Sunday, February 22, 2004

An Objectivist Martin Luther

When Martin Luther took on the Catholic church, in regards to indulgences, legend has it that he nailed 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenburg.  Personally, I think Luther did not go far enough.  Though he weakend the power of the church, in the manner of scraping away at the mortar that holds the stones of the church together, he did not dig at the foundation of erroneousness upon which the Catholic church is founded.

But, I want to touch a bit on Objectivism.  Diana Mertz Hsieh, a student of philosophy with a deep interest in Objectivism, has nailed her theses to the door of The Objectivist Center.  I have not read all the articles Diana linked to in her post, but the complaints aired by Diana are valid.

Read Diana’s “A Public Statement on The Objectivist Center” and make your own decision.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/22 at 09:47 AM
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Real Men Aren’t Poseurs

VietNam.  The very word seems to cause palpable discomfort to many individuals.  That terrible war.  As if all wars aren’t terrible.  What troubles me about individuals referencing VietNam, specifically individuals such as John Kerry, is that when referencing VietNam they do so in the manner of what I would call trolling for a “sympathy fuck.”  If you need an elaboration of the definition of that let me know.  With that in mind I point you to two separate posts.

First, the Emperor Darth Misha I on John Kerry speaking Saturday (yesterday).

Second, McQ at Questions and Observations, in a post titled Let me introduce you to a real hero.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/22 at 08:12 AM
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Amuck

I just got a phone call from a certain beloved children’s educational television show (one that played a crucial part in my own graduation to literacy!), asking me whether there was any reason to be nervous about using the song “London Bridge is Falling Down.” Edginess about nursery rhymes and old songs (e.g. “Eenie, Meenie”) has apparently reached the point that it’s safer to check out every one of them for potential offensiveness before use. I was apparently the right person to call becasue I both know something about English-British history and something about ethnic politics.

The culture of fear of frickin everything, closely entwined, of course, with morality dictated by the state, so you don’t even have to think.

The quote is by Jacob Levy, posted at The Volokh Conspiracy.  The call was from the show with the big yellow bird and a monster that eats cookies.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/22 at 08:04 AM
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Ah, Yeah

Arthur Silber links to a animated cartoon he was pointed to by the anonymous Atrios.  The cartoon is the work of Mark Fiore and is titled the “The Gay Agenda.”  I doubt you’ll need three guesses as to what the underlying issue is the cartoon purports to criticize.

The cartoon pokes at heterosexuals, Bush, the Democratic candidate field, conservative voters and ends on the following note.  The note which reveals the terrifying gay agenda.

And the terrifying gay agenda is a harmless gay couple sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast, contentedly chewing their food.  How nice.  But it’s the final line of the cartoon that is supposed to drive home the point.

Look, would you mind, uhm, just leaving us alone.

Look, Mark Fiore, uhm, which group tends to draw more attention to themselves than gays?  I can’t think of one except for the likes of Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson.  The group they belong to has the same proclivity for ostentatious display.  Would you mind just leaving us alone. 

Posted by John Venlet on 02/22 at 07:11 AM
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