War and Culture

Shakespeare’s King Lear (1606) examines essential human qualities, relationships, conflicts and beliefs; they show that freedom is a fact of life, that everyone is tested in ways that expose their character, capacity for growth and faith that “the wheel will come full circle.” They allude also to the perilous state of our culture and to the lengthy, often debased, but vital campaign for Presidency now entering its second year of posing and polls. Its tawdry qualities test our caring endurance and discernment as well as our capacity to work to make a miracle for this campaign may be the last in which citizens can take a major role and thus maintain their humanity. Consider it then an important frame of reference for studying King Lear.

Some people prove their words in deeds; fewer speak wisely, sensitively measuring their words, especially reproofs to strengthen friends and amend rather than enflame enemies, or potential enemies of what they hold dear. Those who grow toward heroism develop these abilities in a high degree, none more than Lear’s counselor, the Earl of Kent, a great man by many measures and as true a servant as a man can be. Read the rest of this entry »

“The human race is different from all other species since it was given free will and the ability to involve itself with both perfection and deficiency… Every individual has his own challenge…all the gratifications and sufferings of this world is what the Highest Wisdom finds best for the individual” [1].

This comment is as an apt motto for Shakespeare’s greatest works.

Rightly read and discussed, Shakespeare’s plays not only are masterful demonstrations of plot, character development and conflict, but of providence: of the fact that over time, choices by many kinds of people reveal hidden truths of their characters, of nature, the material and metaphysical realms; bring rewards and punishments “measure for measure.” The more our culture decays into toxic institutions and official truths, the more urgently therapeutic Shakespeare’s plays become. Read the rest of this entry »

Congressmen Ron Paul has won adherents by long resisting expanded Federal authority and the taxes that support it. Taxes are about power: lower taxes prevent the American people from being further reduced to peonage while their lives, labor and capital are seized to build the pyramid of their oppressors. For opposing this, more power to the Congressman and those like him. Starve the beast-regime of its food, the lives and money of citizens, and it will shrink to proper size. As it is now, “arrogance raps its hips with fat [arrogance], its eyes bulge with fat.” They pronounce platitudes about oppression “and their tongue struts on earth” (psalm 73:6-9). Read the rest of this entry »

If one climbs high enough, one can see for miles and miles. If one is a global cartel with 480,000 employees in Automation and Control, Power plants and fuel cell technologies, Transportation, Medical services like Bayer Diagnostics, Lighting, and the field of Information and Communication to instruct and divert the masses, one can direct not only activities in space but can shape a profitable future. Whether it is a humane future can be discerned from the text. Read the rest of this entry »

An acronym is a neologism, a new word formed of the first letters of a series of words. For example, UNESCO is the acronym of the “United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;” its first Director, Sir Julian Huxley, wrote a book, UNESCO, its Purpose and Philosophy (Washington, 1947) whose principles have shaped our lives and helped create a world state, the State whose birth pangs we’ve been living through since 1919, at least. How’s it feeling?