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Old 02-19-2013, 19:13   #1
sinjefe
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Brave New World

by Victor Davis Hanson

All I can say is, my sentiments exactly.

http://pjmedia.com/victordavishanson...inglepage=true
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Old 02-19-2013, 20:31   #2
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A voice crying in the wilderness.
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A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.

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Old 02-19-2013, 20:41   #3
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Yes.
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Old 02-19-2013, 20:50   #4
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Anyone ever stop to think what the average Centurion was up to around the time of the fall of Rome?

Maybe the dark-ages were NOTHING compared to what is upon this epoch of human history that stands ahead?

We'll see...... meanwhile, I am buying precious metels...... Lead, Copper, Brass, Silver, etc........
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Old 02-19-2013, 21:06   #5
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Anyone ever stop to think what the average Centurion was up to around the time of the fall of Rome? ...
I suspect most were shopping for a barbarian bride and a strategically significant location to construct a motte-and-bailey fort. I'm partial to intersecting trade routes or river crossings myself; better to start small and consolidate that bite off more than you can control with whatever legionaires you can bring over with you. Course it helps if the aforementioned bride has lots of tribesmen loyal to her bloodline. I like the idea of collecting precious metals too.
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A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.

~ Marcus Tullius Cicero (42B.C)
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Old 02-19-2013, 21:10   #6
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Hanson's professed astonishment with topics, issues, and trends Americanists (to say nothing of Europeanists) have kicked around for decades is surprising. The stratification of wealth and its impact on democracy, the intertwined issues of immigration and assimilation, and the fragmentation of social ties caused by advances in communication technology, are not new to serious students of modern history.

Nevertheless, his editorial is evidence of both the fragmentation of professional academic history and Hanson's growing unwillingness to step outside of his own intellectual comfort zone.

The latter dynamic is especially problematic as Hanson once made his living in the Ivory Tower. Maybe if he had spent more time engaging with and listening to colleagues who disagree with his approach to history rather than railing at them, he'd be in a better position to affect the change he desires.

Or, maybe Hanson knows many of his readers fall into the "most of us" category.
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Yet most of us are scarcely aware of the collective effect of that odd habit repeating itself millions of times over each day, of millions of books not read, of “hellos” not offered, of brains wired to screens rather than the physical world about them.
After all, why should Hanson take genuine intellectual risks if he can get an endless chorus of "Atta boy" by preaching to the choir?

My $0.02.
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Old 02-19-2013, 21:35   #7
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post

My $0.02.
Is there anything in particular in his editorial that you take issue with?
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Old 02-20-2013, 07:05   #8
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Is there anything in particular in his editorial that you take issue with?
Everything. Mostly because I posted it.
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Old 02-20-2013, 07:28   #9
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Smile In the Ds

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Everything. Mostly because I posted it.
And I, for one am glad you did. I would have found it later, anyway, but am now deep in the "Ds" earlier in the day than normal. (Depression, Despair, Disbelief, Discouragement, etc)
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Old 02-20-2013, 07:32   #10
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At the risk of being accused of wearing a" tin foil hat" I enjoyed this article very much, thanks for sharing. Our future looks bright indeed.
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Old 02-20-2013, 07:48   #11
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"When an historian who specializes in ancient Greece gets depressed about current events... Guess what?"

Classic.

Richard
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Old 02-20-2013, 08:48   #12
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I thought this was a well written summation of the current status.


Keeping my weapons clean, rounds magged and waiting on the CALL!
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Old 02-20-2013, 11:41   #13
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Originally Posted by Brush Okie View Post
In the Dark Ages the average person had no idea about why or who built the roman road systems in Europe. They thought trolls built the bridges and lived under them.
People were so stupid back then. Trolls live in Norway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hi_4GT35yc
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Old 02-20-2013, 11:45   #14
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Is there anything in particular in his editorial that you take issue with?
Hanson's not taking genuine intellectual risks. He's railing when he could be voguing. That's all.
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Old 02-20-2013, 11:58   #15
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People were so stupid back then. Trolls live in Norway.
I was thinking they came from the Pelosi and Boxer residences but may be confusing trolls for witches....
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