This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_000C_01C6E7F2.4FBEE410
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Traitors to the Enlightenment
Europe turns its back on Socrates, Locke, et al.
By Victor Davis Hanson
The first Western Enlightenment of the Greek fifth-century B.C. sought =
to explain natural phenomena through reason rather than superstition =
alone. Ethics were to be discussed in the realm of logic as well as =
religion. Much of what Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, and the Sophists =
thought may today seem self-evident, if not at times nonsensical. But =
that century was the beginning of the uniquely Western attempt to bring =
to the human experience empiricism, self-criticism, irony, and tolerance =
in thinking.
The second European Enlightenment of the late 18th century followed from =
the earlier spirit of the Renaissance. For all the excesses and =
arrogance in its thinking that pure reason might itself dethrone =
religion - as if science could explain all the mysteries of the human =
condition - the Enlightenment nevertheless established the Western =
blueprint for a humane and ordered society.=20
But now all that hard-won effort of some 2,500 years is at risk. The new =
enemies of Reason are not the enraged democrats who executed Socrates, =
the Christian zealots who persecuted philosophers of heliocentricity, or =
the Nazis who burned books. No, they are a pampered and scared Western =
public that caves to barbarism - dwarves who sit on the shoulders of =
dead giants, and believe that their present exalted position is somehow =
related to their own cowardly sense of accommodation.
What would a Socrates, Galileo, Descartes, or Locke believe of the =
present decay in Europe - that all their bold and courageous thinking, =
won at such a great cost, would have devolved into such cheap surrender =
to fanaticism?=20
Just think: Put on an opera in today's Germany, and have it shut down, =
not by Nazis, Communists, or kings, but by the simple fear of Islamic =
fanatics.=20
Write a novel deemed critical of the Prophet Mohammed, as did Salman =
Rushdie, and face years of ostracism and death threats - in the heart of =
Europe no less.=20
Compose a film, as did Theo Van Gogh, and find your throat cut in =
"liberal" Holland.=20
Or better yet, sketch a cartoon in postmodern Denmark, and then go into =
hiding.=20
Quote an ancient treatise, as did the pope, and learn your entire Church =
may come under assault, and the magnificent stones of the Vatican offer =
no refuge.=20
There are three lessons to be drawn from these examples. In almost every =
case, the criticism of the artist or intellectual was based either on =
his supposed lack of sensitivity or of artistic excellence. Van Gogh =
was, of course, obnoxious and his films puerile. The pope was woefully =
ignorant of public relations. The cartoons in Denmark were amateurish =
and unnecessary. Rushdie was an overrated novelist, whose chickens of =
trashing the West he sought refuge in finally came home to roost. The =
latest Hans Neuenfels adaptation of Mozart's Idomeneo was silly.
But isn't that precisely the point? It is easy to defend artists when =
they produce works of genius that do not offend popular sensibilities - =
Da Vinci's Mona Lisa or Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws - but not so =
when an artist offends with neither taste nor talent. Yes, Pope Benedict =
is old and scholastic; he lacks both the smile and tact of the late Pope =
John Paul II, who surely would not have turned for elucidation to the =
rigidity of Byzantine scholarship. But isn't that why we must come to =
the present Pope's defense - if for no reason other than because he has =
the courage to speak his convictions when others might not?
Note also the constant subtext in this new self-censorship: fear of =
radical Islam and its gruesome appendages of beheadings, suicide =
bombings, improvised explosive devices, barbaric fatwas, riotous youth, =
petrodollar-acquired nuclear weapons, oil boycotts and price hikes, and =
fist-chanting mobs.=20
In contrast, almost daily in Europe, "brave" artists caricature =
Christians and Americans with impunity. Why?=20
For a long list of reasons, among them most surely the assurance that =
they can do this without being killed. Such cowards puff out their =
chests when trashing an ill Oriana Fallaci or Ariel Sharon or =
beleaguered George W. Bush in the most demonic of tones, but prove =
sunken and sullen when threatened by a Dr Zawahri or a grand mufti of =
some obscure mosque.
Second, almost every genre of artistic and intellectual expression has =
come under assault: music, satire, the novel, films, academic exegesis. =
Somehow Europeans have ever-so-insidiously given up the promise of the =
Enlightenment that welcomed free thought of all kinds, the more =
provocative the better.=20
So the present generation of Europeans really is heretical, made up of =
traitors of a sort, since they themselves, not just their consensual =
governments or some invader across the Mediterranean, have nearly =
destroyed their won freedoms of expression - out of worries over oil, or =
appearing as illiberal apostates of the new secular religion of =
multiculturalism, or another London or Madrid bombing.=20
Europe boldly produces films about assassinating an American president, =
and routinely disparages the Church that gave the world the Sermon of =
the Mount, but it simply won't stand up for an artist, a well-meaning =
Pope, or a ranting filmmaker when the mob closes in. The Europe that =
believes in everything turns out to believe in nothing.
Third, examine why all these incidents took place in Europe. Since 2000 =
it has been the habit of blue-state politicians to rebuke the yokels of =
America, in part by showing us a supposedly more humane Western future =
unfolding in Europe. It was the European Union that was at the forefront =
of mass transit; the EU that advanced Kyoto and the International =
Criminal Court. And it was the heralded EU that sought "soft" power =
rather than the Neanderthal resort to arms.=20
And what have we learned in the last five years from its boutique =
socialism, utopian pacifism, moral equivalence, and cultural relativism? =
That it was logical that Europe most readily would abandon the artist =
and give up the renegade in fear of religious extremists.=20
Those in an auto parts store in Fresno, or at a NASCAR race in southern =
Ohio, might appear to Europeans as primordials with their guns, =
"fundamentalist" religion, and flag-waving chauvinism. But it is they, =
and increasingly their kind alone, who prove the bulwarks of the West. =
Ultimately what keeps even the pope safe and the continent confident in =
its vain dialogues with Iranian lunatics is the United States military =
and the very un-Europeans who fight in it.=20
We may be only 30 years behind Europe, but we are not quite there yet. =
And so Europe has done us a great favor in showing us not the way of the =
future, but the old cowardice of our pre-Enlightenment past.=20
- Victor Davis Hanson is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. He =
is the author, most recently, of A War Like No Other. How the Athenians =
and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War.
------=_NextPart_000_000C_01C6E7F2.4FBEE410
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV class=3Dpostcolor>Traitors to the Enlightenment<BR>Europe turns its =
back on=20
Socrates, Locke, et al.<BR><BR><BR>By Victor Davis Hanson<BR><BR>The =
first=20
Western Enlightenment of the Greek fifth-century B.C. sought to explain =
natural=20
phenomena through reason rather than superstition alone. Ethics were to =
be=20
discussed in the realm of logic as well as religion. Much of what =
Pythagoras,=20
Socrates, Plato, and the Sophists thought may today seem self-evident, =
if not at=20
times nonsensical. But that century was the beginning of the uniquely =
Western=20
attempt to bring to the human experience empiricism, self-criticism, =
irony, and=20
tolerance in thinking.<BR><BR>The second European Enlightenment of the =
late 18th=20
century followed from the earlier spirit of the Renaissance. For all the =
excesses and arrogance in its thinking that pure reason might itself =
dethrone=20
religion =97 as if science could explain all the mysteries of the human =
condition=20
=97 the Enlightenment nevertheless established the Western blueprint for =
a humane=20
and ordered society. <BR><BR>But now all that hard-won effort of some =
2,500=20
years is at risk. The new enemies of Reason are not the enraged =
democrats who=20
executed Socrates, the Christian zealots who persecuted philosophers of=20
heliocentricity, or the Nazis who burned books. No, they are a pampered =
and=20
scared Western public that caves to barbarism =97 dwarves who sit on the =
shoulders=20
of dead giants, and believe that their present exalted position is =
somehow=20
related to their own cowardly sense of accommodation.<BR><BR>What would =
a=20
Socrates, Galileo, Descartes, or Locke believe of the present decay in =
Europe =97=20
that all their bold and courageous thinking, won at such a great cost, =
would=20
have devolved into such cheap surrender to fanaticism? <BR><BR>Just =
think: Put=20
on an opera in today=92s Germany, and have it shut down, not by Nazis, =
Communists,=20
or kings, but by the simple fear of Islamic fanatics. <BR><BR>Write a =
novel=20
deemed critical of the Prophet Mohammed, as did Salman Rushdie, and face =
years=20
of ostracism and death threats =97 in the heart of Europe no less. =
<BR><BR>Compose=20
a film, as did Theo Van Gogh, and find your throat cut in =93liberal=94 =
Holland.=20
<BR><BR>Or better yet, sketch a cartoon in postmodern Denmark, and then =
go into=20
hiding. <BR><BR>Quote an ancient treatise, as did the pope, and learn =
your=20
entire Church may come under assault, and the magnificent stones of the =
Vatican=20
offer no refuge. <BR><BR>There are three lessons to be drawn from these=20
examples. In almost every case, the criticism of the artist or =
intellectual was=20
based either on his supposed lack of sensitivity or of artistic =
excellence. Van=20
Gogh was, of course, obnoxious and his films puerile. The pope was =
woefully=20
ignorant of public relations. The cartoons in Denmark were amateurish =
and=20
unnecessary. Rushdie was an overrated novelist, whose chickens of =
trashing the=20
West he sought refuge in finally came home to roost. The latest Hans =
Neuenfels=20
adaptation of Mozart=92s Idomeneo was silly.<BR><BR>But isn=92t that =
precisely the=20
point? It is easy to defend artists when they produce works of genius =
that do=20
not offend popular sensibilities =97 Da Vinci=92s Mona Lisa or =
Montesquieu=92s Spirit=20
of the Laws =97 but not so when an artist offends with neither taste nor =
talent.=20
Yes, Pope Benedict is old and scholastic; he lacks both the smile and =
tact of=20
the late Pope John Paul II, who surely would not have turned for =
elucidation to=20
the rigidity of Byzantine scholarship. But isn=92t that why we must come =
to the=20
present Pope=92s defense =97 if for no reason other than because he has =
the courage=20
to speak his convictions when others might not?<BR><BR>Note also the =
constant=20
subtext in this new self-censorship: fear of radical Islam and its =
gruesome=20
appendages of beheadings, suicide bombings, improvised explosive =
devices,=20
barbaric fatwas, riotous youth, petrodollar-acquired nuclear weapons, =
oil=20
boycotts and price hikes, and fist-chanting mobs. <BR><BR>In contrast, =
almost=20
daily in Europe, =93brave=94 artists caricature Christians and Americans =
with=20
impunity. Why? <BR><BR>For a long list of reasons, among them most =
surely the=20
assurance that they can do this without being killed. Such cowards puff =
out=20
their chests when trashing an ill Oriana Fallaci or Ariel Sharon or =
beleaguered=20
George W. Bush in the most demonic of tones, but prove sunken and sullen =
when=20
threatened by a Dr Zawahri or a grand mufti of some obscure=20
mosque.<BR><BR>Second, almost every genre of artistic and intellectual=20
expression has come under assault: music, satire, the novel, films, =
academic=20
exegesis. Somehow Europeans have ever-so-insidiously given up the =
promise of the=20
Enlightenment that welcomed free thought of all kinds, the more =
provocative the=20
better. <BR><BR>So the present generation of Europeans really is =
heretical, made=20
up of traitors of a sort, since they themselves, not just their =
consensual=20
governments or some invader across the Mediterranean, have nearly =
destroyed=20
their won freedoms of expression =97 out of worries over oil, or =
appearing as=20
illiberal apostates of the new secular religion of multiculturalism, or =
another=20
London or Madrid bombing. <BR><BR>Europe boldly produces films about=20
assassinating an American president, and routinely disparages the Church =
that=20
gave the world the Sermon of the Mount, but it simply won=92t stand up =
for an=20
artist, a well-meaning Pope, or a ranting filmmaker when the mob closes =
in. The=20
Europe that believes in everything turns out to believe in=20
nothing.<BR><BR>Third, examine why all these incidents took place in =
Europe.=20
Since 2000 it has been the habit of blue-state politicians to rebuke the =
yokels=20
of America, in part by showing us a supposedly more humane Western =
future=20
unfolding in Europe. It was the European Union that was at the forefront =
of mass=20
transit; the EU that advanced Kyoto and the International Criminal =
Court. And it=20
was the heralded EU that sought =93soft=94 power rather than the =
Neanderthal resort=20
to arms. <BR><BR>And what have we learned in the last five years from =
its=20
boutique socialism, utopian pacifism, moral equivalence, and cultural=20
relativism? That it was logical that Europe most readily would abandon =
the=20
artist and give up the renegade in fear of religious extremists. =
<BR><BR>Those=20
in an auto parts store in Fresno, or at a NASCAR race in southern Ohio, =
might=20
appear to Europeans as primordials with their guns, =93fundamentalist=94 =
religion,=20
and flag-waving chauvinism. But it is they, and increasingly their kind =
alone,=20
who prove the bulwarks of the West. Ultimately what keeps even the pope =
safe and=20
the continent confident in its vain dialogues with Iranian lunatics is =
the=20
United States military and the very un-Europeans who fight in it. =
<BR><BR>We may=20
be only 30 years behind Europe, but we are not quite there yet. And so =
Europe=20
has done us a great favor in showing us not the way of the future, but =
the old=20
cowardice of our pre-Enlightenment past. <BR><BR>=97 Victor Davis Hanson =
is a=20
senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. He is the author, most =
recently, of A=20
War Like No Other. How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the =
Peloponnesian=20
War.<BR><!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_152670--></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_000C_01C6E7F2.4FBEE410--
.
|
|
| User: "Krib" |
|
| Title: Re: Traitors to the Enlightenment |
04 Oct 2006 11:58:14 PM |
|
|
"dreamwalker" <backfromthe@dead.com> wrote in message
news:2fa48$45245d73$407628e8$8051@powerweb.allthenewsgroups.com...
Traitors to the Enlightenment
<snip usual anti-European ***** from a gormless nobody that's never been there>
Given how you're so fucking stupid to believe all generalisations does this mean
you think that all Americans are gun toting child killers too?
Why don't you ***** off on one of your pretend military tours? you know the
ones where you are actually so fucking stupid that you pretend to be called
up to active duty in the ME and send us another photo that you pretend is you.
They're desperate for REMF blanket stackers over there, they need vermin
like you to issue clothes and clean the latrines while real men and women go out
and do the war work.
Alternatively you could invent yet another ego like 'Living Large' and pretend
you're somebody else because even you realise how obnoxious your current useless
self is ;0)
Damn you're a miserable waste of DNA, anyone as ignorant of the real world and
who deliberately acts as stupid as you do should be culled.
--
krib
.
|
|
|
| User: "Werewolfy" |
|
| Title: Re: Traitors to the Enlightenment |
05 Oct 2006 01:09:16 PM |
|
|
Krib wrote:
"dreamwalker" <backfromthe@dead.com> wrote in message
news:2fa48$45245d73$407628e8$8051@powerweb.allthenewsgroups.com...
Traitors to the Enlightenment
<snip usual anti-European ***** from a gormless nobody that's never been there>
Given how you're so fucking stupid to believe all generalisations does this mean
you think that all Americans are gun toting child killers too?
Why don't you ***** off on one of your pretend military tours? you know the
ones where you are actually so fucking stupid that you pretend to be called
up to active duty in the ME and send us another photo that you pretend is you.
They're desperate for REMF blanket stackers over there, they need vermin
like you to issue clothes and clean the latrines while real men and women go out
and do the war work.
Alternatively you could invent yet another ego like 'Living Large' and pretend
you're somebody else because even you realise how obnoxious your current useless
self is ;0)
Damn you're a miserable waste of DNA, anyone as ignorant of the real world and
who deliberately acts as stupid as you do should be culled.
--
krib
KRIB...If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. DON'T
mince your words..Say what you mean.
:).................Werewolfy
.
|
|
|
| User: "Krib" |
|
| Title: Re: Traitors to the Enlightenment |
06 Oct 2006 05:16:28 AM |
|
|
"Werewolfy" <Werewolfy1@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1160071756.172299.82230@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
KRIB...If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. DON'T
mince your words..Say what you mean.
No point making it complicated for dumb fucks like dreamwalker,
he's stupid enough as it is.
--
krib
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "kmiller" |
|
| Title: Re: Traitors to the Enlightenment |
05 Oct 2006 04:39:32 AM |
|
|
That is a TOTALLY 'Screwed Up" concept (attack) of all beliefs ( LIKE
these) : Illuminati, Free Masons, Templers, Pagans, Buddhists, Hindus,
Hebrews, Muslims, etc ..
That aren't TIED into a "One Christ" Religion - like yours !!!.
You TOTALLY don't understand IT. - do YOU ???
8< |
.
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
