tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post6068757679866615703..comments2024-03-16T01:00:19.876-05:00Comments on The Mad Monarchist: Enlightened Despot: Emperor Joseph IIMadMonarchisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083008336883267870noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-44884959185394430042010-05-26T13:30:38.412-05:002010-05-26T13:30:38.412-05:00"When Paine wante to promote Republicanism, h..."When Paine wante to promote Republicanism, he would present his arguments for an Ideal Republic against a Real Monarchy." -*that* is an astute observation. Very, very true. I don't know that I've ever seen it put that way before but you are exactly right!MadMonarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08083008336883267870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-61750634143300579732010-05-26T12:51:03.171-05:002010-05-26T12:51:03.171-05:00WHILE I agree that the Enlightenment was a terribl...WHILE I agree that the Enlightenment was a terrible time of destruction, I view those hwo initially became part of it, like Joseph the Second, as I view those who initially fell for Socialism or Communism in the 19th Century. Many were good, sincere people, even Dedicated Christians, who simply wanted society to be better off and take better care of the old, the infirmed, and the destitute. The Ideal behind Socialism is good, that we shoudl care for one anopther as a society and help those in need, and its even Compatable with the Christain Message. The Problem with Socialism is that the way they go about attempting to alleviate the sufferign in Society robs one set of peopel to pay anpther, and it destorys any Incintive to advance while restricting peopels Freedoms. Still, in the wide eyed Youth of the THeory, its promise and Elowuence of THeopry sounded good, and one can see wy peopel woudl embrace it, or perhaps Communism. Its not like anyone coudl point to the Soviet Union oor the Peopels Republic of China as exampels of Human Rights Abuses in 1890, and like those who were fool enough to beelive Locke and others about Republian Government and hwo it woudl elad ot more justice and peace, you can see how it would be beelivable. It rests ont he same deceptive Teqniweui too. When Paine wante to promote Republicanism, he would present his arguments for an Ideal Republic against a Real Monarchy. For that matter John Locke did the same thing in his Treatis on Government, but seemed less intentional in deciet. Basiclaly, you show the Flaws, Corruptions, and injustices in the Real World, and hten advocate the new Stystem in its THeoretical and Idealised form in order to show how wonderful and superior it is. For some odd reason people buy this, and never stop to think that perhaps the FLaws in the SYstem they ar ein now are casued by Human Nature and a vareity of corruot individuals, or Cercumstances. THey undertand the SYstem itself as Responcible for all of their woes, whilst clingign to this Imaginary perfect world creatd by the NEw System.<br /><br />No Real World system can ever compete with an Ideal, and so the argument words by Contrasting a Reality with a Drea, and gettong you excitign about he Dream.<br /><br />Once you are sold on the IDea, you only see the IDeal, even when you Implement the new Ideal and it doesn't work. Human Nature is an odd thing and peopel tend to not take honest assessments of whats happening. One of the Few good things I liked about THmas Jefferson was that he admited that the Republic that was Create din America wa snot Perfect and Human Nature will ensure it woudln't be. However, most of the Enlightenmetns thinkers, or COmmunist Revolutionaries later, continually held to the Ideal. ANy FLaw in the Government was readily explained away, Rationalised as a Kink in the System that woudl be fixed when everyone embraces the true Enlightenment/Communism/whathaveyou.<br /><br />Meanwhile, they never stop and ask if the same coudl have been true int he SYstem they deposed, or Stand agisnt. THey never, for example, ask if life under such and such a Monahc was bad because of inept Ministers or COrruption on a Local Level. THy never take the Idealic View of the Monarchy, or whatever htey oppse, and contrast it to the Reality. Instead, every flaw, every fault every mistake, and every ABuse only further illustrates why it is a Failed System. Only their system is perfect and the Flas caused by Human Nature.<br /><br />I think Joseph te Second was of the same mindset withthe Enlgihtenment, as were many.ZAROVEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17668854596329493360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-63184023830233305612010-05-26T01:52:03.333-05:002010-05-26T01:52:03.333-05:00Wasn't he the one who said "Everything fo...Wasn't he the one who said "Everything for the People, Nothing by the People?"<br /><br />He seems like a smart guy. :PProgressmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-75019329611798476062010-05-26T00:53:01.457-05:002010-05-26T00:53:01.457-05:00I have long thought the same. I know I sound espec...I have long thought the same. I know I sound especially like a crazy person when I say so, but as I believe in God, I also believe in the devil -he is real, thinking, scheming being crawling around somewhere right now and it only stands to reason that he would focus his attacks on those who would be the greatest threat to him, whether individuals, nations or royal families.MadMonarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08083008336883267870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-21130586692794354642010-05-26T00:42:58.034-05:002010-05-26T00:42:58.034-05:00Sorry to be getting a bit off topic, but in refere...Sorry to be getting a bit off topic, but in reference to the point about Habsburg tragedy, I think that many Catholic (or Orthodox) reigning families in modern times have been stalked by misfortune. The times are against them...Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18230268418171628594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-42791931843506677432010-05-25T22:59:42.649-05:002010-05-25T22:59:42.649-05:00He didn't seem to come off *too* bad in that m...He didn't seem to come off *too* bad in that movie to me, though I'm somewhat 'on the fence' with Joseph II as to my opinion of him. In some ways he was really good and in others he comes off pretty bad. As for the Hapsburg overall, I remember what Archduke Otto said about the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, that for a family like his, tragedy came with the territory. They had many "occupational hazards".MadMonarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08083008336883267870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-12901703889810148752010-05-25T22:17:58.319-05:002010-05-25T22:17:58.319-05:00Well, there was the movie Amadeus, which portrayed...Well, there was the movie Amadeus, which portrayed him as musically deaf. The man really got beaten up (so to speak). One could argue that this marked the beginning of the Habsburgs' tragic streak, ending with Karl's death in Madeira.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-43865450503270852042010-05-25T14:05:36.438-05:002010-05-25T14:05:36.438-05:00Because of Hollywood most who have heard of him kn...Because of Hollywood most who have heard of him know him as Marie Antoinette's brother or the monarch who hired Mozart. He was one of the first monarchs I really read slot about (though that was a very long time ago) and hopefully I will do a more regular profile on him in the future.MadMonarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08083008336883267870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-4402822878493828382010-05-25T08:06:40.824-05:002010-05-25T08:06:40.824-05:00He sounds like a very interesting guy. I don't...He sounds like a very interesting guy. I don't know too much about this area...I didn't know he was Marie Antoinette's brother. Always learning something new. :)Amber at The Musings of ALMYBNENRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16963815851597145235noreply@blogger.com