Christmas break reading

For a spring semester class, a new text to prepare: Ellwood and McGraw, eds., Many People, Many Faiths: Women and Men in the World Religions, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005.

For background: Roggema, Poorthuis and Valkenberg, eds., The Three Rings: Textual studies in the historical trialogue of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Thomas Institut Utrecht/Peeters Leuven, 2005.

Christopher Dawson--1937

From the eminent historian's "Essay on War"--

But any peace propaganda which shuts the eyes to realities is worthless and may even increase the danger which it sets out to combat. It has been the fault of both pacifism and liberalism in the past that they have ignored the immense burden of inherited evil under which society and civilization labor and have planned an imaginary world for an impossible humanity. We must recognize that we are living in an imperfect world in which human and superhuman forces of evil are at work and so long as those forces affect the political behavior of mankind, there can be no hope of abiding peace.

ISG #2

Of course, WE, the Americans and the "coalition of the willing" must decide that we will stand fast to the convictions with which we entered (a) the war on terror and (b) Iraq. Parties have so muddled the reasons for this intervention in Iraq that many are quite confused at this point. At times it seems the current Administration itself is confused--at least its spokespersons (plural!) aren't very clear in articulating their and our purposes. I think this is an important part of the problem.

Secondly, WE have to decide what, or whom, we care about. Do we care about a vision of peace for the Middle East? Further, do we care about the survival of the state of Israel? Make no mistake: the radical Islamists have the massacre of Israel's Jews and the elimination of "the Israeli entity" as their first priority.

• How do we know this? They say so repeatedly.
• Do they mean what they say? We can't afford to take the chance they don't--can we?

I know it's probably not fair to use the Holocaust as an equivalent example here, but it's a dreadful fact of history that Hitler meant what he said. If we had understood in the 1920s what we knew in May of 1945, would we, the Germans, the Europeans, have behaved differently? If we had understood in the early '60s what we understood about Southeast Asia after the last helicopter left "Saigon" and after the Pol Pot came to power in Cambodia, would we have chosen differently?

The ISG Follies

The President is not obligated to adopt the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. He has the opportunity to do so, and thereby absolve himself partially from recriminations that will follow from the resulting chaos. It seems that, based on press reports, what the committee is suggesting will have the effect of "kicking the can down the road"--of delaying an eventual confrontation with the ideologues of the Middle East, now entering their ascendancy. It may be possible to delay the fragmentation of Iraq and its radicalization by Iran and Syria by maintaining some kind of presence on the borders, the no-fly zone, strict surveillance, economic sanctions, etc. There will at some point come a showdown with these power-hungry parties. It may be that the no-war coalition in the U.S. will be the ones in power when it happens. Then, they will be forced to do as FDR did, as JFK did, and become the party of war. If the current "hawks" were to act in the most cynical manner possible in order to assure their eventual return to power, they would implement the ISG's recommendations in short order and enthusiastically. I'm not sure that this is acceptable as a moral option, but it surely is politically alluring.

Upon Reflection

Meant to post Wednesday, but time has run away with me this week. At any rate:

The election was almost exactly as predicted by the center group of pollers and pundits. My first thought is that the Republicans did this to themselves. They got themselves into a couple of scandals, couldn't show unity on important issues, and had the dynamic duo of Frist and Hastert as leaders. It's a wonder they didn't lose more seats. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Rummy's departure is only a mild surprise and disappointment. He is a hard-edged gentleman of great drive and integrity, but perhaps stubborn, and done in by the shenanigans of the CIA, who hate him and the Defense Department. And we get a CIA man as replacement. . . .

Friendship inherent in creation

Why its logically consistent to understand that we're made, in some fashion, resembling the Creator--

1. To have friendship with the Creator, who sees the divine goodness reflected back to God through the character of the unique human person;
2. To allow humans to maintain friendship with one another, because friendship is of its essence a mutual reflection of the good that humans delight in and treasure. Without that reflection even the possibility of friendship is mitigated because humans generally aren't close to perfect.

Election Reflection

We voted early. Now I don't have to listen to all that (from either side).

I think the 6-year elections are unique, because they provide an opportunity for shaking out the old mistakes, reevaluating and planning for the real decisions in two more years. Both Republicans and Democrats should learn something, in theory, from what the voters decide and from the campaign and its issues. If the lessons aren't learned, there will be new dangers all around. I do trust the people as a whole. I think it was part of the Founders' vision to allow for "the people" to be the teachers to the politicians, that some sort of practical political wisdom would come out of a more reciprocal and equal relationship between the governed and those who govern. In our system, "the mob" has been replaced by the voting public. The office-holders and candidates are presumed to either win the respect of the people or to be humbled by them.

Einstein's advice

At least, I've seen this attributed to him:

"Insanity is making the same choice repeatedly, expecting a different result."

Moral thinking IS objective and experiential.

Thinker in Trouble

See here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,171-2385684,00.html

Whatever support can be given to this teacher should be given. There's simply not an excuse for saying that he ought to have shown more restraint, etc. The debate should be open: Is what he says truthful? When Islam as a whole begins to deal with its historical self--as the other great traditions have--these radical elements can be seen for what they are.

Reading List for Grownups

Hal asked what to read. There's not a simple answer to how to get at truth nowadays. A few things to rely on:

• Read the papers, but read carefully--be sure you read what is given in reply to accusations made by the press and by partisan hacks on both sides; I try as time allows to check the news in the local paper, Time Magazine, the web news on Drudge and Lucianne, who is partisan but often finds stuff no one else has.
• Victor Davis Hansen is a wonderful scholar, applying lessons from antiquity, especially military history of the Classical period to today's events. You can find his columns at several locations, including his own website.
• If you haven't, read the 9/11 Report.

I'll add a bigger job that will take you a longer time--check out the reading list for the liberal arts program at the University of Dallas. I believe it's still posted at their website--http://www.udallas.edu/academicprograms/core2.cfm.

I'll add more specifics about what I've read lately, later.