We both adore and abhor the campaign season. The onslaught of TV ads for and against your
political choice can be overwhelming. After 30 seconds of promises and denials
you are often left wondering exactly what is true. Like is Hillary Clinton
actually going
to run for President or
not? When will we ever know?
While Americans like to believe we found a new way of
running the political machine back in 1776 by dissing the antiquated monarchies
of old, how different are the machinations of daily life when we are talking
about the negotiations that take place in the Capitol vs. court life? Does
anybody tell the truth now? Did they back then?
Don't you believe it. Instead of showing one's hand and
heart, it has always been wiser to be the one holding the rabbit in the hat. Perhaps
there is no better example of a monarch who enjoyed the art of manipulation
more than Henry VIII.
He desired Anne Boleyn, so much so he managed to trick the
Church into annulling his marriage of 24 years to Catherine. It was more than a
sleight of hand to persuade his court and the commoners to put aside their
adoration of their pious Queen Catherine and take to the young and bawdy Queen
Anne. He did succeed--such was his
powerful charisma. However, all that mattered little when Henry grew tired of
Anne and talked his court into executing her on the grounds of adultery, incest
and treason. How much of those charges
were true? What was false? What did it matter once he married his next wife
Jane Seymour, who bore him a little son.
The fact is, those in power have only ever had one goal in
life--more power. To climb higher, hold others in sway and elicit the trust of
those who have the ability to raise them further up the political ladder, or
toss them into the pit of despair.
By the time Henry VIII had married his fifth wife, his court
was filled with the paranoia that only a whimsical man with the power of the
chopping block can hold. All the while,
the great families of Europe rode a roller coaster hoping that this time as he
stepped before the bishop, his tricks regarding his wives would only result in
treats for them.
It simply doesn't matter whether you are discussing the next
campaign for President or the power struggles associated with the history of
Europe, there have always been and shall be some tricky people attempting to
wrangle our beliefs when it comes to those in the most powerful positions. Perhaps that is part of our fascination with
the political process--it's a puzzle and we cannot help but try to see past the
smoke screen.
~~~~
S.D.
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