[lit-ideas] Re: Strauss
- From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2006 21:33:07 -0400
----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Geary
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 7/22/2006 3:30:32 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Strauss
AA:
>>Bill Moyers did a show entitled something like Can Faith Bring Peace? Given
>>that faith has been the catalyst for most of the violence in the world, that
>>seemed a ridiculous topic for a show.<<
I'll bet that tribal territory (and its latter day nationalisms) has been the
catalyst for more violence in the world than faith, any suggestions (besides
violence) on how to prove who's right?
***A.A. That may be so, but it sure does help to have God on your side, and he
always is. Even today, in the year of our Lord 2006, it's essentially a
religious battle in the M.E. It's the Christians against the Muslims against
the Jews. Back in Shakespeare's time it was the Protestants against the
Catholics. Before that it was the Christians against the Muslims.
Interspersed throughout was everybody against the Jews, everybody except the
Palestinians until Israel threw them out, another tribute to humankind. Faith
bringing peace is more like faith brokering real estate. Ever wonder what war
would be like if God weren't on your side? What a great topic for a book that
Carl Sagan could have written. It is so hard to have patience with this. And
adding insult to injury, humans consider themselves the superior species.
Superior in what? Writing sonnets while we throw spears? Inducing global
warming? Did you know that in this era of diminishing oil reserves, states
in the U.S. are increasing their speed limits? Up to 80 mph in some states,
Texas naturally being one of them. Love those humans.
>>They should have retitled it Can Faith Ever Bring Anything But Violence?
>>Needless to say, I didn't watch it.<<
There you go. You can take a horse to water....
***A.A. Nope. Too much in the world to read and watch and listen to. Gotta
pick and choose. After 2000+ years of the same old same old and now back to
the New Middle Ages, "Can Faith Bring Peace" is not worth a minute of time.
>>Paula Zahn (CNN) is apparently going to be doing a show on how the
>>Evangelicals are excited and happy that Armageddon is finally here, i.e., the
>>conflict in the ME, the WWIII that Newt Gingrich is promoting. I'm not
>>going to watch that either.<<
There you go.
***A.A. See above. I think you're blocking out the entire passage except the
last sentence. Do you realize that Newt Gingrich is promoting WWIII because
the Islamists are out to get us, we gotta fight them to the death, and the
Evangelicals are all atwitter with joy that Armageddon is coming? Is that not
computing with you?
>>It's too depressing to think how genuinely, hopelessly stupid people are.<<
M.G. That's the exact same thing they say about "us", you know.
***A.A. Yeah, I think you're right. They definitely think we're stupid as
they prepare for Armageddon. What do you think about that?
>>This isn't Joe Deli Owner promoting WWIII. It's the former Speaker of the
>>House, possible candidate for President<<
M.G.It always surprises me when people use expressions like "Joe Six-Pack" or
in this case "Joe Deli Owner" -- it certainly smacks of class bigotry. I
realize that what is meant by inversion is that the person in question is a
person of influence, of access to power, or access to the press, etc., but
that's not what the experssion says, the experssion demeans a class of people
-- in fact, the vast majority of people -- as being dismissable. And yet those
dismissables are the only ones who have the power to stop those in power. It
seems to me that instead of calling people without influence and power
denigrating names, one should focus on getting the message across to them that
they have the power to change the world if they'd only exercise it.
***A.A. If you've been reading my posts, you'd know that I don't have much of
an opinion of humanity in general. The educated people are educated in their
specialty and that's it. I think we've talked about this. A huge chunk of the
world thinks that being educated means religious training, and that's across
the board, Christians, Jews, Muslims. Who's held in higher esteem than priests
and rabbi's and ministers and ayatollahs? Truly, who? Lawyers know some
aspect of law, doctors know some aspect of medicine, accountants know
accounting, mechanics know engines, bakers know how to bake. The educated and
uneducated are pretty much the same except in their trade (which is all a
profession is). And enough of both the educated and uneducated supported Bush
that he won. You are educated Mike, in religion, philosophy, English, yet you
voted for Bush (a vote for Nader was a vote for Bush). I suspect a lot of
educated people on this list voted for Bush, and now we're facing
WWIII and it's all their fault. I guess it's not funny, except to Lawrence
Helm. I thought Lawrence was one of a kind, or at least a minority. I didn't
know (uneducated that I am) that there's a whole segment of our politicians,
who are presumably educated, who *want* WWIII. WWIII, can you imagine? What
were we saying that people simply like war, including the Israelis, who
downright pride themselves on being warriors?
>>And of course it's all the Islamists fault. I'd only be curious to know who
>>the Antichrist is. Clinton; If Marlena is still around, maybe she could tell
>>us?<<
Defenseless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the sam
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.
-- Auden
***A.A. Sounds good. Except everybody is just, and the other guy is always
the enemy. Just ask Newt.
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