The American Spectator : Hospice Talk

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Hospice Talk

8.20.09 @ 6:01AM

Nurse Biffy replies. Freedom vs. Kiwicare. Robert Novak. Imaginary Republicans. Plus more.

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Eternal rest grant unto Robert Novak, oh Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon him.
-- Dan Martin
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"[Novak] had a higher regard for athletes and coaches than for politicians." Plato, in the Republic, argued the way a man sees the world reflects his interior life. Of course, Robert appreciated athletes and coaches more than politicians: athletes and coaches, generally, put in an honest days work for their pay.

May God rest Mr. Novak. The conversations in heaven just got a bit more interesting.
-- I.M. Kessel

DON'T BE FOOLED
Re: Jeff Emanuel's Wicked, Lazy Servants:

Well said. The Democratic Senators have told us that they will not pass the bill at hand, but they are still working on a plan. A plan that would make it mandatory for everyone to have healthcare. A govt. run program paid for by taxpayers will just squeeze out the insurance companies. Look how Workman's Comp. runs. A heavy burden on business owners.

How are we to know that they aren't just saying "no" so people will vote for them when elections are here, and then go ahead with another stupid bill once they've been secured? If they truly listen to the voice of the people, they would do away with it completely. But they're still going to put something through that us taxpayers will have to pay for because they think we can be fooled. And so far we have been. They're just waiting until after elections. Don't you agree?
-- Naomi Turner

WITHHELD RECOGNITION
Re: Doug Bandow's Brezhnev in Dublin:

I read the article Brezhnev in Dublin with great interest. I think the key to success for the EU in its attempt to freeze out democracy while building a new Soviet style dictatorship, is whether other nations outside the EU grant it official recognition.

Will The President of The United States recognize Europe's newly created 'High Representative'? Or perhaps more importantly the new European President? Posts that will be created with the final ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, and neither of which will carry any democratic mandate whatever.

The administration in the U.S. is well aware of the democratic deficit in the EU. All it would take is a well directed frown of disapproval, and all the nations of Europe would be granted a referendum on their future. Though whether that would suit the purposes of the U.S. is another question.

As for the danger to democracy in the U.S.; get to recognize the thin end of the wedge when you see it.
-- John Armstrong
Guildford, UK

SAVING THE GREATEST GENERATION
Re: Jeffrey Lord's The Ultimate Cost Saver:

"Unplugging grandma" is not very funny to me or my elderly mom, who helped build Liberty ships during World War II.

She mentioned today that, within the past couple of days, she heard a man on some talking-heads-panel TV show make a leaden stab at humor by suggesting that "we'll just euthanize all the old people."

Besides voicing disgust at anyone even making such a statement in attempted jest and describing the man as having a "one of those silly grins, you know," she declared, "The smart-a** lives long enough, he'll be there [old age]."

An aside: Upon learning on Nov. 5, 2008, that Obama had been elected, with a look of real concern and disbelief, she said softly, "Oh, no!"

No, she's not a racist. Like many of her age and experience, though, including a friend of mine who was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge, she saw through Obama's hype. She still does.
-- C. Kenna Amos Jr.

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Letter to the Editor View all comments (17) | Leave a comment

frost| 8.20.09 @ 8:23AM

Apropos of nothing, except the many previous references to “Atlas Shrugged” a few months ago, Heinlein wrote a book entitled “Friday” 25 or so years ago, and it’s a fun yarn, ‘til you get to the meat on pages 236-7, 240-1-2. That’s where he gets in a very Ayn Rand type message.
Be warned, however, you uber-Christians who frown on anything sexual; you won’t want to even skim the first half…
My thanks to our Rochester correspondent, Mr. Kessel, for his reminder about Heinlein’s writings; I didn’t stop with “Job” but ordered a few others I’d missed. This was one of ‘em. But, anti-sex zealots, beware!

KyMouse| 8.20.09 @ 8:48AM

Frost, I don't know any "uber-Christians who frown on anything sexual." I do know lots of Christians (sinners who have gratefully accepted Jesus' payment for their sins) who understand that God blesses sex not for selfish hook-ups or one-night-stands, but for commitment in marriage between a man and woman who respect and love each other.

I don't know any Christians who think that sex itself is bad or dirty (Catholics, you know, traditionally have lots of kids), but I know plenty who think that the way our society has demeaned sex is. Think about the violent way we talk about sex -- someone got "nailed" or "hit on." Sexual behavior in America today has plenty of catastrophic outcomes -- adultery, divorce, rape, incest, abortion. Every Christian I know does indeed frown on those consequences of "recreational" sex in all its guises.

Anastasia Mather| 8.20.09 @ 9:11AM

Dear Mr. Frost:

Contrary to your comment, Christians are NOT anti-sex. We just believe (and have ample medical and other evidence to believe so) that sex is not a trifle and that people are not toys to be used and discarded. We believe that sex is too important to be diddled with (pardon the pun), and that it has its reasons and functions that should be respected.

Just because Mr. Heinlein (who was a brilliant author) thinks people can just do the deed with anyone without consequence doesn't mean he's right about it. There is too much history and observation to prove him wrong.

And please remember - he died from a disease that made him lose his mind. His last few novels were incomprehensible, with or without the sex. Yes. I read them all.

frost| 8.20.09 @ 9:47AM

My point was, SOME may be offended with some of the ingredients -- which is why I suggested skipping to the aforementioned pages. That's all.

KyMouse| 8.20.09 @ 9:50AM

Frost, I forgot to mention the lovely consequences of "free love" that take the form of sexually transmitted diseases. About one in four young women has one; there are around 2.8 million new cases of chlamydia each year; 700,000 new cases of gonorrhea; and nearly half of all African-Americans are infected with genital herpes (and about one in five Americans over the age of 11). There are an estimated 1 million Americans who have HIV/AIDS, and as many as 30 percent of them were infected as teenagers.

By the way, do you have a young daughter? If so, would you be thrilled if some guy "nailed" her for his entertainment? Would you object to a pedophile stalking your little boy? Hey, only someone who is anti-sex would be upset, right?

KyMouse| 8.20.09 @ 9:54AM

Frost, what you wrote was, "you uber-Christians who frown on anything sexual" and "anti-sex zealots, beware." Such characterizations deserved to be challenged. I'm glad to hear that you didn't mean them the way they sounded.

JerseyJ| 8.20.09 @ 10:50AM

C. Kenna Amos Jr. ... "I heard an ABC News radio spot that reported that Obama had spoken, by telephone conference, with certain "religious" leaders today and asked them to help him get Obamacare -- whatever that is -- passed"

To clarify this ... the Whitehouse initiated the conference call and the group of religious "leaders" in question is actually Faith in Public Life ... a seriously left-leaning progressive organization who's Board Members include two Fellows from the Center for American Progress.

As with all things Obama, this was merely a staged event and truly not a representation of the views of religious leaders in America.

Appleby| 8.20.09 @ 11:26AM

Mr. Heinlein had a fixation on incest which he brazenly added to virtually every novel he ever wrote. Apparently either he was having sex with his mother or he wanted to.

I have read most of his books and skipped a good deal of the sexual content, not because I am an "uber-Christians who frown on anything sexual," but because I find incest disgusting.

IMKessel| 8.20.09 @ 11:43AM

Heinlein was very deliberate in his tweaking the blue noses of anyone who was anti-sexuality. He purposely took his arguments to the absurd.

Although Lazarus Long of 1941 may have shrunk from sex with a fairly distant descendant, by Time Enough for Love (1973) he has abandoned such compunctions with gusto. As Ronald Sarti has observed, "the theme of incest runs...deeply through the novel...in...unique variations" (131). According to Lazarus, "any sexual act is moral or immoral by precisely the same laws of morality as any other human act; all other rules about sex are simply customs... (170). As if to prove the point, he finally lets himself be convinced to make love to the twin sisters cloned from him, "the prettiest, sexiest—and bitchiest—broads [he has] ever seen" (449). Though they convince him with the slippery logic that "Coupling with us might be masturbation, but it can't be incest because we aren't your sisters" (448), Heinlein conveniently seems to forget that their relationship is closer; after all, despite the genetics, by way of emotional relationship they are not his sisters but his daughters. Then, after traveling back in time two thousand years, he realizes with some surprise that he "ha[s] fallen in love with [his] mother" on the very first night of meeting her; "he [has] never in all his lives been so unbearably attracted, so sexually obsessed, by any woman any where or when" (487-88). Because Lazarus claims that "incest [is] a religious concept, not a scientific one..." the thought of that "tribal taboo" makes his mother seem "more enticingly forbidden (if such were possible!)" (489-90). His mother agrees, and despite believing that Lazarus is her half-brother, she has no scruple about making love with him (551). Lazarus is continually "startled" and "delighted" by her audacity (542).

http://www.heinleinsociety.org/rah/works/articles/Parenting.html

Heinlein’s intent was to have people question their underlying assumption that accompanied morality. He was clearly anti-religion in the same way he opposed any thinking that was not based on critical analysis. Heinlein saw that the masses simply accepted “truths” without bothering to think about them. If Heinlein were around today he would be appalled by the initial love affair the American public had with Obama. (Descartes wrote, "Cognito ergo sum," (I think, therefore, I am." Sadly, the reverse is not always true -- I don't think so, therefore, I am no longer. The heard is often culled by its own stupidity, but non-thinking is more prevalent than thinking.)

Not all Christians are against sexuality, but the root of Christianity is highly influenced (via Paul) by Hellenistic thought. Christianity holds a bifurcation of body/spirit. “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” The body is, at best, temporary. Further it is through the body that the spirit is tempted. This dualism brings many Christians to the idea to the idea that sexuality is, if not bad, certainly “dirty.” Further, for many Christians, the act of conception is “corrupt” because it is a bodily function, hence the name “original sin.” Lastly, this dualism is not found in Judaism. Jews celebrate the body and spirit together. Sexuality, in the proper context, is highly enjoyed and celebrated. In fact, this holds true for the majority of religions. Heinlein missed this point and by attacking all dogmatic thinking, he was not completely thoughtful in his attack on religion in general.

While I do not personally share Heinlein’s anti-religious views, they were consistent with his embracing and espousing Objectivism/Egoism of Ayn Rand.

Frost, you are God. But aren’t we all?

PS All people posting their intrusive ads, please understand the readers here resent your presence and we will not visit your sites. Your behavior is self-defeating, and that is very much against the thinking of those who read this site.

IMKessel| 8.20.09 @ 11:46AM

Please note, that the words between “although” and “(452).” are not mine but come directly from the web site posted.

Thank you.

frost| 8.20.09 @ 12:21PM

Guess it's been noted -- was not accusing all Christians of intolerance about sex, only those where applicable. For example, “FocusOnTheFamily” head James Dobson was a prime backer for “Operation Rescue” and Randall Terry (who did not just confine himself to picketing abortion clinics) but called the pill/IUD "disgusting" and would outlaw them if he could. Terry has been quoted as being opposed to all forms of birth control and would eliminate them, if that were in his power, saying: "Ultimately, my goal is to reform this culture. The arts, the media, the entertainment, the sciences, education, etc." Obviously, he wants the church (himself?) in control of it all. He called Margaret Sanger of Planned Parenthood a "whore". Said Joel Sheidler, another anti-choice activist: "I think conception is disgusting; people using each other for pleasure". Seems as if those negative sex attitudes which began in the Spanish Inquisition (church) continue in some quarters even today...... and, it might be said: Sexual Repression Causes Perversion.
Soooo, guess it's that old "if the shoe fits..."
And, thank you again, Ira.

Brittanicus| 8.20.09 @ 3:46PM

We should clog the switchboards in Washington at 202-224-3121, with our anger and frustration, as this is the only thing our legislators seem to understand. Hundreds and thousands, perhaps millions have already bombarded the politicians who are pandering only to corporate welfare and not the 9.5 percent of jobless American workers. E-verify has literary risen from the grave because we have pressured the morons in the Capitol. We must neither let them weaken the NO-MATCH-LETTER or police enforcement 287 G, not whittle away at the lightening raids of ICE. However, we should adjoin rescinding the misinterpreted birthright citizenships or anchor babies. law.American workers have a significant roll to play in contacting ICE if they hear or see illegal activity in the workplace.

Read many undisclosed facts at the HERITAGE FOUNDATION AND NUMBERSUSA. I anticipate this is a ominous beginning to set the American people up for another AMNESTY? The 1986 didn't work and was subject to massive corruption and fraud. What makes them think in Congress, that this will not turn into a irreversible travesty. Illegal immigrants already receive free health care in emergency hospitals and already costing taxpayers billions--so they are not going to participate in a public option? We must remove the illegal immigrants from the workplace methodically and leave our nation, so American jobless can step into that niche?

Daisy| 8.20.09 @ 4:25PM

Jen, NEWSFLASH!! You democrats have a huge majority in the House and the Senate and don't need Republicans! So stop whining and pass the damn thing already!

And good luck to you Liberals if you do. You're gonna need it! :)