AESOP 2016

I take turns watching CNN, FOX and MSNBC. I watch Anderson Cooper, Wolf, Gloria, Dana, Jake, Chris Matthews, Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddox, Steve, Joy, Lawrence O’Donnell, Morning Joe, Sean, Bill, Megan, Brent and tons of other pundits (mostly glam females) and dozens of analysts and moderators. Of course I don’t do this all day long. Otherwise I would lose my grip on reality.

These politicos offer two things: (1) tea leaf readings such as Hillary is going to….., Hillary will….. Hillary believes…..; (2) Advice: Hillary should attack him back or she’ll look soft . Hillary should not attack him back because it could cause her infavorability ratings to go up. Hillary should ignore the report about her emails. Hillary should tell the American people what really happened. If I were Hillary, I would…… Hillary ought to…..Hillary would be smart if she……., Hillary’s got to be more…..

I swear I expect any day now to hear these pundits say that Hillary should not smile so much or that she should frown to show she is serious, or she coughed during one of her speeches and that definitely showed weakness. I would imagine in one 24 hour news cycle on one of the cable networks she is given at least 100 pieces of advice on how to be successful in her campaign.

I listen to all this drivel and each of these people I mentioned in my opening paragraph reminds me of a very bad psychic I visited once upon a time. This ersatz Gypsy had all sorts of advice for me and it turned out to be total toro poo poo. I have now come to be of the opinion that cable news shows are nothing but total toro poo poo for those who can’t think for themselves. It’s enough to drive any sane person nuts—most of all Hillary.

Today when I was listening to some runway -model type criticizing Hillary and spouting off with advice for her, I couldn’t help but think of Aesop’s 5th century BC fable about THE MAN, THE BOY AND THE DONKEY. It certainly fits the media at the moment.

Therefore, I have furnished below Aesop’s Fable for you to read and see if you don’t agree that it sounds like the present-day media’s bevy of advice motor mouths. It’s not news you know. It’s entertainment passing under the disguise of news. Just as with that bad psychic I went to, I’m wondering where all these people dig up their TPP. Is there a TPP school somewhere to prepare you to be a cable news motor mouth?(Trump University, perhaps?) So here is Aesop in the fifth century BC showing us that “know it alls” have been around for a very, very long time.

THE MAN, THE BOY AND THE DONKEY

A Man and his Son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by the side of the Donkey, a countryman passed them and said: “You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?”

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: “See that lazy youngster. He lets his father walk while he rides.”

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn’t gone very far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: “Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.”

Well, the Man didn’t know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town. Passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours with you and your hulking son?”

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and thought till at last they cut down a pole. They tied the donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge. The Donkey, getting one of its feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.

“That will teach you,” said an old man who had followed them:

“PLEASE ALL AND YOU WILL PLEASE NONE.

So enough of the Hillary fortune telling and advice.

More in two weeks. Best to you, Jack.