The Reasoning of Sherlock Holmes and David Hume
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, through the voice of Sherlock Holmes: “We balance probabilities and choose the most likely.” David Hume, British empiricist philosopher: “We always disbelieve the greater miracle,” (which means essentially the same thing, i.e., we live surrounded not by certainties, but by probabilities, and we are obliged to choose to believe that which seems most likely.
Let’s put that into perspective with the events of today, re: South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham:
1998: It appeared that a passionate young lawmaker from South Carolina cared about “honor and integrity” of the person sitting in the Oval Office. That lawmaker gave a rallying speech in favor of Bill Clinton’s impeachment. He inspired many with the way he adamantly stood for principle and morality. “You don’t even have to commit a crime, to lose your job. Impeachment is about cleansing the office. Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office.”
2019: “The Mueller Report (that points to 10 points of obstruction of justice) shows no evidence of wrongdoing.” and “From my point of view, to impeach any president over a phone call like (Ukraine) this would be insane.”
OK, so what’s more probable?
a) Something that was both dramatic and mysterious happened that changed Lindsey Graham’s basic character over those 21 years, or
b) Graham is and has always been simply a dishonest, hypocritical partisan hack.
Craig,
Don’t you think that Sen. Graham may have just got a little older and wiser in the intervening years?
The absurd persecution of President Clinton was both hysterical and undignified for everyone involved.
The office of President is political, and the Presidents are politicians, not candidates for sainthood!
Presidents are not Saints, nor ‘celebrities’ in a beauty pageant, or subjects of a TV reality show. Presidents are just men occupying a very high pressure, important job. They are elected by the will of the US people to carry out the political mandates for which they were elected.
Much of a President’s conduct is secret and clandestine by the nature of statecraft and political office. Attempting to remove a President by any methods other than the ballot box, is a very serious business as it means overriding the will of the US people.
The pursuit of President Clinton was unseemly and prurient politics, conducted in a manner more suited to sleazy tabloid sensationalism.
The same applies to the persecution of President Trump. His behavior on occasion is certainly regrettable and occasionally downright crude, but his fitness for office is a matter for the US voters at the ballot box.
It’s not a matter for government employees, members of congress, law enforcement officials to decide to seek political advantage and deny the US elector the candidate of their choice without an overwhelmingly urgent and drastic reason.
Given the current circumstances, it would be perfectly proper for the Congress to pass a motion of censure or reprimand against the President’s actions.
This would be an appropriate, dignified and serous rebuke to the President and leave the US people to judge if his response was acceptable.
By attempting to build a mountain out of a molehill, the anti-Trump and “Never-Trumper’s ” only proves their perpetual outrage and hatred t6oward the President is more important than the interest of the American people.
It’s time sanity returned……..