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Quote of the Day – de Tocqueville Edition

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I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbours and ample rivers – and it was not there; in her fertile lands and boundless prairies – and it was not there. Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good – and if America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.

This quote has been attributed to Alexis de Toqueville, but it’s apparently apocryphal, like the quote attributed to Alexander Fraser Tytler. It has become “an old adage” however, and remains true – as the “Tytler” quote remains accurate.

Quote of the Day – Education Edition

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From Theodore Dalrymple’s speech at the Harvard Club, November 2001:

One of the things that has happened in Britain, as I said, is that people are radically disconnected from their past – from the past of the country in which they live. To such an extent, as I’ve suggested to you, that the vast majority of people don’t even know when the Second World War was. Out of hundreds of sixteen to twenty year-old patients whom I’ve seen, very few – in fact, I think about three – have known with any degree of accuracy when the Second World War took place, and they’re not even capable of deducing from the fact that there was a Second World War that there was a First World War.

And in the circumstances, I regard it as a triumph when they tell me that the Second World War took place in the eighteenth Century, because that means that they know that there was another century. And quite often if I ask them anything about history, not just of their own country, but of the entire world, what they say is, “I don’t know because I wasn’t born then.” As if one could not be expected to know anything other than by personal acquaintance. And our educators, I think, have a lot to answer for because they have suggested that education should be of relevance to the children’s lives as they are lived, and of course the whole point of education is to make the world beyond that relevant, and of course interesting and important to them, otherwise they are utterly enclosed in the indescribably miserable world in which they find themselves.

I Found Javier

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Disgraced ‘Historian’ Michael Bellesiles’ Fishy War Story

In his Chronicle of Higher Education article he reports teaching a course in U.S. military history last semester, 18th century to the present, and the disturbing traumatic suffering of a student he calls Ernesto. Ernesto’s brother, Javier, had recently enlisted in the Army, and as the semester progressed was sent to Iraq, saw combat, was shot in the head by a sniper (too seriously to be evacuated to the Army’s medical facilities in Germany), and after some weeks died.

Wait, I thought it was Javier that was crying . . .

(For those who don’t get it, you don’t read the comments enough.)

Read the whole peice. Bellesiles really does have a teaching position at Central Connecticut State University, but the rest of the article is … interesting.

UPDATE 7/7: Jim Lindgren follows up over at The Volokh Conspiracy

July 11 – Bowling Pin Match

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Sunday, July 11. Tucson Rifle Club, Action Range. Classifying starts at 0800 (8AM).

Pistols only, .38 Special caliber or heavier.

Course of fire:

Five standard bowling pins placed on a 4′ x 8′ table approximately 42″ high. For “Major” calibers (.40 S&W or higher) the pins are placed 12″ from the front edge of the table. For less powerful calibers, they are placed 18″ from the back edge. They are spaced 18″ apart across the 8′ width of the table.

The shooter starts from the “low ready” position, 25 feet from the front edge of the table. At the sound of the timer, shoot all five pins off the table.

Each shooter will have five timed solo runs to establish a handicap. After all shooters have been timed, shooters will be paired off in competition. Slower shooters will receive a handicap advantage. Two tables, two shooters. At the sound of the first beep, the slower shooter begins. At the sound of the second beep, the faster shooter begins. Whoever clears their table first, wins. Best three out of five determines the set winner. This way revolver shooters have a chance against semi-autos, stock guns have a chance against race guns. I determine the handicap delay. If I think you’re sandbagging, I’ll disqualify you or adjust your handicap to suit.

This is a double-elimination match. Losers from the first round will compete against each other, winners will compete against winners. Competition will continue until there is only one shooter left who hasn’t lost twice.

Cost to shoot is $10 for the first gun, $5 for each additional gun. A dollar from each entry goes into a pot. At the end of the match, a random drawing will occur. Out of those still present, someone will win the pot. The winner of the match just gets to be king of the hill for the month.

If you lose both sets in three games each, you’ll still have fired a minimum of 55 rounds. Trust me, you probably won’t be clearing a table with only five rounds, so bring enough ammo.

Hope to see you there!

Quote of the Day – Dr. Zero Edition

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All of collectivism’s dreams are crumbling to dust before the eyes of people who spent their whole lives clinging to them out of desperation, or arrogance. The alternative to ambition and commerce is not “social justice,” but widespread poverty. The absence of growth brings collapse, not sustainability. The Constitutional rights of free people cannot exist alongside “positive rights” provided through redistribution. Abandoning the security of our borders does not produce a melting pot of happy immigrants. The government cannot repeal the laws of supply and demand. The freedom to vote does not render all other freedoms inconsequential. Prosperity for millions cannot be designed by a central committee. Social justice cannot be created by administering controlled viral doses of injustice.

Waking up from these dreams is not easy.

Wrong metaphor, but otherwise accurate.

Quote of the Day – NWO Edition

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From reader GrumpyOldFart in a comment thread:

As I write this, a black President is speaking at the funeral for a Senator famous for his ties to the KKK. I, who have never been eligible for any of the adjectives used above, feel certain that each of them have firmly believed most of their lives that they were doing the best they could for this improvement of their country and the betterment of their fellow man. This even though not only were the differences between the two quite stark, but I have rarely agreed with either of them.

And in a multitude of ways both foreseen and unforeseen, we are both better and worse off for their efforts.

My how the worlds turns…

It is well that war is so terrible

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“It is well that war is so terrible, or we should get too fond of it.” – Robert E. Lee

From the Navy Times:

But there are several things Petraeus can and should do as he takes command in Kabul to turn the corner in this war:

• Clarify the rules of engagement and ensure that the interpretation of those rules are consistent throughout the combat zone.

Troops from every service complain that the current rules tie their hands, put Americans and others at risk and are too easily exploited by the enemy.

Petraeus must seize the opportunity created by his arrival to craft clearer and more logical rules for how and when they can use lethal force — while still minimizing civilian casualties and collateral damage.

The current rules are simply too restrictive. Frustrations over those rules — which affect artillery fire, airstrikes and even mortar attacks — are intensifying as casualties rise. And in that department, June was shaping up as one of America’s worst months in Afghanistan.

Petraeus must walk delicate ground on this issue; loosening the rules of engagement will not play well with Afghan officials whose cooperation is essential to the war effort.

But that concern is overshadowed by the need to ensure that the U.S. troops putting themselves in harm’s way every day have the confidence they need to do their jobs effectively.

I’m currently reading Bernard Cornwell’s take on the King Arthur legend. I’m in book three of the trilogy, Excalibur. The protagonist of the series is one of Arthur’s followers, Lord Derfel, and in a scene just before a major battle he has this to say:

Only a fool wants war, but once war starts then it cannot be fought half-heartedly. It cannot even be fought with regret, but must be waged with a savage joy in defeating the enemy, and it is that savage joy that inspires our bards to write their greatest songs about love and war. We warriors dressed for battle as we decked ourselves for love; we made ourselves gaudy, we wore our gold, we mounted crests on our silver-chased helmets, we strutted, we boasted, and when the slaughtering blades came close we felt as though the blood of the Gods coursed in our veins. A man should love peace, but if he cannot fight with all his heart then he will not know peace.

I think Cornwell has the right of it, and not much has changed in 1500 years on this topic.