My too often nonsensical and forever unenlightened reflections on people and life and everything else I understand as well as I understand everything else. Not well at all, in other words. Love thy neighbor, is my motto. Unless something better comes along. Make sure to say so when you find it.
Stephen Colbert is the new Stephen Colbert.
Posted by
Ben Sutherland
at
11/21/2008 10:26:00 PM
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For those who take freedom for granted.
Myanmar court hands comedian 45-year prison term
This is why I don't.
I don't care what excuses people give for repression. I don't care what excuses those in liberal democracies give for giving ammunition to repressive forces in Myanmar and around the world. I don't care if those responsible will not take responsibility for how their repression helps thugs like this regime to rationalize their own thuggishness.
I intend on being an honest reality check for those hostile to freedom and friendly to repression of all kinds for as long as my life permits.
And that, and not the embrace of repression, is what courage looks like. No matter what bullshitting people may do to the contrary.
Power is often and generally the refuge of cowards who care too little about its appropriate use and the consequences of its abuse.
Thank goodness there are people like Maung Thura to be an honest reflection of courage when our cowardice is too much for us to bear.
Taking freedom seriously is a tough job. Thank goodness people like Maung are willing to do it.
If only his observers in the free and democratic world took liberal democrac values so seriously.
Posted by
Ben Sutherland
at
11/21/2008 03:40:00 PM
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After a discussion with a colleague about his interactions with some religious fundamentalists in his family, I think I understand, now, why people with repressive philosophies are able to go so long pretending like their stubbornness is the same thing as being righteous and right, especially on questions where they are so assuredly wrong.
Because they are used to bulling their way through such conversations.
Not with me, they're not. And never will be.
You think you can bull your way through a discussion on freedom and repression with me, you got another think coming.
One thing is for sure, if you don't walk away doubting whatever your self-righteous assertion of truth is with me, it, generally, is not because of me. It's because you weren't listening very well in that conversation.
And those who don't listen well don't get treated like they have more truth than they have to offer because they just can't imagine that they might be wrong.
We need more people to challenge the self-righteous among us. Me included. Challenge me. Think hard and engage me seriously. Demonstrate how I'm wrong.
But, for God sakes, stop pretending that your opinions are more final than anything in this world could ever be.
Genuine liberals - meaning those who take liberty seriously - will only keep that flame afire insofar as they are willing to challenge those who would persistently compromise and whittle away those liberties for their own repressive ends.
This political era will be a referendum on that tactic for undermining our liberties.
And it is a referendum that liberty will win.
Posted by
Ben Sutherland
at
11/21/2008 12:21:00 PM
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