Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
“There is nothing about which I am more anxious than my country, and for its sake I am willing to die ten deaths, if that be possible.”
Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
“Never think you fortune can bear the sway
Where virtue’s force can cause her to obey.”
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
“I have been strong enough to lift you out of the dirt, and I am still able to cast you down again.”
Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
“. . . if you have authority to enter upon and to conclude this negotiation, you will find my ears open to hear your propositions.”
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
“For myself, I was never so much enticed with the glorious name of a king or royal authority of a queen as delighted that God hath made me His instrument to maintain His truth and glory, and to defend this kingdom . . . from peril, dishonor, tyranny, and oppression.”
Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
“What religion is this that they pay—the way to salvation is to kill the prince for a merit meritorious?”
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
“I admonish you, therefore, not to go before the laws but to follow them, nor dispute whether better ones could be prescribed but observe what the divine law commands and ours compels.”
Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
“[N]o government last where duly pain and grace be not inflicted where best they be deserved. . . .”
Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
As much as politicians seem to bash the wealthy in order to appear to be supportive of lower-income people, people in positions of political power have always relied heavily on the rich for a variety of reasons: for donations, for campaign funds, and, especially, for tax revenue. Elizabeth I was well aware of how much she needed her wealthy subjects. She wrote:
“As the destruction and desolation of dominions hinders Kings themselves from founding their power and glory on the opulence of prosperous citizens, and the diminution of public wealth strikes at the basis of the power of those who govern, so is it unworthy of the regal office and dignity to judge harshly those who love and strive for us.”
Posted by Tara Koellhoffer
Today, the North Korean military took the surprising step of proposing direct diplomatic talks with the United States, saying it was ready to meet “any place and at any time.” Although North Korea and the United States have held frequent talks since the Korean War ended with a ceasefire in 1953, U.S. officials believe that North Korea’s latest request for talks is intended to go beyond the usual stalemate. Nonetheless, the request came on the tail end of a long statement in which North Korea criticized the United States for sparking tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. This apparent contradiction shows that, even when North Korea wants to be diplomatic, it has trouble ignoring past problems.
Elizabeth I was well acquainted with such contentious diplomacy. She wrote:
“I was expecting a diplomatic mission, but you have brought me a quarrel! By virtue of your testimonials I have received you as an ambassador, but I have found you instead a challenger.”
Hopefully, this new round of talks between North Korea and the United States will prove an exception to the usual diplomatic difficulties and help produce real improvements in relations between the two nations.