Wisdom Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Darkness Over The Land

An ‘Ever Better’ Ideology? What Is Progressivism?

The norms of yesteryear are as applicable today as they were when first established by our ancestors. The farther we “progress” away from them, the worse our lives and civilizations become.

This should be obvious even to a Democrat.

Source: An ‘Ever Better’ Ideology? What Is Progressivism?

Fashion, meet reality. It’s not nice.

Ladies, you’re free to insist on your rights and privileges all you want. I’ll fully support your right to do so. However, there are men out there – more than a few of them – who regard revealing women’s clothing as an open invitation to make use of what its wearers are advertising. They don’t give a damn about your individuality or your femininity or your freedom of choice. As far as they’re concerned, you’re a “ho” or a “bitch”, and you exist to satisfy their needs. That’s all.

Source: Fashion, meet reality. It’s not nice.

Quotes from my reading…

Working my way through Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. I find this quote interesting given that the Democrats have just submitted a Constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College. They really do want to run roughshod all over us.

The omnipotence of the majority appears to me to present such extreme perils to the American republics that the dangerous measure which is used to repress it seems to be more advantageous than prejudicial. And here I am about to advance a proposition which may remind the reader of what I said before in speaking of municipal freedom: There are no countries in which associations are more needed to prevent the despotism of faction or the arbitrary power of a prince than those which are democratically constituted. In aristocratic nations, the body of the nobles and the more opulent part of the community are in themselves natural associations, which act as checks upon the abuses of power. In countries in which these associations do not exist, if private individuals are unable to create an artificial and a temporary substitute for them, I can imagine no permanent protection against the most galling tyranny; and a great people may be oppressed by a small faction, or by a single individual, with impunity.

— Alexis de Tocqueville, Observations on American Life and Government, from Democracy in America

When The Left Uses Civility As A Weapon, Drop It And Fight Back

The detail that conservatives tend to forget is that when one party violates a contract, the other party is no longer bound by all of its terms. If you sign a contract to buy a car, and the dealer refuses to turn it over you, you aren’t “sinking to their level” by refusing to hand over your money. If you contract an employee who never shows up for work, you aren’t “repaying evil for evil” by withholding his wages. The same is true when dealing with people who are deliberately uncivil to civil people — it fundamentally changes what the rest of society owes them.

In other words, the aggressor makes the rules. We don’t ‘stoop to their level’ by fighting aggression by their rules.

Source: When The Left Uses Civility As A Weapon, Drop It And Fight Back

Church sign reads ‘LGBT is hate crime vs. God, repent,’ draws protest

After many labeling the sign as “anti-LGBT” expressed outrage, the church did not buckle or apologize to observes who were offended by the sign, arguing that it is called by God to warn sinners and lead them to repentance.

Truth hurts. Good for the church for not buckling.

Source: Church sign reads ‘LGBT is hate crime vs. God, repent,’ draws protest

Adler on Education

They forget that individuals learn a great deal with little or no schooling. They forget that experience teaches, and that learning by any means is part of a lifelong educational process. Schools of all grades and kinds are only one group of means in the pursuit of education.

A much better question to ask is: Who is a generally educated human being? The negative answer is easy; certainly not any person who has just earned a diploma: a degree, or some other sort of certification.

Source: Education

99 Things to Do Instead of Watching TV

If you do not feel like you are accomplishing your goals in life, of if you are always short on time, stop to analyze how much you are sitting around all day watching TV. This could be a major roadblock to your success.

I’m no fan of TV. Haven’t watched it in almost twenty years. Reading is much better, whether for news or entertainment. Or even education.

Source: 99 Things to Do Instead of Watching TV

10 Essential Life Skills to Pass on to Your Kids

Yet, even outsourced education is severely lacking when it comes to critical life skills. Younger children are being forced to consume academics at tender ages from educators who struggle to impart basic social skills. Parents of older children often complain that high school students learn none of the basic life skills they once attained in public school: sewing, financial management, basic home and auto repair. College graduates who used to be able to establish successful careers with broad-based liberal arts degrees now struggle to find work. Trade school students have a better chance of becoming independent business owners than their more elite peers.

Source: 10 Essential Life Skills to Pass on to Your Kids