Just Some Thoughts

A friend of mine who is a teacher in Saudi has been prompting her kids to consider how Manifest Destiny (remember that from middle- and high-school?) is played out in the modern world. Sounds like they have interesting discussions.

I hadn’t quite thought of it in those terms, but yeah, I can see it. The period of manifest destiny was all about expansion and our god given right to take over the continent. Now that horizons have expanded physically, electronically and mentally, the US is set on “manifesting” the world. Interesting argument, history might bear (bare? I always confuse those two) it out to be true. It seems it is certainly true with the current hawkish administration.

ckagy Other stuff

Remember the uproar here and in Europe over The Last Temptation of Christ? Fanatics are everywhere. I don’t remember the protests over that being so widespread and so violent, but it was a long time ago and I know my memory has faded.

ckagy Other stuff

Last week the Washington Post ran an article about the infamous Danish cartoons and the protests they have sparked around the world. I wish I was a reasoned enough person to develop such as this.

Neither side is innocent. Neither side is completely wrong. Yes, in the West, freedom of expression and freedom of dissent is highly valued and fiercly protected (and yet too little exercised). At the same time, there are limits; you cannot stand up and yell “Fire!” in a crowded world.

ckagy Other stuff