Coo, Coo, Coo:
President Trump’s opponents in the military are using the classic language of military strongmen who overthrow republican government.
The Fleming Foundation Cultural Commentary
Political Realism: A Greek Primer
My second law of presidential elections is that the best liar wins (usually). This law goes a long way toward explaining why it took so long for the result of the 2000 election to be declared: Both parties were working round the clock, not only in the lower courts but also in the ultimate TV court of appeal, to spin flax into flannel. In this never-ending period of what everyone seems to be calling a political crisis, no one is willing to talk about the underlying problems which have nothing to do with the electoral college or voting machines but with the basic legitimacy–or rather the lack thereof–of the American regime.
Learning to Appreciate Poetry: A Simple Ode of Horace
I have, as promised, added two sections, the first on the metrical shape of the lines with some small effort to show a parallel effect in English, and, second, on the tightness of syntax and word order that makes the first stanza one complete thought expressed in a complete sentence–something we simply cannot do, at least not very well, in English.
Learn Latin (or Greek) With the Autodidact!
Mr. Autodidact has been missing in action for some time. We celebrate his triumphant return by announcing our plan for two weekly programs on Latin, corresponding roughly to the first and second years of a college Latin course. As many of our readers know, I did a Latin I course on CD’s plus study guide years ago. Back then, we kept the lessons short and Spartan, because of production and shipping costs. This meant that I had to leave out a fair amount of explanation. In addition, because of our very limited technology, the recorded material had to be dry–we...
Poem: “An Interlude” by Charles Algernon Swinburne
This is a poem I loved in the days I regarded myself as a cynical roué and was only a very foolish romantic.
Wednesday’s Child: More Loners
My post last week occasioned a lively discussion. Not all of it was on point – divertingly, I was made to learn the meaning of “small ball” and “on base percentage” – but let us press on in more or less the same vein. As the gentle reader may recall, last week’s post involved a man in a Russian village who stands to lose his children because one of them has taken up crocheting and there is no television in the family home. For those who wish to follow the story, the man’s name is Ivan Sidorov and the village,...
That Eminent Tribunal,” or How One Branch Overthrew Two
Civics classes are often instructed that the three branches of the general government are supposed to be “equal.” But is this so? From where does this idea come? This language of the equality of the branches is nowhere in the Constitution itself. As a matter of fact, for a long time after ratification the common notion regarding which branch of the national government was to be primary favored the legislative.
Hillary Saves Tulsi’s Campaign
Tulsi Gabbard lets the cat out of the old bag: “Now we know — it was always you, through your proxies and … powerful allies in the corporate media and war machine, afraid of the threat I pose. It’s now clear that this primary is between you and me. Don’t cowardly hide behind your proxies. Join the race directly.”
New in the Forum
At last we can agree with Alec Baldwin on something. He recently tweeted: “I don’t think anyone involved in the college fraud cases should go to prison. That includes past cases as well. Community service, fines, yes. But prison time, no. My heart goes out to Felicity, Bill Macy and their family,’ the actor said in a tweet Wednesday.”…………….
Where’s Anterus Smith?
This is not the title of a new game to replace “Where’s Waldo?” but a chance to interrogate Chad Rayson, the August Derleth of the Iron Range. TFF: So, Chad, what happened to Anterus Smith or by whatever name he wishes to be called? CR: So what is this? You’re Aeschylus writing an ode to Zeus? You want to know what the trouble with you classicists is? TFF; Not especially, in fact, definitely no. CR: I’ll tell you anyway. You’re so tied up in some other word, going in quest of Ulysses or sailing with Jason and the...
