A Mirror For All Princes and Princesses
I have been sleeping again. This time, in my mind’s eye, I walk alongside the 16th century’s best diplomat in an orchard outside of Florence.
He invites me to hold a mirror up to myself, and imagine a world of principalities, and armies.
What practical advice he has! And it is so nice to get the support of being able to do absolutely anything at all, to keep my little principality.
He advises I keep my word lightly, but that I lean on the populace heavily. Sounds good to me! I sit at an ornate desk of the period, and write letters with the feather of a cherub. The orders fly! The steady ticking of the clock becomes a snare drum’s roll. Airborne orders cloud the sky!
I become accustomed to wealth, power, influence, authority, control, and correction. I quickly see the wisdom of maintaining my principality at all costs. I dispassionately direct my subjects to use their means for my ends. And finally, the speeding passage of time brings me to my own end.
My life is over, and my principality passes to my heirs. It is maintained for a few years, and is lost. No one curses me, they have forgotten me. All of the effort, gone.
What remains in my ghostly hand? A mirror for princes. Is that what power is for? For our entire lives to hold a mirror and admire ourselves? Surely, we can find a better life long use for a hand?
How can the hand be best used?
The fingers of the hand. Our ghosts, our warriors, our diplomats, and our trade envoys. The opposable thumb? The voice of the American people. Our government, though helmed by politicians, should be guided by the participation and wisdom of the American people. The hand should always seek to improve the lot of the citizen, the fundamental political unit.
But there are rules that must be obeyed, without exception. America must not become a hegemonic power. Even if the people will it, it must not occur. We must consider the interests of all of the nations of this world. Our influence is tremendous, it must not be used to bend other nations to our will.
Let us endeavor to make a just world for the least among us, while we have the influence to do so.
What a glorious idea! To establish a brilliant framework, based upon virtue and fairness, so that when we are no longer on top, our children will continue to benefit from a just world. They will look back into the past, and be joyously thankful for the wisdom of their predecessors.
I am probably wrong again, but who cares? It was just a dream!
He invites me to hold a mirror up to myself, and imagine a world of principalities, and armies.
What practical advice he has! And it is so nice to get the support of being able to do absolutely anything at all, to keep my little principality.
He advises I keep my word lightly, but that I lean on the populace heavily. Sounds good to me! I sit at an ornate desk of the period, and write letters with the feather of a cherub. The orders fly! The steady ticking of the clock becomes a snare drum’s roll. Airborne orders cloud the sky!
I become accustomed to wealth, power, influence, authority, control, and correction. I quickly see the wisdom of maintaining my principality at all costs. I dispassionately direct my subjects to use their means for my ends. And finally, the speeding passage of time brings me to my own end.
My life is over, and my principality passes to my heirs. It is maintained for a few years, and is lost. No one curses me, they have forgotten me. All of the effort, gone.
What remains in my ghostly hand? A mirror for princes. Is that what power is for? For our entire lives to hold a mirror and admire ourselves? Surely, we can find a better life long use for a hand?
How can the hand be best used?
The fingers of the hand. Our ghosts, our warriors, our diplomats, and our trade envoys. The opposable thumb? The voice of the American people. Our government, though helmed by politicians, should be guided by the participation and wisdom of the American people. The hand should always seek to improve the lot of the citizen, the fundamental political unit.
But there are rules that must be obeyed, without exception. America must not become a hegemonic power. Even if the people will it, it must not occur. We must consider the interests of all of the nations of this world. Our influence is tremendous, it must not be used to bend other nations to our will.
Let us endeavor to make a just world for the least among us, while we have the influence to do so.
What a glorious idea! To establish a brilliant framework, based upon virtue and fairness, so that when we are no longer on top, our children will continue to benefit from a just world. They will look back into the past, and be joyously thankful for the wisdom of their predecessors.
I am probably wrong again, but who cares? It was just a dream!
Please find the fever dream recounted above, read by a digital succubus who lives over at 11Elevenlabs, below! She is fake, but the words are always my own.