My musical hero Beethoven (born around this date in 1770; baptized on December 17; died 1827) wrote only one opera, Fidelio. In it, instead of rhapsodizing about Teutonic gods, or killing off ill-fated sopranos, his story dealt with a group of political prisoners who win their freedom from an oppressive system, mainly through the heroism … Continue reading Beethoven’s Message to Guantanamo — And To Us
It’s easy to think of reasons to trash Dwight Eisenhower. For one thing, he was a segregationist; he enforced it in the Army, and disliked the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown decision. For another, he approved several nasty covert CIA wars and coups (Iran, Guatemala, the beginnings of Vietnam, etc.) We’re still dealing with the fallout … Continue reading Cutting Ike Some Slack
Over at the Quaker House blog there are some thoughts on the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” an ugly policy that was long overdue for the chopping block. The change has implications beyond only the individual soldiers and sailors who will now be able to serve openly. Check the post out here.
I really didn’t want to spend much time on this blog talking about current affairs. But it’s becoming inescapable. And one topic that requires mention is an ongoing story that only fitfully pops up on the radar screen, but which is a BIG ongoing deal. And the Big Deal is the answer to this question: … Continue reading The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend; Etc. (Re: War With Iran?)
An example of intelligent conservatism. I wonder if anyone in charge was listening?? From an article by David Frum in the New York Times Magazine, published online Nov. 12: Even from a conservative point of view, the welfare state is not all bad. G. K. Chesterton observed that you should never take a fence down … Continue reading An Example of Intelligent Conservatism