Civilization is especially difficult if it means not just political stability and material advancement, but also a decent moral order. We’re all born into this world as tiny barbarians. Without care, we will grow to be larger, more dangerous barbarians.
The murder of Mohammad Anwar, an immigrant working as an UberEats driver, allegedly by two teenage girls attempting to carjack him, is a case in point. Following the fatal accident, video footage shows one of the accused girls complaining that her phone was still in the wrecked car. A man was dead or dying next to her, apparently by her hand, and she was focused on retrieving her technological bauble.
Unfortunately, this horrible event is already receding from our consciousness, slipping out of the headlines and away from our attention. Still, it’s worth more reflection before it fades away, as it shows the frailty of our modern hopes of taming the savagery that lies within us, and the need to remember where our real hope lies.
To begin with, the event illustrates that science cannot save us. Surrounded by material abundance and wondrous gadgetry, human depravity still finds a way. Having enough is not sufficient to make us good. Indeed, humans will often commit evil acts simply out of boredom. Ironically, contained within innumerable texts, podcasts, and videos, the phone the accused was so concerned about retrieving provided free access to the moral wisdom of the ages. Yet, the availability of moral teaching is insufficient to inculcate virtue — indeed, without guidance, we lack even the rudimentary virtue needed to know that we are morally deficient and have much to learn and practice.
Children need personal instruction and examples to develop into good men and women, but our culture no longer shares the same moral vision. Morality is, of course, always contested to some degree, but ours is particularly an age of fractured moral consensus and seemingly intractable moral disagreements. Those who mourn what they see as moral decline must recognize that many symbols and rituals of the older consensus were losing power even before they were discarded, and they will not be efficacious if restored. Official but superficial school prayers, observing the national anthem before games, and other civic or religious ceremonies are no longer representative of a united moral and social order.
The modern illusion that we can leave people to develop their own moral codes is fading, and the need for a shared understanding is becoming clear. Thus, a new moral order is attempting to assert itself — the still-cooking stew of wokeness, intersectional ideology, critical theory, and left-wing social justice claims. Though it lacks a settled name, it makes bold claims about being able to identify and address the evils the plague us.
Unfortunately, while this ideology is a poisonous substitute that erodes society, it has, nonetheless, captured much of our leading institutions as well as America’s upper class. In particular, it is in control of the education system. What we teach children is largely a function of who is doing the teaching, and teachers are increasingly the acolytes of the new moral order. They may not be a majority, but few are willing to resist their programs and priorities.
Among their priorities is bringing demon worship into public schools. When we see, California’s new mandatory ethnic studies program includes prayers to Aztec gods — or, to be more accurate, to Aztec demons — who were worshipped by human sacrifice, including torturing children to death, we’re reminded civilization is no guarantee of good.
While human sacrifice is not (yet) part of the curriculum, its designers are open about wanting to reverse the replacement of native gods by Christianity. Whatever we call this ideology, it is leading to depravity, not virtue. This embrace of evil is, as Cameron Hilditch notes, an attempt to out-Christian Christianity itself, taking Christian concern for the downtrodden to the point of sympathy for the devil.
This ideology is not particularly coherent. The Aztecs, after all, were imperialists who enslaved and murdered the peoples around them, which made it easy for the Spanish conquistadors to recruit indigenous allies. To mourn the demise of the Aztecs’s bloodthirsty gods is to take sides against the indigenous people sacrificed to those gods.
“How we live is so different from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his preservation.”
― Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
“Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.”
― Niccolò Machiavelli
#2
many symbols and rituals of the older consensus were losing power even before they were discarded
That's because everything moves from order to entropy, even civilization. To keep anything from entropy, force is required. In nature, it can be gravitation or the strong forces. In society, it is violence backed by the majority's will. How have the moslems kept their fundamental values the same for centuries? The day the majority starts self-righteous pansying about and entertaining cucks with boo hoo hoo theories about empowerment and emancipation, chaos gains a foothold. It then advances onward, until everyone from the common criminal to the satanist pedophile has been 'emancipated'.
I'm all for restoration of the Christian ethic, of nationalist pride, but it's usually a tool in the hands of suicidally inactive masochists and thumb twiddlers. What's required is not more ambiguous concepts of morality, but selective unfairness toward the recidivist, the criminal, the one who think 'anything goes' and 'nothing is sacred'.
#5
a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived
Those who are themselves deceitful make up the greatest proportion (by far) of people who are ready to be deceived. Heedlessness, ignorance and selfcenteredness also play a major role.
Posted by: Bubba Lover of the Faeries8843 ||
04/10/2021 13:10 Comments ||
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#7
While human sacrifice is not (yet) part of the curriculum
Actually, that is exactly what abortion is. It is just an aesthetic form of dead babies in the alley, or thrown off of a cliff, or placed in a bronze oven.
Purposefully exposing the elderly infirm to disease in order to save money is right there too.
How about destroying one's current and future livihood, banishing them to poverty and abuse for the rest of their days, and probably their children as well, to make a social point?
[American Thinker] What would you say if I told you a distraught woman recently came into my counseling office? She explained that her boss threatened that, if she didn’t have sex with him, she would be fired. He’d already banned her from all firm social activities and said that he’d do what he could to destroy her personal life too. After he was done with her, he said, she wouldn’t be able to leave the house. He would take away everything that meant anything to her.
She was crying because her boss had already shown how powerful he was. Even though sleeping with him was the last thing she wanted to do, she saw it as her only option. She needed the job and she didn’t want her life ruined.
Would you be screaming sexual harassment? You should because this definitely fits the definition of sexual coercion and abuse. What a disgusting situation!!!
The story I told you is hypothetical. But, if we change the scenario slightly, the government, MSM, big tech, and many other corporate giants are making similar threats against millions of citizens who don’t want to take the Covid vaccination. Magazines such as National Geographic have run articles about it. As the magazine puts it, those who refuse to get the vaccine may not be able to go to the office, attend a sporting event, even get a seat at a restaurant.
When people hear my original scenario about this woman whose boss is sexually harassing her, they are outraged. In fact, the #METOO movement is centered around situations like this. But, when people hear that our President is working with private industries to support a vaccine passport that will force many people to get the vaccine against their will, they cheer.
Is it because one only affects the individual, while the other affects all of us? Maybe it’s for the greater good? Some clearly believe that everyone should be coerced into stopping the spread.
If you agree with any of these reasons, I must ask if you’ve seen The Handmaid’s Tale? It takes place in a post-democratic America without guaranteed freedom. Radioactive fallout that left many individuals infertile is such a problem that fertile females are used as baby vessels -- for the greater good, to ensure the human race survives.
These women are forced to have sex with a man who basically owns them. Their rights are already greatly restricted. They have a curfew. They can’t go out. They are completely controlled by the governing body. If they manage to get pregnant, they get more privileges, pampering, and extra rights. But if they refuse to cooperate, they face even harsher conditions.
That fictional scenario is eerily like words from Dr. Leana Wen, Public Health professor, at George Washington University. She said Americans need a "carrot" to "incentivize" them to get vaccinated. take the vaccine. "We need to make it clear to them that the vaccine is the ticket back to pre-pandemic life." If people aren’t coerced, "people are going to go out and enjoy these freedoms anyway." Ironically, she is a former Planned Parenthood president. You know — "My body, my choice."
Who is to say that this Vax won't lead to Genetic Sterilization or increased birth abnormalities in the years to come? We all agree that we do not know the long term effects yet.
All we know is what we are "told".
Given the mortality rates for 60+ I can understand taking it, IF they wanted to.
But as we already know the death rate for those less than 40 year olds without a pre-existing medical issue (breeding years) is extremely Low.
#4
A hypocritical tool of the ruling caste to get around being so damn obvious about their racism. Get businesses to implement the vax passport. No have, no service. If 'they' are too stupid to obtain a voter ID, guess they'll have problems getting an approved vax passport or produce one when challenged at the establishment entrance too.
#5
My wife who is 75 has several significant medical issues including a compromised immune system....we are holding tight till more data is available.
She recently was in hospital with pneumonia and passed two tests for Covid.
Her breathing was such they wanted to put her on a ventilator. I said no so they used a machine like CPAP but more powerful and her breathing improved. She was home for XMAS.
We both also had the Hong Kong Flu back in 1968 so we understand the drill.
#3
Every advantage of three legions in a battlespace was negated by the long, thin, terrain that stretched each cohort formation into a narrow band, perfectly vulnerable to massed assault. Each cohort/century was pinched in and unable to form any of the formidable squares of formations that highlighted their mobility, armor and massed defensive structures. for the rest of the history of the Empire, the XVII, XVIII and XIX numerations were not used as a remembrance and superstition.
#4
Yes, catching the Romans in road march out of their battle formation was what killed many at the Battle of Lake Trasimene in June 217 BC. The whole Roman tactical technique and procedure was using the legion as a grinding machine against an opponent*, including themselves in their civil wars. Even in the overwhelming defeat of Cannae the texts report several cohorts were able to cut their way through the enemy formations and make it to shelter at nearby (walled) cities as they had started the battle in their usual tactical formations.
* which sort of allowed them to appoint leaders based upon politics and connection rather than military skills and merit. Get the troops into formation, line up the cohorts, move forward.
#8
One of the problems leading to Cannae was a split command with one Counsel alternating command with another more brash Counsel every day.
The heel of the Roman Way was similar to the same problems with The Phalanx, with the sides and especially the back being vulnerable. Battle of Trebia proved that to Hannibal. Yet even so, the Centurions were able to take self initiative and extract themselves from the battle, saving a bulk of the forces to fight another day. Unfortunately for them, a early mist also worked against them at Trasimene.
I think that is the secret of Caesar, if you believe his chronicles, is that he put great trust in his Centurions to adjust their tactics locally yet still holding a great overhead command of the situation. Caeser mentions the exploits of a number of his Centurions as my evidence, including one particular siege Caesar wasn't even witness to, where two rival Centurions, when all was looking lost, went out the front gate to challenge the besiegers. They were so thoroughly impressive in trying to out-do each other they struck fear into the enemy and rallied themselves, with one wounded being taken back into the walls by his rival.
Even so, Caesar just about made the some mistakes of Varus while in Britain, far from supply, in a strange undeveloped and surveyed land, facing tactics more clever than anticipated.
Have a feeling I have a Timeline binge. Thank you badanov.
#10
There's a great book -- "The Ghosts of Cannae" about the fate of the survivors of Cannae. They were not well-designed by the Romans, as their ideal was to stand as part of the legion no matter what. The survivors couldn't be condemned completely -- they were nearly the only force Rome had in Italy at the time -- but we're not trusted. They ended up finishing their enlistments at an out-of-they-way fort on Sicily.
Interestingly, troops who had been captured at Cannae were held in higher regard and even purchased and freed from their enslavement.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
04/10/2021 21:56 Comments ||
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[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] Jordan has suffered the most from the political instability that has marked the region for decades. Throughout the years, it paid the price over and over again: Paleostinian displacement waves, thousands of Iraqis crossing its borders following the invasion, and over one million Syrians fleeing to the country after 2011.
Amid the instability that still plagues its three neighbors alone, Jordan is a victim of geopolitics, and to this day, Jordanians must share their livelihoods with millions of refugees, both old and new -- not to mention the increasing political risks that fall on the shoulders of the Hashemite Kingdom. Yet, despite threats of tension and possible unrest due to neighboring wars, Jordan maintained its internal peace, thanks to the strength of their state and the solid relationship between the leadership and the people.
It is known that Jordan is a patient country. However, a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... it became certain that its patience has run out when it announced a series of arrests targeting those accused in the case of Prince Hamza and declared its intention to conduct State Security trials and enact laws that will protect Jordan from any threats of chaos in the country.
Support came flooding in as all major and regional powers backed Jordan and King Abdullah. Much to their dismay, those who were betting on cornering the politicianship and polarizing the country were disappointed to see an influx of explicit domestic and foreign support for the Jordanian state and its leadership instead.
On the very eve of the arrest of the persons accused of conspiring to cause instability, Jordan's first message in the statement it issued was that everything is under control. This was evidenced in the streets that did not see any army tanks, security forces, or protests while Jordanians voiced their support for the politicianship and the country’s stability.
King Abdullah Bin Hussein enjoys great popularity among Jordanians, given his close and participatory relationship with them and his eagerness to drive government institutions to perform their duties towards the citizens.
Over the course of many a difficult year, Jordan was able to maintain its social and economic balance. The kingdom does not have any oil to speak of and its maritime access is quite limited while its river has barely any water flowing in it, but Jordan’s real wealth comes from the education and skills of its people; highly competent men and women who serve as the country’s key economic resource. Despite its limited financial resources, the World Bank rated Jordan as one the best countries in terms of infrastructure. However, a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth... with some luck, Jordan could start its shale oil operations as soon as next year according to estimates of large deposits of shale oil underlying Jordan’s territory.
Like other countries in the region, Jordan’s problem is not the economy itself as much as the secondhand repercussions of the turmoil afflicting neighboring countries. Not only does this scare off investors, but also places heavy burdens on the state to prevent any ensuing risks. When stability and normality are restored in Iraq and Syria, then Jordan’s security and economy will finally thrive, and the same goes for its western neighbor, where the promised Paleostinian state lies.
The attempted coup that never saw the light in Jordan this week sounds the alarm for all countries in this flaming region as preventing the return of political upheavals has become a common demand.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/10/2021 00:00 ||
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[Autoweek] Why does just about every motor vehicle in the world have a four-stroke Otto-cycle internal combustion engine? Surely after more than 100 years of the automobile someone must have thought of something better?
Well, they did, and almost from the start. No, I am not talking about the Wankel, though you have to give Mazda credit for sticking with that one as long as it did. And no, I’m not talking about the radial, the gas turbine, or steam. I’m talking about the opposed-piston engine.
Opposed-piston engines have been around since the late-19th century, so the idea isn’t new. In that time they’ve been placed in heavy-duty conveyances like trains, tanks, ships, and submarines. Their advantage early on was range. An airplane in the 1930s flew 6,000 miles with an opposed-piston engine without refueling. Submarines appreciated range, too. As did trains. You could go farther with the fuel you could carry using an OP engine.
#4
The gist: Before supercomputers and sophisticated chemically reactive computational fluid dynamics, optimization was done by intuition and trial and error. As a result, all two-stroke engines were dropped from regulated markets.
Posted by: Bubba Lover of the Faeries8843 ||
04/10/2021 13:05 Comments ||
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#5
Sounds like a good idea, you know, based on REAL actual science, not religion like the warming cult believes in.
[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] In the General’s labyrinth, or under the labyrinth General, the country has gotten lost and with it, so have the people. Still, the General, the heroic commando leader and uncompromising human mountain, the strong president, the captain coming from the high seas, the admiral who defeated the pirates of the East and the West, cannot give up or step aside. His finger has been on the trigger since he put on his military uniform. He is ready, prepared at any time and place. A vigilant predator, he lurks; he has everything under control. Wearing the medals and stripes he received from the futile wars he had fought and others that he intended to fight, losing most of them, he did not leave the trench, flee or seek refuge. On the 7th day of the 18th month since the revolution, the "uprising," he decided to remind us that he is still among us, saying: "I (so-and-so) am the president of the republic, I (so-and-so) am the General that you know. I call on you, not to be with me, but to be with yourselves and with the future of your children, so let us uncover the facts to retrieve the rights."
Since I am a citizen and have been for over ten years (as my personal status documents affirm), I felt that the General’s call concerns me. I felt that it's my moral and patriotic duty to reply to his excellency, his eminence the tweeter and say: "I, Mustapha Fahs, a mediocre citizen, I, Mustapha Fahs, whom most of you do not know, a humble journalist who does not have any weapon or support any coup or gang, do not call on anyone to demand anything. I will apologize to my friend Ahmad Kaabour the next time we can meet on a sidewalk that is still standing in a capital, whose doors and windows have been shut in the face of its people.
I will tell Ahmed that I am no longer able to fulfill his call because the man who cried out, ’oh, the great people of...Leb
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
04/10/2021 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
