Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
December 24, 2011
Christmas Wishes!
Here are a few Christmas wishes for 2011.
1. To Albert Pujols: I hope that all the money makes up for the fact that you had the opportunity to be the greatest sports icon in the most positive and rabid baseball town (Philly is more rabid, but negative) in the world. You left because they did not respect you?!?!?! C’mon man! They loved you. Good luck with this in an invented place. Coal for you!
2. To Jimmy Rollins: Love for you in the city of brotherly love. May your commitment to stay be as blessed as possible. Maybe another ring under the tree?
3. To Wendell Berry: Recently reading some of your best paragraphs. Brilliant! May you have a quiet and peaceful day with your family gathered round…and a good walk through a familiar and thick woods.
4. To Peter Leithart: Your blog is a blessing to read, but I fear that you might be reading, thinking, and writing too fast. You’re both and inspiration and a mystery. My wish for you is a long night’s sleep. Enjoy.
5. To the United States: A new government. This one is broken and its pettiness (on both sides) is making me sort of dread opening the paper in the morning. We borrow 40% of every dollar we spend. 40%!!!! We need an intervention. Hope it comes in 2012.
6. To my faculty and staff: Good work this year. Sleep soundly over break.
7. To my students: Drink deeply from the fountains of life. Christ Himself is the deepest fountain. Love God first with all your heart and do whatever you please with all of your heart!
I am going to try to go without my computer for a few days—this will feel like Linus without a blanket. See you in the New Year!
Posted in Culture, Faith, Family, Politics | No Comments »
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
As Emily and I were pulling up to City Hall in Philly, we noticed the Occupy tent village. The first big tent that I saw was bedecked with a very large Ron Paul sign. From what we witnessed concerning the Occupy a few minutes later—chants of curse words and cries for revolution—I was knocked a little sideways concerning how a Ron Paul sign—most Pauline supporters seem quite committed to things like personal responsibility (unlike the Occupiers) even if their libertarianism goes off the rail at times (for more on this see Wilson’s article). What pray tell do these too groups have in common?
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Tags: Classical Education
Posted in Democracy, Economy, Politics | 1 Comment »
Friday, October 28th, 2011
Yesterday, the State Senate in PA passed a voucher bill that will give voucher to students trapped in the 5% of schools that are chronically bottom performers. It is unlikely right now that this bill will pass the PA House. If it does, however, the governor will sign it. My heart goes out to these students. They need rescued from these schools. The present situation illustrates how the state is going to attempt this rescue. Yesterday I was at a meeting of Christian administrators in the area. Our governor, Tom Corbett, was hoping to be there, but in the end he was not able to attend. Would he have attended and would I have had a chance to speak with him this is what I would have liked to say.
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Posted in Culture, Education, Politics | No Comments »
Monday, July 25th, 2011
I have not written on the debt ceiling because I am not sure what I would do. I understand debt in principle. In the long term . . . . (more…)
Posted in Economy, Education, Politics, President Obama, Stewardship | No Comments »
Monday, June 6th, 2011
In a previous post I outlined some of the insights in the stunning book Nixonland by Rick Perlstein. In it, Perlstein deftly chronicles the unraveling of the American political center and the building and hardening of America into two mutually exclusive, enthusiastic, groups who now wage a (we must assume never ending) war for power and control of the future of our country. Both of these groups have left off arguing with each other (they just yell) and have left off seeking to persuade the center—except for the two months preceding an election. In Nixonland, politicians are successful not because of wisdom, and honesty. They do not even traffic in those areas. They are brilliant if they are cunning and can craft 15 second sound bites that divide the country into 50% + 1 on their side. During the time chronicled in this must read work (the mid 60s to the early 70s), the spirit of revolution again invaded our country. It is fomenting still on cable news channels as we speak. It keeps leaders from doing what they should (like dealing with long term debt issues in our country) and keeps them focused on using “whatever means necessary” to win the next political battle and gain control if only for a season to work to bring in their kingdom. This is true of both the left and the right.
If we are to survive as a country, we must plan an escape from Nixonland.
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Posted in Culture, Democracy, Economy, Education, Faith, Politics | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
Congratulations to Ethan Demme who was elected leader of the Lancaster County Republican Party in their election last night! Ethan is a friend and the husband of our former music teacher, Anna. Here is the story in the Lancaster papers:
Demme Elected New GOP
Ethan represents what is too often absent, but what is recommended by a classical and Christian education—engagement. Too often, I find myself (and many in our culture) paralyzed by cynicism about political involvement. This paralysis is caused by seeing the shortcomings in our own lives. Our response is to pull in, to care only about ourselves, and to reckon life as something done in the very narrow field of our own family, our church, and the associations we choose. This was impossible in the past—before the automobile and the internet allowed us to think that we were escaping geography and the body. We must remember that Christ called on us to love our neighbor. We might find our neighbor on the side of highway (the Samaritan did) or online. We must, however, not forget that our neighbor is our neighbor and that the life of the local community is our life. Ethan is an example to us all.
I am also betting the local GOP will be a more tech savvy in the near future. Hat’s off to Ethan Demme!
Posted in Culture, Local News, Politics | No Comments »
Friday, January 14th, 2011
The tragic murders in Arizona during the attempted assassination attempt on the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by a deranged man have resounded through our nation for the last week. They have also become a political football kicked and passed (and fumbled) by many. There are some educational and political lessons that we should learn—politics first:
- The political left uses tragedies to take swipes at the right even when—maybe I should say especially when—there is no cause. The left wants gun control. All facts are used to prove that it is necessary. Of course, let me be clear, this fellow should not have had a gun! The idea that somehow mass restriction on guns will keep guns out of the hands of criminals is dubious. I believe that the left has learned (maybe it is just instinctual) that they should toss accusation at the right whenever something like this happens especially if there is no reasonable connection between the action and anyone on the right. They do this because…
- The political right (in the case Governor Palin) does not handle these sorts of swipes well and too often ends up looking petty as they react to these baseless attacks. Governor Palin is not to blame for this event. The fellow was deranged. Communist Manifesto was one of his favorite books—which, of course is not one on the Glenn Beck approved list. Governor Palin, I am sure, got angry because she was unjustly smeared. Sadly, she released her video response at the same time that President Obama was at the bully pulpit. She is justified in her anger. Her response was unwise. Any sort of reaction that rebuts personal concerns looks petty—particularly against Obama’s excellent and uplifting speech. I am not sure why she did it, but, politically, I do not think it was wise.
- Finally, both sides of our political spectrum seem immune to both history and reason. The chant arises that our political rhetoric is over the top. It is. This “over the topness”, however, is not new. It has been a characteristic of American politics (and American life) since the third election (Adams v. Jefferson). We are given to overstatement. In some ways our political dialogue is fruitless today, but not because of its vitriol, but because of our penchant for having hurt feelings. We cannot argue with each other. We preach to the choir and stir them in a froth. Real political gains happen when leaders focus their rhetoric more broadly but still resonate with their base—see Ronald Reagan on this point.
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Posted in Culture, Democracy, Education, Politics, President Obama, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
This is called the “Evil Empire” speech by Ronald Reagan. It was given to the National Association of Evangelicals. Here is a link to it:
Evil Empire Speech
Here are a few observations.
- Reagan is such a great communicator (maybe that is why they called him the Great Communicator). He speaks with great conviction and candor. After the rhetorical slickness of the last two Democratic Presidents and the rhetorical inability of the last few Republican Presidents, Reagan’s rhetorical care is striking—and convicting. He knows how to lead. How to communicate ideas simply and to clarify his position. Brilliant!
- There is a great difference between a Conservative like Reagan and the Libertarian Republicans of our day. He is building something and protecting a heritage. They always seem like they are tearing down. Both need to happen, but I do not think you can lead long without a positive vision of the future.
- Reagan communicates fearlessly—especially concerning foreign affairs. We never talk like this anymore. We have stopped calling wickedness evil. Our blindness is evident.
Our country has traveled far in 30 years and not much of the distance has been in the right direction. We need God’s mercy to give us better leaders than we deserve.
Tags: communication, famous speeches, leaders
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Monday, December 20th, 2010
Last night, our nation took another step in the wrong direction by changing the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy (which was, all will admit, a very flawed policy—which I think more than almost anything points to the pragmatism of President Clinton).
Because I am a believer I know from many biblical passages (Romans 1 being perhaps the most pointed) that homosexuality is wrong. Our country and almost of all of the Christian West has affirmed this truth for thousands of years under the tutelage of the Scriptures. Today, we are going back on this long held cultural belief. As we do this, we are justifying our changes on the grounds of “justice” and “fairness” and “equality” implying, of course, that what we did in the past was unjust, unfair, and prejudiced.
Before beginning this discussion let me make a few things clear. First . . . .
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Posted in Culture, Faith, Family, Military, Politics | No Comments »
Friday, December 3rd, 2010
Here is a interesting video from the recent EAG Conference on education. It is a video of Governor Christie from New Jersey. I think that a sea change is occurring in the public view of the public schools or at least of the teacher’s union. Here is the video:
The State of Education by Gov. Chris Christie
Listening to this, however, he is not against public education or against teachers—he is against bad teachers and against structures (like the teachers’ unions) that protect bad teachers. I think all of us—even good teachers in the public schools—should be against bad teachers who are coasting.
We, as a nation, really need to push more and more education into a market (rather than a tax) context. Let’s hope that American (private, Christian, and public school folks) get behind ideas like this.
Posted in Economy, Education, Politics | No Comments »
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