weekly mass murders committed in The United States dictate that the language and intent of the 2nd Amendment should be resolved first.

Thanks for listening to my rant.  I’ll repay your time by including a link to a video of Ball of Confusion that shows all the lyrics. I went on YouTube to listen to it and played it over and over.  The song came out in 1970, but I was totally amazed at how good it still was and how it easily brought back memories from more than 50 years ago.  I was also saddened, though, because, unfortunately, 53 years later, it is still an accurate description of the world of today, a ball of confusion.

(37) Ball of Confusion – Temptations (lyrics) HD – YouTube

So, despite all our progress, things haven’t changed all that much in 50 years.  The problems we had then are still with us today.

“…and the band plays on…”

One thing that is the same is that this world still needs a whole lot more Peace & Love.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl