Tuesday, March 27, 2007

 

Learning to Rebel Against One's Own Interests


“Radicalizing” youth (for socialist “revolution” or “jihad”) is like training a dog where to shit...except a dog automatically knows better than to shit in the very place it sits, sleeps, and eats.

...Oh yes, dogs are noted for loyalty. Find a pampered socialist brat who ever comes close in this admirable trait.


Thursday, March 22, 2007

 

Philosophers, Philosophies, and "a New World Order" -- again


I'm still quite behind in the leisure self-indulgence of blog posting but have had some time to read commentary from several good sites.

'An interesting essay from March 12th in the American Thinker (yes, that's right, contrary to trendy contemporary belief, Americans can often think):

"...The groundwork for moral equivalence between democracy and murderous tyranny was laid over two generations of willful post-modern obfuscation of the difference between 'the fire and the fire brigade,' as Churchill aptly called it. Unsurprisingly, the intellectual paragons of such ethical primitivism included Nazi admirers like Paul de Man, Martin Heidegger and Francois Mitterand, and Stalin worshippers like Jean-Paul Sartre. Many Sixties radicals in Europe were totalitarians in spirit, taking their cues from fascist as well as Leftist forerunners. Just as before the war, 'les extrêmes se touchent (the extremes converge).' When the violent past of famous Green politician Joschka Fischer was exposed, he simply explained that, yes, 'we (radicals) were drawn to the totalitarian temptation'..."

"... The struggle between enlightenment and the totalitarian temptation has never yet ceased, and it may never cease. Totalitarians are experts in the art of demagogy, sophistry and manipulation, but the bottom line is always destroying free speech, free thoughts and free actions. So it's not that hard to tell the sides from each other, even when the colors change from Black to Red to Green. The question is always: Can you tolerate open debate? If not, as in today's European Union, then you are at bottom a totalitarian. If yes, then you are a classical liberal --- or a modern democratic conservative."

***************************


Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing the movie, Perfume (I live in Japan so I'm sometimes a bit behind on what people have already seen in recent film productions).

Wow! What a masterpiece! Aside from noting the brilliance of mood and sensory immersion created in the film, I'd like to comment briefly on its quality in depicting a historical era. I was a history major in college and, along with a rather vivid imagination, I've been fortunate to have seen different times and places in my mind's eye without the foggy glasses of idealism -- who knows, I guess lots of people can do that. Anyway, I couldn't help but note the absolute filth portrayed in daily life in the Paris of over two centuries ago. Keep in mind that this was one of the high pinnacles of civilization of the time and yet -- a cesspool of brutish and vulgar living.

The reason I note this is that, as I have often sought to point out, we truly do live in the best of times. For those of us who are simple, average, and unwealthy, we live better than the kings of past eras, decent hygiene being only one manifestation of the contemporary bourgeois living standard. And yet, we are still told by some bitter intellectuals that we live in a terrible time and that every hangnail is directly caused by the free market and it's spawn in golden arches, and global coffee chains.

When I watched the well depicted filth of 18th century France in the movie Perfume I was more than aware that it was the philosophies that bred capitalism that ultimately lifted us from such ruts. The trendy counter-philosophies of today would tell us to return to the age of king and court (in this case autocrat and bureaucracy -- the all-consuming state).

Offended by a few shiny signs advertising products that many others actually want? Fine. Go live in North Korea or Cuba. Or better yet, take a time machine to a "simpler and better" time, and wallow in the muck of 18th century mud for your few miserable years of disease ridden existence.

I'll go with the "evil" and "selfish" capitalist system -- extra lettuce and tomato.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

 
...Plenty to say but no time to say it. 'Will return eventually.

...have a nice day.

Monday, March 12, 2007

 

The Horrors of Flavorful Coffee, Friendly Service, and a Pleasant Atmosphere…


A Chinese "lawmaker" (indeed, no one loves "making laws" more than a communist party official) wants to have the evil – and very successful – American coffee shop giant, Starbucks, removed from the Forbidden City in Beijing. Certainly a debatable issue and one that can appeal to the romantic anti-modernist in anyone.

After I had returned from Beijing several years ago a Brit expat here responded with similar horror at the news that Starbucks had gained a foothold in the great historical locale of China's past.

I could care less if Starbucks stays or goes in the Forbidden City but I may point out that the dreaded imperialist enterprise in question is very small and unassuming and occupies the same space as a little souvenir shop in the same location. One would have to literally stumble upon it or ask for its location to find it.

It should also be noted that those who so dread the horrors of refreshment (there are other places at The Forbidden City to buy drinks and food as well) seem not to mind the sale of Mao Zedong memorabilia sold everywhere. One can also purchase a display of photos of old heroic generals of the revolution. I actually bought one for comic relief – it's among my history relic collection, along with authentic Little Red Books from the "Cultural Revolution," Soviet Russia military pins, and Nazi Hitler youth belt buckles.

As for contemporary souvenirs, can one even imagine T-shirts and coffee mugs with Adolph Hitler's image being sold at old German landmarks? How about a set of SS engraved tableware when one is reminiscing those good old days of the Reich. Of course that would pale in comparison to the evil concept of a contemporary beverage franchise.

So, …go to Beijing. See the Forbidden City and while there get a T-shirt of the man who killed more human beings, for the sake of ideology, than any in human history. Maybe even get a commemorative Mao Zedong lighter…just don't think of corrupting a holy space with the presence of flavorful coffee or Macadamia Nut cookies…


Wednesday, March 07, 2007

 

John Edwards -- Classic Hypocrite


Classic left. Whether lukewarm or radical, one of the most unlikable features of the socialist and pseudo-socialist worldview is it's phony posturing and blatant insincerity. Former vice presidential contender John Edwards thinks Americans are "selfish" and "Jesus" wouldn't approve of our lifestyle and actions. Remember, this is coming from a political party that abhors any mention of the Jesus guy. This is also coming from a millionaire trial lawyer who has put doctors out of work and put a dent in effective health care in his home state (woman are much more likely to have a riskier caesarian birth now after his phony -- but lucrative -- court antics destroying a doctor's career because of a disabled child whose condition wasn't even vaguely related to the doctors actions).

Remember, Edwards is the clown who whined through the last elections that there are "Two America's," (one rich and the other poor)-- classic Marxist style class warfare. How could he have missed the fact that he's a rich guy amongst a wide spectrum of incomes? -- So Pathetic.

And, of course, we have Al Gore concocting the latest end-of-the-world scare and telling us common folk how we need to cut back our lifestyles while he lives in a mansion and contributes burned airline fuel to the atmosphere.

From Marx, to Rousseau, to Chomsky, Michael Moore, and now Al Gore and John Edwards...why do some of us hate the left -- it's the hypocrisy stupid!

************************


I'm setting up my new computer so I won't be posting for a couple of weeks. Also, I'm lazy....

Have fun (and don't feel guilty about it).

Friday, March 02, 2007

 

"…The End Of The World As We Know It"


I've only begun listening to the books on CD version of Mark Steyn's, "American Alone; The End Of The World As We Know It." (I can't stand walking without a "book in my hand" so the CD version is rather convenient).

The book's been out a while now but this is my first encounter with it. I've only begun "reading" it but must say, thus far, it's one of the best books I've come by in a long time. Absolutely excellent!

I've always enjoyed Steyn's very smart and witty appraisals one comes across on web site links but this is a real treat. Even though he hasn't been infected by the party line of academia, I'd dare say he comes across as downright scholarly – he definitely "knows stuff." His sarcasm and wit is profoundly insightful and he can point out the obvious in a way that will make a leftist Islamo-fascist sympathizer quite enraged (but unable to respond beyond the usual name calling).

This is not a "review." As stated, I've only begun the book (CD's) but I can't recommend it enough based on what I've encountered thus far. It's incredibly rich in its analysis of history, geography, politics, religion, pop culture, media, and human folly and games on planet Earth.

I truly believe that If everyone read this book there would be no "War on Terror" (with Islamo-fascism) or even a "war" in Iraq -- the Islamists would have already been defeated!

Unfortunately -- as Steyn makes quite clear – things could (and, perhaps are likely to) go the other way and civilization "as we know it" will be over in a matter of decades. That certainly sounds melodramatic, but no more so than Al Gore's less likely scenarios of a world engulfed in water and monster storms. One doesn't need a "computer model" to know what the Islamists want and are fervently hoping to gain. Add in the demographics that Steyn brings to our attention and we know we have a real problem on our hands. With the exception of a few admirable allies, America is indeed "alone" already, with many in the U.S. itself clueless as to exactly what could transpire in mere decades. If America is one day out of active engagement in these issue, who's gonna "make the world safe for democracy" – France, the international court at the Hague? Nothing against the French – or like-minded nations – but many of their citizens are still too busy whining about the horrors of "cowboy capitalism" to take a real threat seriously (it's happened before).

Our view of history tends to be colored by the plots of movies and novels where the good side always prevails. We even thought the good side was the norm while two generations wasted away in the Soviet gulag state. There have been plenty of Spartas, National Socialist police states, and Communist prison nations to speculate as to just how much goodness is blessed by inevitability. There is no law that says that the men and women in the white hats always win. We are even more at risk now since there are so many of us in open societies who openly root for the demons among us.

The lefties hate hearing such "philistine" comments but, pluralistic, representative, open, and free society is superior – and it's the only place I want to live. If you think a world engulfed by theocratic Sharia law might be okay, well…I'd prefer to keep out of your personal nightmares.

With the amount of energy being daily devoted to bashing Bush or wishing that the Vice President was killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan (the recent event brought out the worst of the leftist swines' worldview), people could actually address the true enemy at hand but, after decades of public education and media dreams of utopian socialism, most of the world is throwing in the towel.

Definitely get Mark Steyn's book. It will be the end of the way you see things, as you "know" them.


This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?