I cannot imagine sitting through a course like this without spending half of the time either debating the instructors or laughing. Normality is constantly being dropped to the lowest common denominator so that there are no longer any standards for behavior, actions, etc. An interesting and I am sure, shocking article from Quillette. https://quillette.com/2020/10/31/i-signed-up-to-study-sexual-health-what-i-got-was-gender-ideology-fetishism-and-porn/

Most readers know Ernst Junger (1895-1998) through Storm of Steel, his memoir of his service in the trenches during World War I. Yet Junger was a prolific writer and many of his works were serious philosophical works centered on the individual and his relationship to the State and society. Wooed by the Nazi’s who saw him for propaganda purposes as a great warrior who would inspire German youth, he resisted their efforts but remained in Germany serving in the Wehrmacht during the occupation of France. In this article, Russell Berman uses Junger’s 1939 novel On the Marble Cliffs as a foil for our time. The book was widely popular even in German at the time as some thought that it made light of the Nazi’s and especially Reich Marshall Goring; others thought that Stalin was the intended target. In today’s highly political atmosphere, where everything from science to math, language to art, race to culture is being politicalized, can we learn from the past, or will we close our eyes hoping for the best, or worse yet, believe that we are much more intelligent than those who went before us and believe that we can not make the same errors. Can we defeat the forces of chaos by using Junger’s tactic of logical thinking and clarity of mind? A long read but timely and helpful.

https://www.firstthings.com/article/2020/11/standing-against-tyranny

“The kiss originated when the first male reptile licked the first female reptile, implying in a subtle, complimentary way that she was as succulent as the small reptile he had for dinner the night before”-F. Scott Fitzgerald

We have all heard that Health care is a human right, and who does not want to see someone in pain or ill cared for in an adequate manner? This article from the Claremont Review of Books however, offers some some interesting questions regarding regulation, licensing, work conditions, and other practical matters that should all give us pause to think. Given the record of health care in the U.K., the long waiting times and poor equipment in Canada and the easy to see failures of numerous other countries, we need to tread softly before heading down this dangerous path. Please copy the following link and paste it to your browser. The excellent article loaded with uncomfortable questions will come up on page 2. Well done again to Claremond and Ms. Pipes! file:///C:/Users/bklaz_000/Downloads/Pipes.pdf

“Nearly any man can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”-Abraham Lincoln

“A man wants to be a woman’s first love, a woman wants to be a man’s last love”-Oscar Wilde (also attributed to Madam De La Rochefoucauld)

There are still some among us who believe that something can be had for nothing. There are some among us who fail to carefully consider the true cost of something. These two groups can be found in those who look for “easy” answers, who hear the claims of the messiah of the moment and who rush head long into joining the masses. But, nothing is free and as this article points out, we should be more skeptical and demanding of those who lead us. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tilakdoshi/2020/08/02/the-dirty-secrets-of-clean-electric-vehicles/#3ebc3ecd650b

In the West, we have a tendency to forget about some of the basic building blocks of our societies which have allowed us to create the richest and most stable societies in the history of the world. One of the most important aspects of Western law is that of the right to own property. When one owns property, one has a vested interest in the society; with land ownership, we take pride in what we have and work to make it better. It is not like that in much or the world and until the private right of ownership of land is secure, no society can progress. That is the difference between the West and Capitalism, and much of the world and Marxism. Enlightened self interest starts with stability and the rule of law. This article from The Economist reviews the lack of enforceable property rights in much of the world. At the very least, after reading the article, you shall appreciate the rights you have and take for granted. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/09/12/who-owns-what

Our polite recognition of another’s resemblance to ourselves-Ambrose Bierce

A minute segment of males are putting larger numbers of girls and women in harms way. Gone are the days of men protecting and defending women as a special interest group demands that men who “identify” as women be allowed to participate in women’s events. As a result, girls and women will suffer injuries, be denied honors and have scholarships denied them as bigger, stronger, more aggressive males push them off the playing field. To allow this is so absurd and yet we see this happening everyday. Leave aside the question of what type of male feels a sense of achievement by beating a weaker opponent (politely they were called bullies, but there were other names not mentioned in polite society), think of the time, effort and dedication wasted by females when they find their opponent out weighs them, has more muscle mass, is faster, etc.. Sorry, you may identify as a female, a gazelle or whatever you want, I really don’t care; you are not a female so get off the sport field and let the girls and women complete against their own real gender. https://quillette.com/2020/09/27/keeping-male-bodies-out-of-womens-rugby/