Sunday, May 14, 2006
Our Newest Op Ed...
A Defense of Western Civilization
- By Warner Todd Huston
The French leftist turned conservative, Jean-Francois Revel, once said of the Cold War era Western world that it was "... the first system in history which, confronted by a power that wants to destroy it, accuses itself..." And what truer charge could be leveled at the post modern west?
The leftist, elite tells us that it must somehow be all our fault that others wish us ill. Our enemies scold us that our own actions are the sole reason for attacks on us and apologists within agree with them. Those same internal apologists turn us away from the evils perpetrated by our enemies to give our faux introspection greater weight. And all past positives we are responsible for are papered over with a series of asides that are meant to make hypocrisy of our success.
Certainly we should look inward to explain our own actions, to identify our past mistakes, and to assure greater success and improved morality for our future. As Socrates is credited with saying, "An unexamined life is not worth living", meaning that introspection is a necessity for growth and continued improvement. That is true for the individual as well as the society. However, introspection cannot incorporate a nihilistic moral relativism, for if nothing can be applauded as a positive advancement because of the mere existence of a negative, then no improvement can ever be realized as all efforts will forever be voided and deemed pointless over niggling mistakes. After all, why keep trying if no progressive achievements can ever be made? What would be the point of the struggle? Why not just devolve into strict self-interest?...............................
Click HERE To Read On
- By Warner Todd Huston
The French leftist turned conservative, Jean-Francois Revel, once said of the Cold War era Western world that it was "... the first system in history which, confronted by a power that wants to destroy it, accuses itself..." And what truer charge could be leveled at the post modern west?
The leftist, elite tells us that it must somehow be all our fault that others wish us ill. Our enemies scold us that our own actions are the sole reason for attacks on us and apologists within agree with them. Those same internal apologists turn us away from the evils perpetrated by our enemies to give our faux introspection greater weight. And all past positives we are responsible for are papered over with a series of asides that are meant to make hypocrisy of our success.
Certainly we should look inward to explain our own actions, to identify our past mistakes, and to assure greater success and improved morality for our future. As Socrates is credited with saying, "An unexamined life is not worth living", meaning that introspection is a necessity for growth and continued improvement. That is true for the individual as well as the society. However, introspection cannot incorporate a nihilistic moral relativism, for if nothing can be applauded as a positive advancement because of the mere existence of a negative, then no improvement can ever be realized as all efforts will forever be voided and deemed pointless over niggling mistakes. After all, why keep trying if no progressive achievements can ever be made? What would be the point of the struggle? Why not just devolve into strict self-interest?...............................
Click HERE To Read On
# posted by Publius @ 5/14/2006 12:12:00 AM 
Comments:
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Warner you have done it again... hit the nail directly on the head!! What a fantastic piece of work and one that I will reference on my blog tomorrow. Your willingness to see all views and articulate the truth in between is truly astounding!! Thank you for a great read and a must read for all Americans!!
Holy mackeral! Yer embarrassin' me!
Thanks for the kind words. I DO have to say, though, that it doesn't always make me too popular with my own side!
I have already gotten the "you are a traitor" messages over this one!
WTH
Thanks for the kind words. I DO have to say, though, that it doesn't always make me too popular with my own side!
I have already gotten the "you are a traitor" messages over this one!
WTH
Warner, I linked this op ed on my blog today. So, if others think you are a traitor, then so am I. You and I just have the ability to read between the lines. I'm just lucky to have you help me see it! Rock on!
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