most enviable
of titles, the character
of an honest man
In a letter to Alexander Hamilton dated 28 August 1788, George Washington wrote:
Still I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man, as well as prove (what I desire to be considered in reality) that I am …
The character of an honest man.
The headline comes to mind, “Channel 4 to mark Trump’s UK visit with ‘longest uninterrupted reel of untruths’”.
The occassion for the show was the current man in office and his visit tot he UK in Ocotber of 2025.
Another columnist for the Guardian wrote: “Channel 4 will be marking Donald Trump’s visit to the UK with what it describes as “the longest uninterrupted reel of untruths, falsehoods and distortions ever broadcast on television”. It will play more than 100 of Trump’s lies or misleading statements in a segment called Trump v The Truth. All his greatest hits, from false claims about the price of eggs to disgusting lies about the US spending millions on condoms for Hamas, packaged together.
Obviously we’ve got to be fair and balanced here, though, haven’t we? Gotta show both sides. So I think it’s only right that Channel 4 also broadcast a 10-second segment covering all of the truthful and astute things the president has said”
(It’s not all lies, lies, lies with Trump – sometimes he’s unnervingly honest by Arwa Mahdawi. How was that feller unnervingly honest your ask? Like when he said, “Smart people don’t like me, you know?”)
What was it that the General wrote?
Still I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man, as well as prove (what I desire to be considered in reality) that I am …
The character of an honest man.
Washington’s letter came at the time when the new country was discussing the adoption the new Constitution that had been pulled together in 1787.
It was during the discussion about the Executive and its powers that Dr. Ben Franklin said:
“The first man put at the helm will be a good one.
No body knows what sort may come afterwards.“*
Just some thoughts for Presidents Day, 2026.
*Notes on the Debates in the Federal Convention, Monday June 4, 1787 – The Question was resumed on motion of Mr. PINKNEY 2ded. by WILSON, “shall the blank for the number of the Executive be filled with a single person?”
No Haiku For You 