Fabulous stuff. When will you be in power? Hurry -- there's not a moment to lose. And if you could convert to British citizenship, please, we desperately need some proper perspective in our political system.
Of course, dahlink, I was banging on about the importance of liberty over this absurd fetish with "democracy" back in the day (well, 4 or 5 years ago, anyway). Democracy is simply a tool to help secure hard-won liberty: that's one of the many reasons why the approach to Iraq is so completely absurd -- democracy without liberty is worthless (vide Tiananmen Square).
You must have read Fareed Zakaria's The Future of Democracy? Many of the same themes. Although you are pithier. Which is something I always strive for but never achieve (as indeed is evidenced by this rambly comment).
Participation and engagement... hmmm... that's all well and good for community-minded extroverts like you: what about misanthropic introverts like me? We want to be left alone. We don't want to engage in deliberative democracy. We want to play with our trains and download porn instead. But that just means a whole bunch of committed geeks will get even more control over my life, doesn't it?
Anyway, despite loving your piece, rather rudely I did question your opening line: "On no recent president have more hopes rested than upon Barack Obama."
Paging Mr Mandela...? Possibly even Hugo Chavez. Or what about Evo Morales?
Blah blah, what do I know? I just post pictures of willies.
I agree, perhaps a tad Amero-centric of me to say 'no other president...' Standing corrected.
As for Zakaria, I think his point that democracy can be over-exuberant in ways that are not good for liberty is very well-taken, and certainly an important corrective at a time (2005?) when democracy was being bandied about by Bush & co. with religious fervor. But I can't say I share the 'Realist' pessimism that underlies his version of this argument. It is very Burkian, I find, a stance that all too often slips into reactionary politics because it puts greatest emphasis on the conflict between liberty and democracy. This should be the caveat we attach to our claim that democracy is the tool through which liberty is secured, not the central principle.
Anyhoo, let me just say that I think B&C is a fine example of 21st century political speech. You are providing a forum in which a large and diverse audience can deliberate questions of sexuality and aesthetics (e.g. big willies or small? hair or no hair?). This is an important alternative to the mainstream media and porn industry, who, while often quite entertaining, are ultimately constrained and even corrupted by the profit motive. And you can do it all without ever having to go to some horrid public meeting. Kudos!
Read it. I'm talking to you.
8 comments:
Blimey, old thing. Am in awe!
since when are you the `QUIET' American?
does that make the rest of the `LOUD' ones?
It's all relative, darling.
Fabulous stuff. When will you be in power? Hurry -- there's not a moment to lose. And if you could convert to British citizenship, please, we desperately need some proper perspective in our political system.
Of course, dahlink, I was banging on about the importance of liberty over this absurd fetish with "democracy" back in the day (well, 4 or 5 years ago, anyway). Democracy is simply a tool to help secure hard-won liberty: that's one of the many reasons why the approach to Iraq is so completely absurd -- democracy without liberty is worthless (vide Tiananmen Square).
You must have read Fareed Zakaria's The Future of Democracy? Many of the same themes. Although you are pithier. Which is something I always strive for but never achieve (as indeed is evidenced by this rambly comment).
Participation and engagement... hmmm... that's all well and good for community-minded extroverts like you: what about misanthropic introverts like me? We want to be left alone. We don't want to engage in deliberative democracy. We want to play with our trains and download porn instead. But that just means a whole bunch of committed geeks will get even more control over my life, doesn't it?
Anyway, despite loving your piece, rather rudely I did question your opening line: "On no recent president have more hopes rested than upon Barack Obama."
Paging Mr Mandela...? Possibly even Hugo Chavez. Or what about Evo Morales?
Blah blah, what do I know? I just post pictures of willies.
Fareed Zakaria's "Future of Democracy"?
I meant "Future of Freedom", of course.
I am an idiot.
I agree, perhaps a tad Amero-centric of me to say 'no other president...' Standing corrected.
As for Zakaria, I think his point that democracy can be over-exuberant in ways that are not good for liberty is very well-taken, and certainly an important corrective at a time (2005?) when democracy was being bandied about by Bush & co. with religious fervor. But I can't say I share the 'Realist' pessimism that underlies his version of this argument. It is very Burkian, I find, a stance that all too often slips into reactionary politics because it puts greatest emphasis on the conflict between liberty and democracy. This should be the caveat we attach to our claim that democracy is the tool through which liberty is secured, not the central principle.
Anyhoo, let me just say that I think B&C is a fine example of 21st century political speech. You are providing a forum in which a large and diverse audience can deliberate questions of sexuality and aesthetics (e.g. big willies or small? hair or no hair?). This is an important alternative to the mainstream media and porn industry, who, while often quite entertaining, are ultimately constrained and even corrupted by the profit motive. And you can do it all without ever having to go to some horrid public meeting. Kudos!
you bang, you bang. i for one like the sound
Gosh... and I was looking forward to a Sunday of gentle travel and comix. No, Oh No. Just more banging on about institutions...
;-)
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