The Fleming Foundation Cultural Commentary

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College: The Great American Fee-Factory, Part One

Foreword. Back in the 1980s, having had the fascinating experience of sitting on a financial-aid committee, I learned—to my surprise—that colleges no longer awarded endowed scholarships to exceptionally clever applicants; that instead they were offering something called “financial aid packages” to everyone, thus making it obvious to an inquiring mind that intellectual ability had little to do with college admissions. I also discovered that colleges operated in packs or cartels to fix their prices and restrict competition. The piece that follows was the result of my appalled fascination, and since I seem to have anticipated both the dereliction of academic standards...

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 Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass”

Unless you are a seasoned choral singer, lover of choral music or frequent concert goer, you may not know about what H.C. Robbins Landon (a major biographer of the composer) says is “arguably Haydn’s single greatest composition.”

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Mueller Report No Surprise to Fleming Foundation Readers

The media continue to dunk their heads in a cesspool. CNN’s Chris Matthews fumed, “How could they let Trump off the hook?” Especially disgraced are “analysts” John Brennan, the former CIA honcho who voted for the Communist Party USA in 1976; and James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence, who perjured himself before Congress on the total spying on the American people? They kept saying Trump was a spy for Russia and would be taken out by the Russia Hoax. 

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Dante the Man, Part II: Christianity and Classical Culture, Episode 26

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In this episode Dr. Fleming discusses the Old Testament “vendetta” attitude that many characters (including Dante) have in The Comedy, though particularly in the Inferno (understandably). Dr. Fleming discusses the sometimes understandable, but often ridiculous reasons that cities could be so partisan during this time period, shadows of which can be seen in football match brawls between supporters today (in Italy and elsewhere). Original Air Date: March 25, 2019 Show Run Time: 26 minutes Show Guest(s): Dr. Thomas Fleming Show Host(s): Stephen Heiner This Podcast is available for Silver subscribers and higher.   Christianity and Classical Culture℗ is a Production...

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Dante the Man, Part I: Christianity and Classical Culture, Episode 25

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Another season of Christianity and Classical Culture on the Fleming Foundation. In this first episode of what will be an ongoing exploration of Dante and the Commedia, Dr. Fleming and host Stephen Heiner first discuss some good English translations to use, then go on to first discuss Dante’s family background, then the political and religious world in which he lived. Dr. Fleming discusses Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Siena, and other Italian city-states: their relationships with each other, the Church, and foreign invaders. Dr. Fleming concludes the episode by parsing the Guelph/Ghibelline feud. Original Air Date: March 20, 2019 Show Run Time:...