Besides which, you would be more credible if one could escape the feeling that you are simply an advocate of the Old Order — which in was every bit as morally corrupt and wrong-headed as the New Order.

We would never have had the revolutions of the 60s and beyond — containing as they did some positive elements and many unfortunate ones — if the old order had not been full of hypocrisy, entrenched power and immovable privilege. The fault is probably all mine, but what I hear from your meandering prose is the bitter envy of one illegitimate clique usurped by another.

Welcome to PJM and the fun!

The picture you describe, of a massive Ramadan partnered with the limber ballerinas, is disturbing.

Hopefully western academia finds professors of substantial weight to preclude gymnastics.

Bulgakov’s novel is certainly one of the signal (and heroic) cultural achievements of the 20th Century. It stands rightly beside Eliot’s Four Quartets. Whether the Stones Crowley-ized it’s themes is open to debate, but without arguing for equivalence–I agree with you on that–it is still fair to say that there’s more to the story.

I recently listened to Ramadan’s delivery in a debate entitled something like “Resolved: the West should not only defend its values but promote them as superior [to the Muslim world].” How is it that minds otherwise wholly opposed to the plain meaning of Ramadan’s obvious preference are so distracted by these by now rote French postmodern dissimulations? And the historiography! According to this brand of intellectual insurgent, all wisdom issued directly from 12th century Spain, without which the tribes of Europe would have remained forever ignorant. The success of this misrepresentation – and the rhetorical disarmament that is its purpose – depends upon the kind of ignorance I would ordinarily presume to be absent from the Oxbridge set. It is a backdoor to the absurd claim that Islam and Muslim jurisprudence-theology originated human rights thought, and thence to the cultural relativist – really revanchist – claim of cultural equality.

I’d like to propose an effort to introduce the history of the Byzantine state and its environs into the general historical chronology (presuming anyone teaches straightforward chronology anymore). The thug intellectual revolutionaries like Ramadan are exploiting this particular black hole too effectively, in my opinion. It would also be an effective way of introducing “actual existing” Islam into the canon, regardless of its hagiography. I was fortunate to go to a high school (mid ’90s) that taught western civilization over the course of two years, beginning with Sumeria and ending with World War 2, ideally. We also had a class entirely on American history. Perhaps the powers that be could make room for Byzantium and a greater understanding of the Classical-Medieval/Modern transition, end the general historical education with the Napoleonic wars or French Revolution, and incorporate the 19th and 20th centuries into the American course. We must find some way to innoculate the educated against the lies otherwise designed to ensare them and I think this might help.

“An open mind is an empty mind.”

Maybe the same logic applies to souls.

I was on the board of a school in the San Francisco area. Every other Volvo in the parking lot featured the “Minds are like parachutes; they only work when they are open” sticker. Yet, as a community they mostly spent their time aggrieved at any perceived departure from doctrine.

I could go on, but the sum of it is, I have never been around more narrow-minded people nor around people more prone to proclaim their (non-existent) broad-mindedness.

To me, a fetish for open-mindedness serves as nothing more than psychological cover for a closed mind.

These people also applauded their own tolerance, though, cocooned as they kept themselves, they were never actually called on to display real tolerance.

Tolerance is a poorly understood concept. It is a set of social skills to be employed with engaging with others who have differing social constructs who nevertheless are operating with good will.

You can safely use tolerance with those harboring ill will ONLY if you first put on such a show of strength that they set their ill intentions aside. Just watch Europe to see what happens if you don’t impress your strength on your adversaries.

Look forward to seeing more posts!