Posted on 03/16/2002 1:32:37 PM PST by humbletheFiend
And the tone is fairly good.
Cheers,
Richard F.
i guess some see in this as a challenge to actually find freedom and realize human potential, as opposed to a challenge to dominate and rule.
lastly, good to hear this coming from 'sentries' maybe they'll be less likely to cry when lefty professors use it. and use the same argument to defeat those who think it matters that the president's approval rating is at a record high.
Jahn's use of parenthesis, his contradictions, and use of words such as master to characterize Straus' relation to Bloom in his first few paragraphs give a clear indication of his bias. The bias continues throughout the piece but maybe you just didn't notice.
Using Jahn's assessment, esoteric Straussians believe philosophy should be confined to certain individuals, as opposed to the modernist view which proposes to make philosophy more digestable and acceptable to the masses. Jahn also indicates he believes, but gives no supporting information to make an assessment of the Straussians belief, that the Straussians consider themselves to be "better" than the average man. Philosophical thought is an ability like any other ability but according to Jahn the Straussians believe excelling in this makes them better than other men?
By telling me Keyes is an esoteric Straussian you expect me to think he believes in value-relativism or moral-relativism and considers the ultimate truth to be... there is no truth, or justice for that matter? You are way off base here.
If that was all there is to your claim maybe I could just dismiss it but you apparently also want me to think Keyes believes this:
The esoterics, then, basically agree with the libertarian and (pre-1960s) liberal understanding of American history: we are a "proposition nation," liberal to the core, and conservatism is un-American. The cult of the Founding Fathers is just a salutary myth. The truth is that the Founders, under the tutelage of Hobbes and Locke, deliberately created a squalid regime ruled by self-interest, sacrificing virtue to liberty and equality, and are ultimately responsible for the philistinism, mediocrity, and deracination of contemporary America.
If I read you wrong I'll be happy to discuss my mistakes but if I didn't then I think maybe there is a job for you at Strike The Root under the tutelage of Jeff Allen.
you peasant ;)
It often takes 50 years to make a good analysis of the person, his motives, his actions, his thoughts... Understand that Alan Keyes is a real live person and his life has not been played out yet. I do not agree with him on many points but I know that there is not a single politician out there that makes any points for me to agree or disagree!
People are so accustomed to all these fakes on TV that many do not recognize a real article. Alan Keyes is a real article - a brilliant thinker, a passionate Conservative, an eloquent speaker with the ability to persuade.
Again, I do not agree with him on many issues but I will trust him knowing that his actions would be based on a solid moral foundation.
Big ditto here.
If Keyes was really a phony he'd be the president getting ready to sign campaign finance reform.
That is fair, I think that you are a phony, and are always arguing for effect, rather than for analytical purposes.
And this is why Alan Keyes has the luxury of talking tough: He'll never be President of the United States. He'll never have to navigate an agenda past others. He'll never have to compromise with anyone to get something he wants. He can just talk, and talk, and talk. Apparently I'm not alone in believing he would be a disastrous president. There's more to the job than dominating others with your opinion and waving your hands around.
I think we ought to wait and see what President Bush does on CFR before we tear him limb from limb, personally.
P.S. LarryLied has at least one very good reason for having formed his opinion.
Of course not. It is all sophomoric twaddle. Fun when you are a kid but boring for adults. It is rather amusing to read on these threads Biblical type exegesis of what Keyes really means however. I expect soon we'll get into hermeneutics and how we can apply Alan's teachings to our everyday "peasant" life.
Well, well, I guess you showed up to bash Howlin, after her remarks in #102, responding to #100. Might I add that this is the most lucid analysis you two have shown on this subject in a long time!
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