AMERICAN CONSERVATISM IN 2008 AND BEYOND

Gee, I was pretty sure Thomas thought he said that. It has been attributed to him as documented in the permanent record:

SEE HERE

New Element Discovered

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.

A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 to 6 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

From this morning's e-mail - source unknown

Chemists' Last Words . . .
1. And now for the taste test.
2. That may become hot...
3. And now add a little bit of this...
4. ... and please keep that test tube separate!
5. And now shake it a bit.
6. Why is there no label on this bottle?
7. In which glass was my mineral water?
8. The Bunsen burner is out!
9. Why does that stuff burn with a green flame?!?
10. H stands for Nitrogen - and that does not burn...
11. Oh, now I have spilt something...
12. First the acid, then the water...
13. And now the detonating gas problem.
14. This is a completely safe experimental setup.
15. Where did I put my gloves?
16. Oh no, wrong beaker...
17. The fire alarm is just being tested.
18. Now you can take the protective window away...
19. And now keep it constant at 24 degrees Celsius, 25... 26... 27...
20. Peter can you please help me. Peter!?! Peeeeeteeeeer?!?!?!?
21. Am I to wait 10 seconds or twenty?
22. Something is wrong here...
23. What caused all those holes in my apparatus?
24. Trust me - I know what I am doing.
25. And now a cigarette…

Sowell gerrymanders the definition of patriotism.

I'll tell you what patriotism is not. Patriotism is not an ultimatum. It is not "With us or against us." It is not waving flags. It is not a set of colors. It is not a bald eagle. It is not adoration for an icon. It is not being a republican or democrat. It is not baseball. It is not coca-cola.

Patriotism is not looked down on by intellectuals because patriotism is a bad thing. It's looked down upon because it has become a cheap thing. Loving America will never be enough to make you a patriot, but still there are people who try their hardest to make patriotism an accessory.

Those who see America as being the greatest nation in the world may possibly be the furthest from patriots. A true patriot is a citizen like Martin Luther King who saw a great flaw and knew that fighting for the rights of all people was more important than defending a broken system just because it was simply ours.

Pacifism has nothing to do with patriotism.

Our soldiers are still heroes, but don't think that doesn't mean that they can't be victimized by bad policy. Do you know how many vets from Afghanistan and Iraq are already homeless? A true patriot is going to fight for this to be fixed even if it makes us look bad.

Patriotism is not an image.

Our school children should not be taught that loving one's country supersedes their conscience.

Shame on Sowell for such a peace of trash.

Happy Independence Day.

Did patriotism matter? It mattered more than superior French tanks and planes.

Most Americans today are unaware of how much our schools have followed in the footsteps of the French schools of the 1920s and 1930s, or how much our intellectuals have become citizens of the world instead of American patriots.

Our media are busy verbally transforming American combat troops from heroes into victims, just as the French intelligentsia did- with the added twist of calling this "supporting the troops."

Will that matter? Time will tell.

Diest TKO wrote:

Sowell gerrymanders the definition of patriotism.

How so? Nice turn of phrase but what do you mean? Presumably you are suggesting that he has picked and chosen aspects of the definition to suit his political agenda, but in what way?

Diest wrote:

I'll tell you what patriotism is not. Patriotism is not an ultimatum. It is not "With us or against us." It is not waving flags. It is not a set of colors. It is not a bald eagle. It is not adoration for an icon. It is not being a republican or democrat. It is not baseball. It is not coca-cola.

Now, please, tell us what it is.

I seriously doubt there are too many people, against whom you would set yourself intellectually, who believe patriotism is simply baseball or coca-cola. However these iconic representations of America are indeed part of patriotism, because patriotism is a love not for a particular geographical region on the planet earth but for a deep and abiding culture and yes, flag waving, symbolic eagles, baseball and coca-cola are a few parts of that culture. So is sending our young ones into great peril to defend the freedom of others. So is contributing large chunks of our personal and national wealth to assist the unfortunate wherever they may be. So is an economic system that encourages innovation and genius and disproportionately advances the knowledge and progress of the human race.

But let's hear from you what it might be.

Diest wrote:

Patriotism is not looked down on by intellectuals because patriotism is a bad thing. It's looked down upon because it has become a cheap thing. Loving America will never be enough to make you a patriot, but still there are people who try their hardest to make patriotism an accessory.

Well you haven't really read Sowell's piece then. Patriotism is, indeed, seen as a "bad thing" by certain intellectuals, and to argue otherwise is simply ignorant. What's more it is understandable why certain intellectuals might see patriotism as a "bad thing." For French intellectuals, the horrors of WWI might readily be associated with "patriotism," but how did their concerted effort to eradicate patriotism work? Nazi occupied France for virtually the length of WWII.

The lesson here is that the world is a far more complex and dangerous place than liberals would have us believe. The answer to foolish choices, only marginally based on a sense of patriotism, with horrendous results is not to to neuter a society, culture, country. Patriotism was needed, but in short supply, when the Germans invaded France during WWII.

France was devastated by WWI. It truly lost a generation. It is perfectly understandable why the French (intellectual or otherwise) would not want to repeat that horror, and yet their efforts to avoid a repetition were met by the cruel reality of history: Instead of losing another generation, they lost their country and their freedom.

I don't know for certain, but my bet is that France lost far fewer French lives in WWII than in WWI, but is that the ultimate national calculus?

I don't think so.

Diest wrote:

Those who see America as being the greatest nation in the world may possibly be the furthest from patriots. A true patriot is a citizen like Martin Luther King who saw a great flaw and knew that fighting for the rights of all people was more important than defending a broken system just because it was simply ours.

This is just ideologically induced nonsense. Considering America the greatest nation in the world and devoting oneself to it's improvement are not mutually exclusive. Just ask Barrack Obama.

Herein lies the rotten foundation of the American Left. It is embarrassed by the notion that America might be the greatest nation on earth, and will never utter that thought itself. No matter how America exceeds the contributions of each and every other nation on earth to the human condition; no matter how America clearly distinguishes itself from all other major powers in history, the Left feels it is somehow base to think in such terms. The Left is ashamed of their country for its vast strength and, disproportionately, its flaws, because it is a principle of the Left to bemoan any and all things and to rejoice nothing that is not beyond human capabilities. It is only people that understand and, more importantly, accept the failings of humanity that can celebrate its achievements.

Diest wrote:

Pacifism has nothing to do with patriotism.

Yes it does if it is allowed to supersede patriotism. Patriotism may require warrior or pacifists, but if allowed only one it will fail.

Diest wrote:

Our soldiers are still heroes, but don't think that doesn't mean that they can't be victimized by bad policy. Do you know how many vets from Afghanistan and Iraq are already homeless? A true patriot is going to fight for this to be fixed even if it makes us look bad.

True, but how many of the "patriots" you seem to disdain argue otherwise? It's a righteous sounding argument but what substance does it have?

Diest wrote:

Patriotism is not an image.

And who says it is?

Diest wrote:

Our school children should not be taught that loving one's country supersedes their conscience.

Certainly not, but neither should they be taught that to do so is somehow the sign of jingoist dupe.

Diest wrote:

Shame on Sowell for such a peace of trash.

Shame on you for not taking the time to read his piece and to counter it with substance rather than rant.

Diest wrote:

Happy Independence Day.

Same to you Young Jedi.

A provocative analysis Finn and thank you for that. I think that Sowell was saying that patriots are those people who see their nation as basically good, worth defending, worth fighting for, worth preserving, building up, improving, making better.

As you suggested, non patriots feel an overt or vague contempt for their own country and tend to see other peoples or cultures as somehow more noble or worthy or superior or better.

Foxfyre wrote:

A provocative analysis Finn and thank you for that. I think that Sowell was saying that patriots are those people who see their nation as basically good, worth defending, worth fighting for, worth preserving, building up, improving, making better.

As you suggested, non patriots feel an overt or vague contempt for their own country and tend to see other peoples or cultures as somehow more noble or worthy or superior or better.

Or maybe they have reasonably reached the conclusion that their nation is not basically good or worth fighting for. Sowell could have easily seen this side of the argument by examining how the pros and cons of patriotism apply to the German soldiers who attacked France. By failing to consider this side, Sowell has put blinders on himself and his readers so they don't see the problematic sides of being a patriots, and the arguments for choosing not to be one. (This seems to be another aspect of what Deist TKO calls Sowell's gerrymandering of patriotism. (Good expression!))


PS: For the record: I am not a German patriot now, and don't intend to become an American patriot in the future, even if I should acquire the United States' citizenship.

And it is THAT which is the interesting component to this and which I am relatively convinced that TKO, a product of the very phenomenon Sowell described, is ideologically incapable of grasping and which I think you also missed.

Foxfyre wrote:

And it is THAT which is the interesting component to this and which I am relatively convinced that TKO, a product of the very phenomenon Sowell described, is ideologically incapable of grasping and which I think you also missed.

I consider myself very patriotic and if my views on patriotism have anything to do with my schooling, then it is the opposite that is true: Our schools (as they were when I attended) teach students that patriotism is a good thing. YOU just can't handle that their are expressions of patriotism beyond or contrary to your beliefs. I make no such artificial distinctions.

For the record, nobody has said it's not a good thing. The point is that people are being bought in or scared away from artificial notions of patriotism. Sowell is one of those snake oil salesmen. As Thomas said, he did not show how patriotism can be abused etc. It's a poorly written and unsupported thesis.

T
K
O

I understand what Sowell is failing to prove.

T
K
O

Sowell gerrymanders the definition of patriotism. I just got back from the national mall's glorious fireworks display. I looked around and there were many people there of many backgrounds.

Many in Obama shirts. Many in McCain Shirts. Many not wearing any politics at all on this particularly rainy day from our fine capitol.

I'll tell you what patriotism is not. Patriotism is not an ultimatum. It is not "With us or against us." It is not waving flags. It is not a set of colors. It is not a bald eagle. It is not adoration for an icon. It is not being a republican or democrat. It is not baseball. It is not coca-cola.

Patriotism is not looked down on by intellectuals because patriotism is a bad thing. It's looked down upon because it has become a cheap thing. Loving America will never be enough to make you a patriot, but still there are people who try their hardest to make patriotism an accessory.

Those who see America as being the greatest nation in the world may possibly be the furthest from patriots. A true patriot is a citizen like Martin Luther King who saw a great flaw and knew that fighting for the rights of all people was more important than defending a broken system just because it was simply ours.

Pacifism has nothing to do with patriotism.

Our soldiers are still heroes, but don't think that doesn't mean that they can't be victimized by bad policy. Do you know how many vets from Afghanistan and Iraq are already homeless? A true patriot is going to fight for this to be fixed even if it makes us look bad.

Patriotism is not an image.

Our school children should not be taught that loving one's country supersedes their conscience.

Shame on Sowell for such a peace of trash.

Happy Independence Day.

T
K
O