USA :: minguo.info

Condorcet Internet Voting Service party platforms poll

Below is copied a llnk to the Condorcet Internet Voting Service poll on political party platforms.

As I mentioned there are 11 parties in that poll. I'll list them again here:

Democrat
Republican
Green [That's GPUS, the larger Green party]
Green Party USA [the original Greens]
Libertarian Party
Socialist Party USA
Communist Party USA
Boston Tea Party [Based on Ron Paul's
...platform, not to be confused with
...the Tea Party Movement]
Reform Party
Consititution Party

Today, we discuss chapter I of book 1, volume 1 of Les Misérables: Who guarded his House for him.

I need some help to build the project to its full potential so that collectively we can make a concerted, positive and effective difference in the world. Please check the "Open Questions / Open Tasks" section below and see what aspect inspires you the most to contribute. Although your active participation would be very welcome, it is not a requirement. I am also very happy when people simply check my diaries and tip my tip jar now and then, as time allows them to. :) Blessings to all!

[Fr.]	[En.]
Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum vigilant qui custodiunt eam. Si le Seigneur ne protège pas la maison, c’est en vain que veillent ceux qui la protègent.	Nisi Dominus custodierit domum, in vanum vigilant qui custodiunt eam. Unless the Lord guard the house, in vain do they watch who guard it.

This chapter sets the stage for the major plot development that will happen in book 2. While in chapter II~V, Hugo used the character of Myriel in order to expose his own idealistic vision, the purpose of this one is chiefly to help get the story started.

Still, it does not prevent the author from covering a couple of important themes, providing additional pieces to his overall vision.

Security is the main theme being expounded in this chapter: the huge differential between the richest and the poorest is one of the main factors which affect security and which drives individuals and whole countries to build more and more extreme defences in order to protect and maintain that differential.

Also this chapter completes the portrait of the practical, heart-centred intellectual which was started in the previous chapter.

The beginning:

• Full introduction to the project "Les Misérables".
• Translations and editions of Les Misérables (includes link to free French audiobook).
• French <=> English edition of Les Misérables.

Past episodes:

• Previous commentaries are conveniently published alongside the chapters they refer to.

The project:

• If you haven't yet, make sure to join the Daily Kos group Les Misérables: Send me a private message and I'll send you an official invitation to join the group. Joining the group does not obligate you to participate in any way, but it makes it more convenient for you to follow the group's activity.
• Take action: you and other interested people can contribute to this project in many different ways, depending on what aspects or what issues interest you the most.

Today, we discuss chapter V of book 1, volume 1 of Les Misérables: Monseigneur Bienvenu made his Cassocks last too long.

From chapter I:

Que se passa-t-il ensuite dans la destinée de M. Myriel ? [...] Nul n’aurait pu le dire ; tout ce qu’on savait, c’est que, lorsqu’il revint d’Italie, il était prêtre.

What took place next in the fate of M. Myriel? [...] No one could have told: all that was known was, that when he returned from Italy he was a priest.

This chapters offers a change of pace; and a riddle: is Hugo taunting us with a very subtle clue as to Myriel's past?

[Fr.]	[En.]
Tantôt il bêchait dans son jardin, tantôt il lisait et écrivait. Il n’avait qu’un mot pour ces deux sortes de travail : il appelait cela jardiner. « L’esprit est un jardin », disait-il.	Sometimes he dug in his garden; again, he read or wrote. He had but one word for both these kinds of toil; he called them gardening. "The mind is a garden," said he.

Chapters I to IV presented M. Myriel's public life, its external manifestations. Chapter V presents the private and internal aspects of his life. After a very heavy, very potent chapter IV, this one appears much more mundane. One may almost question its usefulness in the whole of book 1. Yet, in it, we discover subtle clues about the genesis of it all, the source that sustains M. Myriel.

The beginning:

• Full introduction to the project "Les Misérables".
• Translations and editions of Les Misérables.
• French <=> English edition of Les Misérables.

This week:

• Les Misérables: audiobook in French.
• Saints for the poor: Bishop Myriel and my grandfather.

Past episodes:

• Previous commentaries are conveniently published alongside the chapters they refer to.

The group:

• If you haven't yet, make sure to join the Daily Kos group Les Misérables: Send me a private message and I'll send you an official invitation to join the group. Joining the group does not obligate you to participate in any way, but it makes it more convenient for you to follow the group's activity.
• Take action: you and other interested people can contribute to this project in many different ways, depending on what aspects or what issues interest you the most.

Today, we discuss chapter IV of book 1, volume 1 of Les Misérables: Works corresponding to Words.

This is one of the most important chapters in book 1. It is a magnificent chapter full of short and catchy aphorisms, worthy of being shared widely. Here, we can see the greatness of Victor Hugo's progressive soul. There is a lot of information to cover and it is very difficult to comment on it in a way that gives this chapter justice.

Chapter I briefly told us about the past of M. Myriel. It gave us an opportunity to review the historical context.

As Myriel set his budget in chapter II, we talked about economic matters and the unequal wealth distribution.

In chapter III we talked about the spiritual nature of the novel.

In chapter IV, we have a collection of seemingly unrelated stories. However, a second, more attentive reading reveals the common denominator in the whole chapter: Justice. Hugo approaches justice from different, complementary perspectives: divine justice, human justice, fiscal justice, justice within the judicial system, etc.

This one of the core chapters in book 1. We haven't gone as far as setting the stage for the events in book 2, yet. However this chapter represents some of the core philosophy of Myriel. The theme of this chapter, justice, echoes the title of book 1: "A just man". (This parallel is lost in Hapgood's translation, hence our modified translation. See section below about another translation problem.)

The chapter explores our human foibles although in somewhat forgiving manner. Our physical bodies bind us to imperfection. Everything is flawed about us, including both our judicial system and our approach towards divine justice. But this shouldn't prevent us from being just. Myriel, even before becoming a saint, was a just man. Sainthood may very well be unachievable for most/all of us, being just, however, is a basic requirement we should set for ourselves.

If you missed the beginning:

• Full introduction to the project "Les Misérables".
• Translations and editions of Les Misérables.

If you haven't yet, make sure to join the group Les Misérables: Send me a private message and I'll send you an official invitation to join the group. Joining the group does not obligate you to participate in any way, but it makes it more convenient for you to follow the group's activity.

If you missed or want to revisit some of the previous episodes, you can find them all conveniently published here, alongside the chapters they relate to.

Read online: French <=> English edition of Les Misérables.

Note:The content of the following blog post has now been added to the following wiki page: Chapter III: A Hard Bishopric for a Good Bishop [Commentary], where the article will be updated and improved. You may still use this blog entry to discuss its content. See the comments section, below.
~~

Today, we discuss chapter III of book 1, volume 1 of Les Misérables: A Hard Bishopric for a Good Bishop.

In this chapter, we see Myriel using parables to preach around his diocese. Starting from that, we shall investigate the true nature of the whole novel. We'll also witness its potency to enable spiritual growth.

If you missed the beginning:

• Full introduction to the project "Les Misérables".
• Translations and editions of Les Misérables.

If you want to brush up your French:
We have started publishing a French <=> English edition of Les Misérables.

If you haven't yet, make sure to join the group Les Misérables: Send me a private message and I'll send you an official invitation to join the group.

Note:The content of the following blog post has now been added to the following wiki page: Chapter II: M. Myriel becomes M. Welcome [Commentary], where the article will be updated and improved. You may still use this blog entry to discuss its content. See the comments section, below.
~~

This chapter is very, very rich and there is so much to say.... As a result this week's commentary is very long... Commentaries on chapters later in the novel should be much shorter (and I actually hope so myself, if I am to retain my sanity, as researching and composing this, and also editing the project wiki, consumes much of my time!). The good news is that you can take the whole week to read (and comment upon) what follows. Besides, feel free to skip to the sections that interest you the most and ignore the rest. :) I hope you'll enjoy this week's commentary.

Today, we discuss chapter II of book 1, volume 1 of Les Misérables: M. Myriel becomes M. Welcome.

In this chapter, the most powerful statement is, by far, the following:

We shall see, for the first time, M. Myriel in action. We witness his no-nonsense approach to reality. As we peep into his accounting book, we shall be able to draw a comparison with some of the ways that our modern elected officials use tax payer's money. We will be able to make a direct comparison between Myriel's approach to economics and "Reaganomics" (or "Trickle-down Economics"). However, we'll also go to India and see that a progressive agenda is not necessarily enough to solve our current problems. It is as Hugo wrote: there is always more wretchedness below than there is brotherhood above. And because of that, we will have to put the recent Occupy Wall Street slogan "We are the 99%" upside down in order to give a brief, first glimpse at its underbelly.

And since this chapter invites us to speak about the economy, we'll use this opportunity to introduce another French writer, almost completely unknown this one: Jacques Lemaire [in French].

If you missed the beginning:

• Full introduction to the project "Les Misérables".
• Chapter I: M. Myriel [Commentary], now transferred to a wiki page that can be improved over time by anyone.
• Translations and editions of Les Misérables, a wiki page that has been largely updated and improved this week.

Earlier this week:

• Church and State in France: the news catches up with "Les Misérables" project
  .
• Reflections on today's politics found in Book I, selection of quotes by Baron Dave.

If you want to brush up your French:
We have started publishing a French <=> English edition of Les Misérables. See for example chapter I and chapter II (some of you might need to make a forced refresh of the page to reload some design files. You should see coloured backgrounds to the fr/en text).

I just posted a few days ago my commentary on chapter 1.1.I - M. Myriel, in which I wrote about the historical between the Church and the State in France. Today, I find out that the news in France today (Friday 22nd of February) directly echoes what I was writing.

Note:The content of the following blog post has now been added to the following wiki page: Chapter I: M. Myriel [Commentary], where the article will be updated and improved. You may still use this blog entry to discuss its content. See the comments section, below.

The first few blog entries will be a bit long first because we're just starting and there is so much to introduce, and secondly because the text of the first few chapters is so rich that there is a lot to say about it.

Today, we discuss the first chapter of the first book of volume 1 of Les Misérables.

[Fr.] En 1815, M. Charles-François-Bienvenu Myriel était évêque de Digne.

[En.] In 1815, M. Charles-Francois-Bienvenu Myriel was Bishop of Digne.

With this chapter dedicated to M. Myriel, Hugo introduces not one character, but two. The year 1815 is not chosen by chance. It has a very deep significance in 19th century France, and, indeed, in the novel as well... At the same time as the author introduces the bishop, he also squarely puts his story within a very specific historical context, incarnated in this chapter by the appearance of Napoleon, the French emperor.

If you missed the beginning...

• See the introduction to the project "Les Misérables".
• Contact me by private message or with a comment below if you wish to be invited to join this group.

Note:The content of the following blog post has now been added to the following wiki page: Full introduction to the project, where the article will be updated and improved. You may still use this blog entry to discuss its content. See the comments section, below.

For those of you who are reading, I suggest you read the following book co-authored by Jerry Tetalman titled "One World Democracy." Tetalman is the Congressional candidate of California's 49th Congressional District who was unsuccessful in beating Rep. Darrell Issa for re-election but he won over 110,000 votes.

You can buy a copy at Amazon.com by going to the following link:

http://www.amazon.com/One-World-Democracy-Progressive-Enforceable/dp/157...

Here's a review on Amazon.com: