Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
From Newsbusters.
…[I]t is very difficult to talk about the war dead and the fallen without invoking valor, without invoking the words “heroes.” Um, and, ah, ah, why do I feel so comfortable [sic] about the word “hero”? I feel comfortable, ah, uncomfortable, about the word because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war. Um, and, I don’t want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that’s fallen…
++blink++
Well okay. First impression: I need to update the Architect and Medicator thing, if only to help along my own understanding of the split, because this is an important characteristic I’ve missed. Medicators live in a whole different universe, in which the answer you give to a question is no more important than how you got to the answer. Which leads to all sorts of problems. In this case, the correct answer to “Is the dead solder a hero?” is yes…just as it is on Planet Architect…but it’s important to do a lot of hemming and hawing about it first, lots of hesitation, clearly communicating the reluctance. Just like President Obama taking a whole year to figure out what to do about Afghanistan.
Which brings us to my second impression: Someone needs to come up with a new word to describe this. “Liberal” doesn’t do it, “progressive” doesn’t do it, “spoiled media brat” doesn’t do it and “American Castrati chinless chestless pusscake” doesn’t do it.
A new word demands a precise definition. Here it is: What I seek to describe is this not-so-recent errant mindset, that arrives at a logically untenable and unsustainable conclusion. Which is — the likelihood that the next war will actually happen tomorrow, is somehow linked to to the reaction we show to the concept of war today. Carried to its extreme, it is a thought pattern that says we can, by working together, banish war forever merely by not liking it, and communicating within some subtle window of opportunity the fact that we don’t like it.
Their dysfunction, their inability to cope with life, is demonstrated easily: “Yes they are heroes” is a meaningfully different answer from “Yes they are heroes, although I hesitate to say so because it is rhetorically proximate to justifying war.” So the hesitation and the legalese disclaimers change the character of the person answering, and the concern is over the justification of war…what conclusion can be drawn, other than, we have a great shot at banishing war from the human condition if only we show a properly consistent distaste for it? But this says nothing, other than the well understood fact that the war hater doesn’t understand the sentiments of the non-hesitant ones. He perceives that he possesses a moral monopoly, where none exists. What sane man or woman loves war?
And what does a soldier have to say, about sending himself or herself into one? Once the planes are in the air and the boots are on the ground, it is what it is. They’re heroes, one & all.
These pussy beta males are going to get us killed.
What do we call this misguided sense that we can end war, which has persisted since the day Cain struck down Abel, merely by displaying the fact that it makes us unhappy? What do we say about people who apparently were raised from infancy, laboring under the delusion that they can have this kind of effect on current events, through some theatrical, grandiose and bumptious brandishing of their individual tastes?
What do we say about their mothers? Once we’re talking about motherhood, I’d like to stick to positive remarks and leave all the rest unsaid. But it seems undeniable that something in the raising was, tragically, left undone here. You’re that much of a stranger to bad things, that are bound to come raining down upon you and upon others, regardless of the reaction you show toward them? You think the universe cares that much about the approval you choose to offer, or choose to withhold? You think you’re that important? Really?
Update: “Educated beyond one’s hat size.” Very apt description. We’ve got a lot of that goin’ around lately…
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
The cowardly always seek ways to justify their coward-ism. Hayes self identifies as a pacifist which is the same thing as saying that he wishes others to be responsible for his well-being. Nothing to see there but the terminally stupid saying that being stupid is nice.
- tracycoyle | 05/27/2012 @ 17:55What sane man or woman loves war?
Conservatives, my friend.
At least, according to the left. It’s an unstated but obvious corollary to their “us Smart, you Dumb” Manichaean view of the world — the left thinks War is Bad; you are not of the left; therefore you think War is Good. (Which is the same principle, incidentally, that allows the left to be totally cool with Obama bombing the hell out of whomever he pleases — the left thinks this particular war is good, and if you don’t think so, it’s just because you’re too stupid to see it. Anyone here seriously believe the Osama raid wouldn’t have been an illegal, impeachable violation of a sovereign nation’s neutrality if Bush had done it?).
As for this:
The best description I’ve ever heard is “The Cargo-Cult Left.” It’s a species of sympathetic magic — the Allies built landing strips and control towers; planes came to them and delivered wonderful goods; if we build landing strips and control towers, planes will come to us and deliver wonderful goods. The left seems to believe a version of this, too.
For instance: Head Start is designed to help poor children succeed. What’s that you say? It doesn’t have any measurable effect? But it must have — it’s called Head Start, for pete’s sake. It’s right there in the title!
Or: ObamaCare has fixed healthcare in America forever. How do we know? It’s called the Affordable Care Act, and thus it will be cheaper and better than what we have now. What part of Affordable Care Act don’t you understand, wingnut h8rZ?
Or cf: any leftist rally about anything ever. The goal of Occupy Wall Street, SlutWalk, Anonymous, etc. is… is…. is….. well, if we just raise awareness, the problem will take care of itself!
Thus, if we just whine and caterwaul about how much we hate war, war will cease.
- Severian | 05/27/2012 @ 18:40I’m flabbergasted by the level of self-loathing that makes one uncomfortable with the thought of someone else defending their rights. If they’re so wonderful and special, why do they hate themselves so?
- chunt31854 | 05/28/2012 @ 05:08This bears reading.
- bpenni | 05/28/2012 @ 11:17