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What Is Conservatism and What Is Wrong with It?

Phil Agre at UCLA is one heck of an intellectual. In this essay he takes on Conservatism and deconstructs it for us. Here is the opening graf: Liberals in the United States have been losing political debates to conservatives for a quarter century. In order to start winning again, liberals must answer two simple questions: what is conservatism, and what is wrong with it? As it happens, the answers to these questions are also simple: Q: What is conservatism? A: Conservatism is the domination of society by an aristocracy. Q: What is wrong with conservatism? A: Conservatism is incompatible with…

Gaza Crisis [1/9]

Apologies for absence. Some more immediately personal concerns to deal with: Joe the Plumber is going to cover the conflict in Israel, but apparently not Gaza. Because he is Christian, he will be safe. It is only Jews and Muslims who are unsafe. What of the Palestinian Christians? Are they not true Christians? Or is JtP the truest of Christians and therefore Christ-like? h/t Atrios. Bilal actually interviewed Palestinians as to what they thought of Obama. Although it is from prior to the current crisis, it is still instructive. Bridezilla hints at something that is on my mind. This cannot…

Spinoza Redux….

Well it does appear that there are some brave Americans who are going above and beyond the rehtoric and proposing actions that actually make a difference in our world.  Wick Sloane – a columnist at InsideHigherEd is proposing a Katrina like show of support by US univiersities for Lebanese students and faculty. Here is a blurb: Imagine. No interruption of study and research for all students and faculty in the Middle East shut out in this latest war. Lebanon. Israel. Gaza. Iraq. Everyone. Why not? Education is cheaper than war. John Waterbury, president of American University of Beirut, who was…