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Nothing to be afraid of here unless one is afraid of Pandora's box… a mythical beast at best.The box is a metaphor as it contained all the ills that make life hard. You recall that when the poor lasslooked inside she found but one thing inside that had not fled--hope. It is a nice thought. Too bad we no longer tell these stories to our children.
But look at it this way, we've got Star Wars and Star Trek. Luke Skywalker vs Achilles to the death woo hoo!
But look at it this way, we've got Star Wars and Star Trek. Luke Skywalker vs Achilles to the death woo hoo!
Ah yes, but Star Wars teaches the same basic principles as the Greeks; do you supposein 2000 years will we be teaching SW's rather than the Greeks to 6th graders? Culture is the passing on of what one generation thinks is important enough to teach the next.
look at it this way, we've got Star Wars and Star Trek. Luke Skywalker vs Achilles to the death woo hoo!Ah yes, but Star Wars teaches the same basic principles as the Greeks; do you supposein 2000 years will we be teaching SW's rather than the Greeks to 6th graders? Culture is the passing on of what one generation thinks is important enough to teach the next.Wow!Star Wars vs. Greek Legends and Literature? The gruel is a bit thin in my opinion, but then the lessonstaught by the Greeks about the madness of honor as exemplified by Achilles in the Iliad or the madness of war as in the Trojan Woman or in Thucidides' description of the Sicilian expedition are perhaps too obscure for our children today. If we last 2000 years more I hope we cleave to the"right stuff" and Agamemnon will still lust after Achilles' war prize, Hector will still scare his young son with his shining helmet, Paris will still depend on his beauty to survive, Penelope will still keeptrue to her husband while he consorts with brazen women and slays his way homeward and Achilles will continue to slay Trojans with heroic joy in arms fulfilling his destiny of "being the best". Nowif Star Wars can beat that for 2000 years and serve as a better tablet on which we write our lessonsfor our children, then we should forget about the Greeks and embrace "the force". In sorrow, I go now to have my breakfast while reading Phaedra ; you have vexed me greatly with your postbecause it might be true. The world shudders.
.... ...you have vexed me greatly with your post because it might be true. The world shudders.
Not only true but just the way the world learns, and always has (slowly). Must feed them pablum first; later working up to hamburger... on to (eventually) the finest steaks.
Okay, I'm joining this one a little late, but as a Virginian – and just having attended a speech by Gov. McDonnell on Wednesday – it is my opinion that what we are seeing is the continued “amateur hour” in American politics. It is the result, I believe, of an over-arching lack of attention to detail amongst our society. People are focused on being professional any more in their work – more interested in getting on to the next thing rather than doing the current thing right.How many here have seen issues with students (or professors for that matter) who don't proofread or appropriately edit their work? How many papers have we read (or written) that obviously betray haste in preparation. It is said that Winston Churchill would agonize over a specific choice of a word or turn of a phrase in a speech - spending hours writing, reciting, and re-writing a speech before he was comfortable delivering it. Historically, it shows - his speeches were marvelous things, whether you agreed with his politics or not.What happened in Richmond was just another case of some staffer rushing this through without proper thought or research, and their supervisor only glanced at it and authorized it. Do you think the governor read it in detail before it was published? Do you think it was "war gamed" before it was released? Of course not - we're too culturally and intellectually lazy these days. The real issue is... oh wait, American Idol is on... I'll finish that thought later if anyone has bothered to read this far.
It is possible that you might be absolutely right. On the other hand, the opposite is possible. I have no idea at all except to say that bureaucracies at all levels are prone to mistakes and heavy static oncommunication lines.
It is possible that you might be absolutely right. On the other hand, the opposite is possible. I have no idea at all except to say that bureaucracies at all levels are prone to mistakes and heavy static oncommunication lines.
And this is the very reason we should limit them as much as possible and have independent investigators stalking them wherever they tread.
