Bill Whittle: The Undefended City. No despair

NRO ^ | September 19, 2008 | Bill Whittle

[Tolik]

In case you don't know who Bill Whittle is.

After 9/11 his was one of the most powerful new voices. Thanks to the Internet, he was heard and appreciated by me and many others. I am very happy for him and for us that NRO began carrying him and giving the well deserved exposure. IMHO he is out there with the best of them - Hanson, Mark Steyn, Krauthammer, Sowell - thought provoking, inspirational, passionate, and right.

Read his essays. Go to his website http://www.ejectejecteject.com/ and scroll down to the list on the right side. And/or buy his book (I did).

[Tolik]

Nailed It!

This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for the perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author all 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of the good stuff that is worthy of attention. You can see the list of articles I pinged to lately  on  my page.
You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about). Besides this one, I keep 2 separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson and Orson Scott Card.  

[KriegerGeist]

Here is another great article to compliment the one above. The comments that follow "The Drumbeat" article are vast and really eye opening of the conservative attitudes around the country.

The Drumbeat at American Thinker

[tx_eggman]

Nice to see Wittle getting published on NRO ... he’s a bright spot over against the dullards from the MSM

[SE Mom]

WOOOO HOOO!! Another Bill Whittle piece - sanity is alive and well :)

[Ramius]

Bill Whittle has an exceptional way with words. Great piece.

[Ramius]

Ring ping?

[Tolik]

Bill Whittle:

... No wonder they [McCain and Palin] must be destroyed. Because — Sarah Palin especially — presents a mortal threat to these people who have determined over cocktails who the next President should be and who now clearly mean to grind into metal shards the transaxle of their credibility in order to get the result they must have. Truly, they are before our eyes destroying the machine they have built in order to get their victory. What the hell is so threatening to be worth that?

Only this: the living proof that they are not needed. Not needed to govern, not needed to influence and guide, not needed to lecture us on our intellectual and moral failings which are visible only from the heights of Manhattan skyscrapers or the palaces up on Mulholland Drive. Not needed. We can do it — and do it better — without all of them.

When all is said and done, Civilizations do not fall because of the barbarians at the gates. Nor does a great city fall from the death wish of bored and morally bankrupt stewards presumably sworn to its defense. Civilizations fall only because each citizen of the city comes to accept that nothing can be done to rally and rebuild broken walls; that ground lost may never be recovered; and that greatness lived in our grandparents but not our grandchildren. Yes, our betters tell us these things daily. But that doesn’t mean we have to believe it.

[HairOfTheDog]

Two of my favorite writers, Tolkien and Whittle.

ecurbh - you should still ring-ping it, mine is only a partial list.

[Tolik]

Really good article. Thanks for the ping.

[SE Mom]

BTTT :)

So glad you posted this today..

[joe fonebone]

My God!!!!! this piece brought tears to my eyes....

[No.6]

Great article; however, Tolkein repeatedly and explicitly denied that he was writing an allegory or a political commentary.

Remember that while one can try and infer an intended reference to WW2, greenies and such equally try and infer a connection between the Enemy and industry.

While the themes he references are obviously there and definitely were influenced by JRRT’s experiences, we can’t really place LoTR on our side in a political debate.

[ScreamingFist]

Outstanding! Thanks for the post...

[visualops]

Ping! Excellent read.

[ctdonath2]

While Tolkein was not reflecting a particular event in LOTR, he certainly knew the dark truths of reality and in turn colored his mythic world accordingly. He was not creating an allegory of WWII, but he knew intimately what war entailed, both on an individual and cultural level, and portrayed his fantasy great war to evoke those realities which permeate all war regardless of geopolitical specifics.

[TheStickman]

yup, thanks for the ping.

[ecurbh]

Ring Ping!!

Anyone wishing to be added to or removed from the Ring-Ping list, please don't hesitate to let me know.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Tolkien despised allegory, because it became restrictive and outdated so quickly. But he was a great fan of applicability.

The lessons taught in The Lord of the Rings was applicable to WWI, WWII, Vietnam, The Iraq War, the War on Terror, etc.

This is the essence of myth and why it is such a powerful work.

[Monkey Face]

Thanks for the ping!

I like essays, articles and books that still talk about the fight between good and evil. In the end, good always triumphs. But we can’t afford to sit and wait for it to happen.

Those who crave power should never be allowed to have it.
Those who don’t want it are often the best at using it.