I tried reading two recent reviews of Shang-Chi today, curious how this newest continuation of the Marvel franchise measured up. Unfortunately, I came away more mystified than enlightened, and filled with a sense of dirtiness I hadn’t expected to contract from a movie review. To be honest, I could hardly call what I read “movieContinue reading “Shang Chi and the legend of a movie review”
Tag Archives: Postmodernism
Anti-racist backlash
On John McWhorter’s fears of a backlash against anti-white sentiment I think this could have been put more simply. If you convince someone that everything they ever did for you voluntarily meant absolutely nothing, then there’s at least some chance that they’ll decide to stop doing things for you. And if you make it clearContinue reading “Anti-racist backlash”
Appreciation for civilization
Why do some people feel the miracle of civilization, while others take it for granted, feel entitled, or are dissatisfied? Thomas Sowell answered this question a couple decades ago. I think if you go from “A Conflict of Visions” and make the leap to Jonathan Haidt and “The Righteous Mind” you can figure out whyContinue reading “Appreciation for civilization”
Decriminalizing theft
Recently in California lawmakers decided to stop prosecuting felony theft under a certain threshold. The move was hailed as a victory for racial justice, a very strange thing to say with all sorts of interesting implications behind it. Some people naturally wondered what the consequences of simply letting people rob stores, so long as theContinue reading “Decriminalizing theft”
Weaponizing archetypes
From a letter. I had a question. I dictated this in the car while driving, and I’m afraid it ran away with me. My real question is immediately below. All the background and why I’m wondering it follows. I was wondering how plausible you thought it might be to hypothesize that the archetypes are themselvesContinue reading “Weaponizing archetypes”
Rights and the new religious right
At some point rights groups became the new version of the religious right. They’re kind of like the temperance movement now, or the instigators of the “Satanic Panic”. That’s a funny transition to have made, for groups that centered themselves around advocacy for the sociological fringe. I suppose there’s a point at which, if youContinue reading “Rights and the new religious right”
Why fear differences?
People today, for all their talk of equity, inclusion, and diversity seem to be doing so because they’re actually terrified that there might be real, substantive differences between people. Much as the European reaction to nationalistic fears in the postwar period led to a drive toward the dissolution of borders and differences of nationality inContinue reading “Why fear differences?”
Diversity and estrangement
Diversity is real because differences between people are real. We aren’t all just some generic, interchangeable things. We have actual differences. And those differences are consequential. This is such an obvious fact that virtually everyone will defend it in their private lives, yet people often act publicly as if they can treat other humans asContinue reading “Diversity and estrangement”
On culture warriors
There are some pundits who are pushing back that are a little too aggressive for my taste. It’s not that they’re wrong, they’re often right as far as they go. But their reactions are strong enough that they become prey to being pushed too far into their own position, and into being too critical (andContinue reading “On culture warriors”
On Camille Paglia and Christina Hoff Summers
https://youtu.be/zxWOsUOsDyU I love these women. I grew up surrounded by smart, confident women. You can’t help but love and respect them, even when you do disagree. They’re both a delight, but Camille consistently makes me laugh out loud. She is one of rhe most entertaining people you could possible watch. I think if there’s anyContinue reading “On Camille Paglia and Christina Hoff Summers”
Comments on the talk between Jordan Peterson and Michael Schermer
I think what Jordan is basically arguing about religion is that it is at least symbolically or psychologically or archetypally true. And that that’s an important, maybe the most important, way something can be true (in an almost Platonic sense, as an abstraction or a aggregate, a bit like math is true in relation toContinue reading “Comments on the talk between Jordan Peterson and Michael Schermer”
In response to Ibrim X Kendi
By his arguments there really isn’t such a thing as anti-racism. It’s just the opposing racism. It’s just labeling to justify a particular type of racism. Which, if you believe in a very relativistic worldview that’s only defined by power dynamics, what other alternatives are there? I’ll give him this, his position follows from hisContinue reading “In response to Ibrim X Kendi”
Politics and power
Why argue that all motivations an action are power? So you can apply power. People seek a moral justification for the application of force in service of the causes they desire to advance. They want moral authority to act. Civilizations differ mostly in what they take for granted. That’s where the real differences lie. InContinue reading “Politics and power”
Discrimination
The idea of discrimination is a tough one to crack. People use the word pejoratively, and use it specifically as a justification for the enactment of legal powers and penalties against organizations and individuals. In a purely common sense manner, though, there is no such thing as outlawing discrimination. All thought, all value assignment, allContinue reading “Discrimination”
A final letter to KXYZ
You have lost me as a viewer permanently. This special is not news, this is political re-education. These “bias” trainings have not been shown to be effective, in fact there is a great deal of evidence that they cause and perpetuate the problems they intend to address. They are not based in a well-grounded orContinue reading “A final letter to KXYZ”
My application to the DEI board
As DEI programs become more commonplace across the country, it is very easy for such processes to become mired in political concerns and personal and social conflicts. It is easy for them to become reactive, focused on deflecting complaints and liability, rather than on the production of excellence in education. I believe that part ofContinue reading “My application to the DEI board”
A letter to the superintendent
I read in the newsletter about the DEI initiative. I understand that there is a big push in all public and private institutions to engage in a voluntary inquisition to root out alleged white supremacy and systemic racism, and I appreciate the need to address the concerns of customers or people who make use ofContinue reading “A letter to the superintendent “
Can you fix inequality?
The classic question that seems to be being debated in society today at all levels is essentially this: “Why shouldn’t this person or endeavkr be distributed the same goods or status as this other person or endeavor?” Why are things not the same? Why are they not fair, meaning equal, meaning possessed of the sameContinue reading “Can you fix inequality?”
Optimistic modernism
In response to the optimistic modernism of Greg Lukianov and James Lindsay I listened to a great discussion between a couple of my favorite thinkers. But I can’t help but wonder if there are some things that are being assumed or ignored. The current historical and philosophical moment is the direct child of science andContinue reading “Optimistic modernism”
Rehabilitating racism
Anti-racism is a problem because it represents a rehabilitation of racialized thinking. Rather than seeking to reduce the degree to which we assign value and make judgments and sort people according two race, it moves those judgments to the forefront. We’ve seen from history where that goes. The most likely result of such mental sortingContinue reading “Rehabilitating racism”
Making Nobody Happy 