The Fleming Foundation Cultural Commentary
When asked to share my thoughts on the recent yellow vests protests, I initially demurred, stating that is was simply another case of the French being the French (about benefits) (about airbnb and/or uber) (about strikes in general). The French also lack the resolve and ability to fix problems, as seen by the “we are not afraid” and “Je suis Charlie” sentiments now long since forgotten (thankfully). But as I thought more on the matter, I realized that the Yellow Vests are simply a remake of an American film we’ve already seen (and forgotten): Occupy Wall Street. What Happened to Occupy? In September 2011, a...
“I’ve grammar and spelling for two And blood and behavior for twenty. In studying any new language, the two most basic elements are the proper pronunciation, meaning—and of course spelling—of words, in other words ‘vocabulary,’ and grammar. In simple English, while the study of vocabulary focuses attention on individual words, grammar consists of the rules that determine the form (morphology) and function or structure (syntax) of words. The arbiters of Postmodern English have tried their best to eliminate prescriptive grammar—that is, the normative rules of language usage—from our speech, but few other European languages have been so thoroughly revolutionized. The...
Just after President Trump took office, on Fleming Foundation I recommended he not hire generals for his top national security positions. Trump did the opposite. But almost two years later, he finally has civilians in what should be civilian posts. Gen. Flynn didn’t last long as national security adviser and remains embroiled in the witch hunt against Trump, victim of yet another “Justice” Department and FBI perjury trap. Gen. Kelly recently resigned as chief of staff. And Gen. Mattis just resigned in protest as secretary of defense over Trump withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria. When Mattis said he wouldn’t leave...
Most of us Americans, by the time we reach a certain age, have grown used to living in our own houses with our own families and under our own rules. Travel upsets all our arrangements, and in hotels we are subjected to other people’s arguments and, what is worse, to other people’s children. Here in Agrigento, we have our own little house, which is really just two apartments that make up one building. But, for all the privacy we have, we are still on other people’s property. The other people are used to strangers, since they operate a very nice...
A columnist, but really just about anybody in the talking heads corner who voices opinions with the regularity of a grandfather clock, must be a fool if he doesn’t harbor a measure of remorse. Opinion in general has something of a sleight of hand about it, in that it presupposes the choosing of subjects on which one believes one has something to say and the leaving out of other subjects, with the result that one appears more confident of one’s view of the world than one really is. Well, I thought that since we’re all on holiday, for today’s peroration...
In the bad old days of previous centuries and millennia, conquering nations trashed the civilizations they occupied for diverse reasons. (I am not now speaking of looting, which can sometimes be a back-handed token of esteem.) Some savages and barbarians just like breaking things. Since they cannot create, they can at least destroy. Sometimes it is to teach a lesson. “You think you Jews can play power-politics by making an alliance with the Egyptians? Watch this!” Sometimes, the point is to destroy symbols and traditions to which the conquerors object on moral grounds: Cortez was a ruthless man, but the...
Many people, embarking upon a serious study of a living foreign language, dream of acquiring fluency. While this is probably an impossible dream for most of us, so are a virtuous life, athletic prowess, and saintliness. The difficulty should be no deterrent to the determined, though we must always keep in mind the very remote chance that we could ever succeed. What do I mean by fluency? My second Greek teacher, Walton Morris, had a rigorous definition. In the 1950’s he had worked in Army intelligence along the French-German border, gathering information on Communist activities. One day, he would pose...
Then why should men on earth be so sad, Since our Redeemer made us glad, When from our sin he set us free, All for to gain our liberty? ~ from the “Sussex Carol These four lines capture the essence of Christmas celebration. Those puritanical Christians (or even non- Christians) who would squelch the celebration, miss the point: “our Redeemer made us glad!” In a previous posting (“Not Christmas Yet”) I may have seemed a little Scrooge-y, but I believe that “For everything there is a season, and a time for every a purpose under heaven.” And that means that...
In the land of the fast buck, the Flim Flam man is a king who never goes broke underestimating his fellow-citizens. Where lesser men are horrified by the sufferings of humanity, the great man unflinchingly faces disasters—famine, plague, drought, or shortage of memory sticks—as an opportunity to increase his fortune. And, where there is no actual shortage or serious problem, it is a small matter to create the illusion that fathers en masse are molesting their daughters, millions of children are being snatched by strangers, or synagogues are under siege by an upsurge of Nazi anti-Semitism. To remedy these tragic...
