Good morning.
- Wow, for the stupid insult of the day, check out “Soviet/Maoist” red, would the balanced alternative be Luftwaffe blue?
- And more on that leftwing icon/hero Che.
- Another lefty doh moment, dude … this is America we’re talking about.
- Carp(al) keyboard.
- What’s that mean, “unwinnable?” (and does that mean like Iraq?)
- Clearly overstated threat.
- That cross thing.
- Some interesting tidbits from a Andre Weil biography. I heard Mr Weil lecture while I was at school and I’ve got a few of his books. Spare and elegant.
- Speaking of maths, fractal cabbages.
- Shapeshifter battles, and the Pope’s last encyclical?
- “the Lull”, I’m thinking for some people, that word doesn’t mean what they think it means.
- Bush and Obama … perhaps not so changey.
- Heh. Are they all hard of hearing in Texas?
- Plugging Taiwanese carbon.
- Words and sex. I recall a few days x-country skiing with my Dad years ago, for various reasons my brother and mom didn’t join us right away. I think we exchanged 20 words a day for about three days. It was wonderful.
- I need to read this essay more carefully … but it looks interesting.
- Dreams.
- Ok, gotcha. Henceforth, it’s small “b” and small “w”. ’cause that “heritage, experience, …” and so forth are nothing but a non-singular multiplicity. The notion that they are singular is a pernicious fiction.
- This reminds me of that story from British occupied India, in which some Indians were objecting that wife burning was an ancient and revered custom. The British officer reminded them that they too had a ancient and revered custom … that was to hang people who burn their wives.
That cross thing.
I think Lenny Bruce best summed up the bizarreness of the Christian symbol:
Wow, for the stupid insult of the day, check out “Soviet/Maoist” red, would the balanced alternative be Luftwaffe blue?
I didn’t take it so much as an insult but an ironic observation. 40-50 years ago red was unquestionably identified with communism. “Red China”, “Better Dead than Red”, “She/He’s a pinko” (I guess for more moderate communists). It’s kind of ironic that Republicans have embraced red as their electorial color, writing books and speeches about ‘painting the country red’ and so on. I’m a bit surprised that the right didn’t object even a little bit to the MSM deciding on red as the unofficial Republican map color. Perhaps the right has lost a bit of its usual historical mindfulness over the last 20 years of intellectual degeneration.
Boonton,
I objected when it was done years ago, but to whom might one register complaint? I’ll ignore your gratuitous insult regarding history.
JA,
Electric chairs are the modern world’s most inhumane way of performing an execution? Hmm.
And don’t forget, Mao’s “Little Red Book”….in all fairness the USSE and China have tried very hard to make it clear red is their color!
Luftwaffe blue?
Blue is the official color of Germany’s air force? If so they haven’t done nearly the job of making it clear that blue’s their color as Mao/USSR. Perhaps you’re talking about Nazi Germany….except the main color that comes to mind there is again red, the swastika’s usually black on a white circle on a red background.
Insult or observation. I don’t think the right is anywhere near as historical minded as it used to be. I’ll grant that you may be an exception, though, but both of us remain pretty much bit players in politics, no?
Mark,
Electric chairs are the modern world’s most inhumane way of performing an execution? Hmm.
Sorry. What modern torture device would you prefer?
JA,
Electric chair as execution was chosen because it was thought to the most humane method of execution, likewise lethal injection. The crucifix was used by the Romans because it was the least humane.
I have no idea that modern device you would choose, but the point is Mr Bruce (and you) seem to have missed that least/most humane distinction.
Boonton,
Well, I don’t know about the “mainstream”, but I don’t see what you’re hinting at in the places I’m reading, e.g., any contributor to, say, First Things or how about Mr Hanson?
I thought the cross was choosen because it was what happened historically. I’m not sure it was the most inhumane Roman torture/execution method. It was pretty bad but then again torture was an art form that they put considerable effort into developing.
Mark,
I have no idea that modern device you would choose, but the point is Mr Bruce (and you) seem to have missed that least/most humane distinction.
It’s a point I concede, but I’m not sure it’s relevant. The point of Bruce’s joke is the absurdity of schoolchildren wearing an executioner’s device around their neck as a religious emblem. That it was a crueller device than the electric chair is a good point, but that only makes Bruce’s point (of the absurdity) stronger.
If Jesus had been killed on, say, the rack, would Christian children wear little racks around their necks? See, it still works.
I suppose they would, but this is the problem with playing alternative history games. If Jesus was killed by some type of Rube Goldberg (sp) device with a hundred intricate parts would that be worn around the neck? Probably not. Whether by accident or on purpose the cross ended up being an easy thing to turn into a symbol. Nooses, electric chairs, or racks seem less so. But if that had been the case it’s likely Christians would have found a less direct symbol. The noose and rack, for example, might be a length of rope or wheel. The electric chair might be a bolt of lightening (for electricity).
If you want to look more at symbols and Christianity, Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols
is a good resource.
Boonton is right — it’s the irony I was noting. Tim Russert is the guy usually credited with making an issue of the “Red State/Blue State split.” Historically, Republican states have usually been blue in those election-night polls. NBC flipped it, and way too few people noted any irony, including especially the Republicans, as Boonton notes.
Which goes to a deeper point I didn’t make explicit: With many conservatives and a majority of Republicans, it’s all about team colors, not the issues behind the contest at all. They’ll root for Big Red regardless the proposal, because it’s the alma mater, after all.
Ed,
Who? Where? Show me!?
And besides are you making the claim that there are not a lot of Democrats who will “vote for the team” irregardless of the issues?
Phooey.
Well there are people who will vote party line no matter what but I doubt many vote for the color alone….
But Mark alleged the comment was a needless insult but I’m not sure it was intended as an insult and to whom was it an insult.