Dear visionaries, Ted’s correction is accepted, and his caveat noted. Our elected officials could be replaced if we wanted to do it. But we don’t — which is why I wanted to say we have met the enemy and he is us. We don’t want the Constitution to be read right side up anymore than …
Caesar and War
Dear visionaries, I too hope for a smooth ride in Iraq. But there is a difference between Congress declaring war and Congress abdicating its assigned responsibilities. Congress could issue a statement that the federal budget could originate this year in the Supreme Court. Doesn’t make it right. The Constitution doesn’t say that Congress declares war …
Postmodernism Is, As Derrida Might Say, Le Dead
I am continuing to slog my way through McLaren and Raschke, left hand raised high so I won’t get any on my watch. And I have come to the settled conclusion that postmodernism is dead. Why do I think this? What is the evidence? The proof is conclusive — we can tell that postmodernism is …
Deconstructing the Constitution
Dear visionaries, Here is the problem. The oath taken by those who serve in the military involves defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, whether foreign or domestic. We are certainly going to war in Iraq, and we are doing so in order to accomplish “regime change.” This is a traditional war, …
Licorice Altoids
A reader from a far place pointed out my very own howler. I take the liberty of quoting him at length. Mr. Wilson, While I am no fan of Mr. Gier, his scholarship, or his writings I feel obliged to defend him on one point. In a recent entry in your blog, you compared his …
Howlers
In a revision of an earlier indiscretion in print, Nick Gier continues to dub us the “Moscow Taliban.” This device of calling conservative Presbyterians Talibanesque was (in Gier World) quite a witticism, and one which Gier felt obliged to give credit for, and so he acknowledged Mark Potok, from the world’s richest civil rights organization. …
Postmodern Lechery
Many philosophical fads and currents should be considered as differing attempts at rationalizing the world in such a way that sexual immorality is no longer sexual immorality. And when the philosophical fog machine is completely up and running, and the incoherence fills the room with a misty haze, the chances are good that this is …
Tolerance and Common Ground
Morning visionaries! Steven identified my subtle and nuanced discourse as a “nice rambling response” and pointed out that I did not answer his question directly, which is true enough. So here is my direct answer. People who would not choose one another for fishing buddies can nonetheless tolerate one another and live in blissful co-existence. …
Nice People United
Dear visionaries, Steven asks what my point was, and despite the monkeyshines, I do have one. Tolerant liberals like to play a pea and shell game with words like tolerant. Just like everyone else in the world, tall and short, Republican and Democrat, left and right, Christian and pagan, such liberals tolerate certain things and …
Toleration of Others Breathing
Dear visionaries, Yahoo! At long last, thanks to Susan, we now have a definition of tolerance. Those who are willing to tolerate the continued existence of those they find to be obnoxious are the tolerant progressive folks. Of course, by that definition I (and all my fellow rapscallion Trinitarians) are as tolerant and progressive as …