One of the almost amusing features of UD is to observe threads largely dodged by inveterate objectors (given the known, intense hostile scrutiny we face). One of those threads, recently, has been the discussion of Judge Amy Barrett and the hearings she faces. However, in the course of some discussion some themes were sounded that Read More…
Lessons of History
A Sandia National Labs Whistleblower on Culture form Marxism imposition by HR Department
Yes, it’s real: And if this is being “mainstreamed” at Sandia National Labs, it’s going to be all but pervasive in Government and in the sort of corporations that typically get government contracts. Across today, DV, I intend to put up screen shots from his presentation, as points to ponder. As a start, clip 1: Read More…
Is the USA going over the edge as we speak?
Scott Adams, American cartoonist and commenter on events with a particular view to persuasion and narrative dominance seems to agree. Transcript of key comments: I think I’ve been telling you for some time the obvious way that these protests/riots/looting episodes were going to go. There was only one way that these would go under the Read More…
Vivid nails it on Critical theory & Cancel Culture
Longtime UD commenter Vividbleau: Eugene“Cancel culture (along with BLM, LGBTQ and other similar activism) is ultimately a creation of some think-tank, payrolled by Davos crowd. “ [Vivid:] Actually it’s Critical Theory and it’s sub theories ( Critical Race Theory, Critical Social Justice Theory, Critical Whiteness Theory, etc) that is responsible for “cancel culture” [–> we Read More…
How can we handle issues and make big decisions (such as on ID, response to pandemics, ethics & epistemology etc) in a deeply polarised age?
Seminal Christian thinker, Francis Schaeffer, often said that “ideas have consequences.” The issue of course, is that good/bad ideas have similarly good/bad consequences. So, we face a familiar dilemma, especially when a culture or community or civilisation is on a dangerous path: This helps us to focus the issue: we are looking at alternatives in Read More…
At 1776 + 244, is the American Revolution dead or dying?
The American Revolution was a catalyst that showed that a sustainable modern, representational, Constitutional Republic of significant “we the People” democratic character was feasible. It served as a beacon of hope for the world, nowhere better captured than in key words from the American Declaration of Independence, 244 years ago today: When . . . Read More…
June 6, 2020 was D-Day, Normandy + 76 years
A video: Of course, in a day of revisionism and anti-Westernism, it is sometimes said that this was not a decisive event for the course of WW2. It is pointed out that after Stalingrad and Kursk, Germany was on the retreat, never mind the huge disparity in casualties. That’s true. Instead, it was a Geostrategically Read More…
The folly of projecting group-stereotype guilt and the present kairos
The kairos concept is, in a nutshell, that there are seasons in life and in community, so that there are times that are opportune or even simply pivotal and trend-making. At such times, we are forced to decide, for good or ill. And yes, carry on with business as usual . . . especially on Read More…
Jutland + 104 y, the afternoon that could have averted utter catastrophe
I forgot, today is a terrible anniversary, the Battle of Jutland: Had the Royal Navy managed to win here decisively (as 110 years before at Trafalgar), it might have ended WW1 before it spun utterly out of control across the next 18 months that wrecked the old order and ushered in a century of unprecedented Read More…
A reminder (or two) to our civilisation from Plato:
First, the Parable of the Cave: Second, the Ship of State: >>[Soc.] I perceive, I said, that you are vastly amused at having plunged me into such a hopeless discussion; but now hear the parable, and then you will be still more amused at the meagreness of my imagination: for the manner in which the Read More…
Ancient city Ur was much bigger than thought
A declassified spyplane pic accidentally discovers this fact? So why be dogmatic about the far past? Wait till we have mapped the whole planet before splintering more lecterns.
Battle of Britain Day, Sunday, Sept 15, 1940 + 79 years
Today marks the 79th anniversary by date and day, of “the thirteen hours that saved Britain” (and the world): Again, food for thought to awaken us to sobering lessons of history. END
Remembering a 9-1-1 hero: Rick Rescorla
Sometimes, we need heroes to awaken our souls. Here, is a genuine hero — the man who literally predicted what happened on a fateful day in September 2001 and set out to save lives. He saved 2700 that day and was last seen heading back up, looking for stragglers. Wikipedia’s summary is a start: Cyril Read More…
Today is 9-11-01 + 18 years, let us remember
We owe a debt of honour to remember. So, in absence of the full 9 -hour CNN feed that seems to no longer be there, first NBC live: Here is a timeline: Let us remember, and let us remember that September 11, 2001 was the 318th anniversary of the lifting of the last, 1683 Ottoman Read More…
Does The Bible “condone” slavery, even as Darwin opposed it?
It seems, this issue is on the table here at UD again, and it needs to be publicly corrected for record. As a first step, I link a discussion in response to the oppression thesis used to try to discredit and marginalise the historical contribution of the Christian faith (and to create the false impression Read More…