“Keenly intelligent, genial and sympathetic, his nature contained that flavor of obstinacy which borders on fascination, and which is rightly recognised as essential to the missionary.”
Hmmm, “missionary.” In a political sense, better (and more appropriately) known as an “agitator” (as in “Community Agitator” – once known as “rabble rousing”). Lately adopted and honed to a fine modern edge by American Democrats, commonly called “Liberals,” but who could be more accurately described as National Socialist Democrats.
“The popularizer of a new idea requires for his task a certain capacity of dramatic exaggeration.”
“Spin.” It’s called “spin,” but, if we were to be brutally honest, we would acknowledge it to be nothing more than a rather desolate and miserable form of the common lie.
“A certain dramatic opportuneness . . . gave to Henry George the public ear.”
Yup . . . dramatic opportuneness . . . that’s how it’s most commonly done. And, if the “dramatic opportuneness” does not happen of its own accord, National Socialists manufacture it . . . just as they did in the Twenties . . . and the Thirties . . . and the Teens . . . and before . . . and later.
Another “Fascist warning” BEEP!
A little etymological referesher: Fabius was the general who eventually ended the Carthaginian threat to Rome by shilly-shallying, dilly-dallying, and staying away from large battles with the invader, nibbling away at his forces in many small 'hit and run' engagements. His tactics of evasion and escape forever after took his name. In fact the Senate made it his last name Fabius "Cunctator", Fabius the Delayer. The Socialists in England borrowed his name when they realized that they could never overcome tradition in a pitched battle or a straight-up vote, so they decided on a small win here and there until, they reasoned, the whole structure would tumble berfore them. It worked. And it's working here.