Comments on: Pirates Provoke Much Gnashing of Teeth at National Review

By: Zhu Bajie

Zhu Bajie — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:26:30 +0000

Briefly, the definition that Childe and most historians and social scientists use is that civilization is the most complex type of society. There are no moral implications at all. The “civilized” do the same things as the “savage” or “barbarian,” just on a larger scale.

Zhu Bajie

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:26:12 +0000

Obama ain’t no wuss! Isn’t this one the Measures of Presidential Machismo? He can press the big red button.

By: Joseph Breslin

Joseph Breslin — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:39:59 +0000

“Civilized” is a much-misunderstood word, thanks to the “rule of law” crowd that is making our planet an increasingly dangerous place. Civilization is not an evolution of mankind but the imposition of human good on human evil. It is not a historical inevitability. It is a battle that has to be fought every day, because evil doesn’t recede willingly before the wheels of progress.”

-Eww…the rule of law crowd. Why can’t [they] get it through their heads that civilization means cracking heads and in order to make “statements” to the nefarious “other” who presumably, can understand nothing else but force.

Ugh. Of course, pirates are bad but how one tires of hearing the neocons positively cream themselves with nationalistic delight whenever anything goes wrong and the possibility of using force presents itself. I would put the Straussians, the Randians and the Neoconservatives all together in one basket labeled “The We-would-be-amusing-if-we-were-not-so-dangerous-to-liberal-society Club”.

Zhu Bajie makes a good point: These folks don’t seem to be able to operate at any of the speeds between 15 Mph and Mach 3.

By: Zhu Bajie

Zhu Bajie — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:59:24 +0000

These guys throw words like “evil” and “civilization” rather casually. Do they have definitions? Beyond “I don’t like it” or “my way”? V. Gordon Childe had a list of 10 characteristics of civilization, for example. What would McCarthy list?

Of course, would any of these geniuses be in an amphibious assault of some pirate village?

Zhu Bajie, alive in the bitter sea

By: Jon Harrison

Jon Harrison — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:28:19 +0000

It may seem at the moment that the successful rescue of the ship’s captain will stop the Cornerites huffing and puffing. But please note that the pirates have stated they will kill Americans in revenge for the deaths of their fellows. This is not an idle threat. Americans are almost certain to be killed by pirates in the future, the killings no doubt taped and distributed worldwide via the internet. This could turn into a major problem for the administration, forcing it to take some of the actions the Cornerites have been calling for.

By: LeaNder

LeaNder — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:05:34 +0000

You portray mindset brilliantly. It always leaves a strong taste of 19th century double standards tumbling out from behind a superficially thin moral veneer. The "neo-ethic" of the will to war propagated by e.g. the "Ayn Rand scholar" Yaron Brook: We have to be willing, morally willing. See Yaron Book's Morality of War as the ultimate "ethical" necessity. I'll never forget this guy. It was pretty amazing to watch O'Reilly outperformed on the right. "Wouldn't that make us Nazis?" he probed. How does it feels inside these heads? Only doing one's duty? And no I am not ignoring the Nazis, they are 19th century self-righteousness dropping the thin ethical veneer.

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 04:04:17 +0000

The neocons are experts in handling nasty folks like the Somali pirates. After all, they cleaned up Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban, and the Iraqi insurgents in a jiffy. Did a really great job. We should study at their feet.