Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Wednesday, October 17. 2007

2 Books

Buddy made me think about David Gelernter's book, Drawing Life: Surviving the Unabomber. A stunning, serious, soulful book by the Yale computer science prof, which made a big impression on me when it came out.

On the lighter side, I am reading Greenspan's best-selling memoir, Age of Turbulence. A fine read without a dull moment. I didn't know he had gone to Julliard, and wanted to be a jazz sax player. The guy was always the smartest guy in the room. You realize that being a central banker means learning as you go.

Posted by Bird Dog in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 15:22 | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0)

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from BD's link, this snip from a review:

''In 1993, Yale computer science professor David Gelernter opened what he thought was an unsolicited doctoral dissertation. It exploded, destroying his right hand and eye and making his torso resemble a construction site. Gelernter, bleeding and "royally annoyed," walked to the local hospital, keeping his feet trudging along in time with "an old Zionist marching song with a good strong beat." When he got there, his blood pressure measured zero and surgeons barely saved his life. "Music is useful," Gelernter observes.
While doctors rebuilt Gelernter, he published three books. In this one, Gelernter talks about getting blown up and sewn up and vehemently argues that society is losing its lifeblood--its belief in moral authority. He blames this on the takeover of the national mindset by the liberal intellectual elite, whose anything-goes ethic has silenced the drumbeat of tradition that used to keep us all in line. Though he doesn't directly blame the intellectual liberals for the Unabomber's actions, he does locate the madman on a continuum of modern social degradation.''
#1 buddy larsen on 2007-10-17 16:52 (Reply)
I have mentioned the tension now built into our society by the liberals vs. conservative stress. I described the position as being set in concrete which I fully believe to be true.
In addition I have recently added a parallel between USA circa now and USA circa 1840's and 50's, the ramping up years to the Civil War.

I do believe we will have another civil war in this country. The divisions over some basic issues of human life and rights are becoming so grotesquely distorted that I do not see a political formulation to remedy the bridge that divides us. To name but two, abortion on demand and invasion/illegal immigration. Both irreconcilable in the political arena and both with large constituencies on both sides.

Moral suasion is no longer in legitimate play by either the churches, political institutions or society in general. It is as was said in another post Gramsci’s cultural hegemony writ large. Now as of this writing the conservatives have not marshaled their side and alerted them that the war tocsin will sound sooner rather than later. The liberals have been in combat mode for generations. Once that tocsin sounds the pieces will be in place for the killing struggle to begin for that cultural hegemony.

In many ways and from all indications another Clinton in the WH could be the equivalent of Lincoln’s victory in 1860 for she will certainly revert to her original socialist agenda. If instituted there will be no turning back…. Alia iacta est.
.
#2 Habu on 2007-10-17 22:44 (Reply)

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