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The Continuing Crisis
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The Current Crisis
Antsy Liberalism
The arts must be free — except for the rich.
WASHINGTON — The big news this week is that in the Senate the Democrats have joined with the Republicans to pass tax relief contained in an extension of the hated Bush tax cuts. Certainly by early next week the House of Representatives will have done the same. Thus the burden overhanging the economy of a huge tax increase is eliminated for two years. After that it sounds like our president, if he still is our president, threatens to raise taxes. Somehow he came around to accepting the argument that one does not raise taxes in a recession. A few months back it appeared that in the unlikely event that the senators and the congresspersons extended the hated Bush tax cuts, our president would veto the bill. Now he has accepted it. Has he learned anything?
His behavior suggests that he has not. He calls the Republicans “hostage takers” whose tax cuts are their “holy grail.” And he has not a kind word for the Democratic opponents of the tax bill, though he says he agrees with them. This is not a happy compromise for President Barack Obama. He is sticking with Das Kapital or the economic logic in it. Well, I shall stick with Congressman Paul Ryan’s A Roadmap for America’s Future. We shall see which of the two tomes is more agreeable to the electorate in 2012.
Otherwise my eyes feasted on the news this week that the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts is threatening to pull its financial support from the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian’s transgression is to bow to objections raised by two Republicans and by the president of the Catholic League to its hosting a video showing ants crawling over a crucifix entitled “A Fire in My Belly.” It is now on display for the curious at the New Museum in New York. I shall not be going to the New York showing even if were expanded to display ants crawling over the exhumed body of Andy Warhol, though doubtless there would be an audience for it. I wonder if the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts would pay for it.
The Foundation’s indignation is but another manifestation of modern Liberalism’s fundamental value from which it never varies, disturbing the peace. In art, in education, in governance in general, the Liberals believe that it is fundamental to disturb the peace, though not the peace of a Liberal. To do that is to commit some ancillary crime, a “hate crime,” or civil rights violation or some other act of conjured up horror. If the ants were swarming all over the Koran it would clearly be a hate crime and out it would go without the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts having a leg to stand on.
Actually the president of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue, did describe “A Fire in My Belly” as “hate speech” and anti-Catholic, though it could have as easily been pronounced anti-Christian or anti-art. Yet his protest does not trouble the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts at all. “For the Arts to flourish,” writes Joel Wachs, president of the Warhol foundation, “the arts must be free, and the decision to censor this important work is in stark opposition to our mission to defend freedom of expression wherever and whenever it is under attack.” Actually, this is the first I have heard of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts having a go at defending freedom. But if Mr. Wachs wants to ship off to Iran to join in the street demonstrations, I shall pay for his flight over there or to infiltrate North Korea for that matter, possibly armed with a depiction of ants on Kim Jong Il.
In the course of his defense of freedom Mr. Wachs was interviewed by the New York Times, wherein he said that the Smithsonian “can’t just bow to this kind of bigoted attack.” Now that shows another Liberal habit of mind, the psychological condition called denial. For the creator of “A Fire in My Belly” to portray ants on a crucifix is not hate speech. It is art. For a Christian, or simply a sensitive person, to object to having “A Fire in My Belly” displayed in the capital with taxpayers money supporting it is illegitimate. It is bigoted. In essence Mr. Donohue does not exist. Nothing exists save Art, as defined by a man by the name of Mr. Wachs, who thinks ants have aesthetic value.
About the Author
R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. is the founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator. He is the author of The Death of Liberalism, published by Thomas Nelson Inc. His previous books include the New York Times bestseller Boy Clinton: the Political Biography; The Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton; The Liberal Crack-Up; The Conservative Crack-Up; Public Nuisances; The Future that Doesn’t Work: Social Democracy’s Failure in Britain; Madame Hillary: The Dark Road to the White House; The Clinton Crack-Up; and After the Hangover: The Conservatives’ Road to Recovery.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (129) | Leave a comment
More Articles by R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
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Stormzeye| 12.16.10 @ 7:03AM
Excellent article. Liberals as disturbers of the peace nails it. Dick Morris had the same insight last night on O'Reilly's show when he said that unless they are agitating, they have no purpose. Remember how little the press had to say when the greatest political event of the post-war era occurred: The Fall of Communism.
Charles Martel| 12.16.10 @ 3:09PM
I like to call them "the Transgressive community".
And you should see the snit they get in when you assail one of their pieties.
+++
old white guy| 12.17.10 @ 3:39PM
too bad they won't take on islam.
Alan Brooks| 12.16.10 @ 5:50PM
"After that it sounds like our president, if he still is our president [snip]"
So you admit Omama might possibly be re-elected? good, now you are on record as writing so on 2-16-'10; duly noted and recorded.
Alan Brooks| 12.16.10 @ 6:10PM
...oops, 12-16-'10. But it is on record, and unless you retract the following: "Thus the burden overhanging the economy of a huge tax increase is eliminated for two years. After that it sounds like our president, if he still is our president, threatens to raise taxes", it is a challenge to those here who say Obama will not be re-elected and might even resign before the '12 election. Let's see you wriggle out of THAT one.
Alan Brooks| 12.16.10 @ 7:13PM
I'm trying to make sense here but I just can't do it with my controllers, this whole independent thought thingy is really confusing.
Alan Brooks| 12.16.10 @ 9:54PM
I am SO confused! Why are you doing this to me Alan? Do you hate me? Why do you hate me? I'm just trying to answer those meany right wingsters like you tole me to! The voices! The voices! What are you trying to tell me?
Alan Brooks| 12.16.10 @ 10:40PM
Everyone know the last two posts aren't mine, Tim*, you Mossad agent. And if it wasn't you, Tim*, who posted the last two comments using my name, there is a reason for guilt by asssociation: you stole Marge's ID, mine, and surely one or two others.
Remember, your IP can be looked up immediately after someone sees the comment-- whomever you are.
Appleby| 12.16.10 @ 7:15AM
*Find out what your parents like, and march against it.* Thats pretty much the whole Liberal Schtik.
Stuart Koehl| 12.16.10 @ 12:24PM
Uh oh! And those liberals all have kids, who are following the same lead. Ergo, liberalism is doomed, at least for one generation.
simon templar| 12.16.10 @ 1:39PM
stuart..they fixed that problem by not being their parents but by being their friends instead!
Dave Meseck| 12.16.10 @ 4:01PM
This discussion reminds me of one of my favorite saying, " Liberals are just conservatives who haven't grown up".
The problem now is that more and more of them never do.
Consequently, I think we need to develop a competency test, which needs to be past in order for people to vote.
JCfromDC| 12.17.10 @ 6:44AM
which needs to be "PASSED"... use the right word!
John II| 12.17.10 @ 12:11AM
The libs may be doomed anyhow, Stuart, even if their (few) kids don't rebel. Given their enthusiasm for birth control and abortion and the homosexual thing, in the not-so-long run they're under-breeding themselves out of existence.
Before I saw some confirmation of this trend from the demographers, I had already noticed that the relatively large number of lefties I work with in academia are rather conspicuously barren and, shall we say, family-unfriendly: not many relatively stable heterosexual couples to start with, and no more than one or two kids per couple, if any kids at all.
In rare moments when the topic comes up, they say they're conserving the ecosystem.
Which gives me the perfect conversation-stopper in reference to my wife's and my rather large brood: "Oh? Well, WE'RE conserving the Social Security system."
As time has gone by, so to speak, we no longer get invited to most of their parties. Lucky us.
skip| 12.17.10 @ 4:44AM
No self respecting liberal would allow any actual progeny. Unless they are hypocrites they will abort all their offspring so pretty soon the problem of liberals among us should go away.
Ned| 12.16.10 @ 1:43PM
Some people have the vocabulary to sum up things in a way you can understand them. This quote came from the Czech Republic . Someone over there has it figured out. We have a lot of work to do.
"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."
Robster| 12.16.10 @ 4:26PM
Ned,
Excellent post, but doesn't go quite far enough. I'm afraid that we are all somewhat responsible for the state in which we may lose our ship. That is to restate what Abraham Lincoln once said about our Great Republic, firmly on the verge of dissolution as we may be right now; "we have forgotten God." Religious viewpoints aside, what we have lost in our national psyche is the ability to discern truth from lies. We've believed in the eloquent sophistry of our political saviors rather than the plain and simple truth of our one true Savior. We've been warned numerous times to "cling to that which is good, and hold to the truth", and yet we have sought the next best bright and shiny well polished item ranging from the electronic to the flesh and blood, none of which bring to light the misdeeds of those who would deprive us of our hard won liberties. BHO conned us all, and that makes him a superlative liar, but just how much does he differ from those who have gone before tellling us the same old thing, over and over again, and doing only that which satisifies their own best interest. BHO actually told us what he was going to do. We knew all of his known radical leftist associates, and all of his seemingly non-existent past. And yet, like the fools that your post describes, voted him into office anyway. Ignoring the truth only makes things worse,and that is exactly what the American elctorate indeed has done. To our own peril shall we continue to ignore the greates of all truths, those found in the Word of God? Yes sir, you are right, and so is the Czech who "gets it". We can only hope that the rest of the country does the same well in advance of 2012.
Marvin| 12.16.10 @ 11:48PM
I find absolutely NOTHING in this post to argue with.
skip| 12.17.10 @ 4:53AM
I pray to Sweet Jesus that Alan Brooks, Ted R., and/or RCV responds to this post, but I think none of them have the guts.
old white guy| 12.17.10 @ 3:42PM
yep, and the education system continues to crank them out.
John DuBose| 12.16.10 @ 8:18AM
All sorts of art offends all sorts of people.
So why the **** are we wasting even one public money dime making people mad
phineas fogg| 12.16.10 @ 8:36AM
Andy Warhol is to art what marshmallows are to food.
Occam's Tool| 12.16.10 @ 12:38PM
I'll be happy to grant them their freedom to have the ants crawling ON MY DIME when they have the cajones to insult the prophet of The Religion of Peace (TM) in artistic fashion. Even Michael Moore doesn't do that. Until then, they are not courageous, just obnoxious cowards.
Pall Leosson| 12.16.10 @ 12:45PM
A wonderful and pithy metaphorical assessment of Andy Warhol and his art. Amen!
Patrick Leary| 12.16.10 @ 4:13PM
Bravo! Well said! I'm going to try to remember this very appropriate remark and see if I can work it into one of my conversations.
MikeD| 12.16.10 @ 10:01PM
Wasn't Andy Warhole the guy who proved that the snooty liberal 'elite' will buy anything if they think it's art? Like dog poop on a stick? Or vomit in a bowl? Not only do the 'emperors' have no clothes, they have little, tiny, silly brains. All one has to do is plant the seed in a liberal's mind that something has deep meaning and they'll go crazy pi$$ing away their money, and as much taxpayer money as they can grab! It's really lots of fun to wind them up and watch them spin. Have you read any of Alan Brooks' posts lately? He'd be really fun to play with if he weren't so dangerous. Giving a liberal power is like giving a three year old in an oil refinery a pack of matches!
Seek| 12.17.10 @ 7:17PM
Andy Warhol actually was a devout Catholic and thoroughly apolitical. And quite obviously, you aren't familiar with his work or you would not have made such nauseating comments about it.
Petronius| 12.16.10 @ 9:26AM
When Smithsonian Magazine published a big spread lauding the criminal eco-terrorist organization Earth First I tore up my membership card and sent it back with a letter demanding a pro rated refund of my dues. I'm still waiting for my money back. And I used to enjoy my times there when I went east. No More! The Museum of American History should be renamed the museum of white mans crime. History is what it was, warts and all. But the Institute's willful and accusatory projection of those events upon me as a concommitent malefactor is beyond the pale.
As to the piece Mr Donohue complains about, he is more than justified. Compared to other species, ants are voracious and tribal. This depiction of same eviscerating the corpse which represents Us amounts to more than liberal self indulgent defecation upon the plates of middle American Christians. They are celebrating their anticipation of our demise which is to come from their "final solution." And their assaults upon civility, morality, normality, and Our Freedom will not end until we get the political muscle to take back cultural primacy and banish them.
Anthony| 12.16.10 @ 10:06AM
Yep, another great institution invaded and metastasized by the cancer known as liberalism.
michael| 12.16.10 @ 10:47AM
are you out of your mind? i have trouble believing you are actually this sensitive. i can't believe a grown man could be this much of a little baby when confronted with an idea he doesn't agree with. art is intended to provoke conversation and though. is your idea of cultural primacy nobody ever presents ideas your silly little religion doesn't agree with? nobody is assaulting morality, civility, or normality. you're simply making a huge deal out of something you don't understand and know little to nothing about.
YeloStalyn| 12.16.10 @ 12:00PM
Respect. It's about respect for history, facts, and your fellow man. It is one thing to question the existance of a god, of gods, or of God. It is quite another thing to mock someoen for believing in one of those things (or even no god/gods/God). Art, designed to belittle, attack, or mock is not art... it's a pointed attack. Art designed to raise curiousity is valuable. A crucifix in urine, Jesus commitign sodomy, or ants on Jesus... what question does that raise? What room is there in open-minded discourse for those who beleive in Christianity to discus the "value" of such art? There is none. As such, it is the very antithesis of art... it is LESS open and LESS inquisitory than real art.
When art respects your fellow man, you can still have pointed statements made by it, but must allow for someone else who disagrees to feel compeled to look at it... otherwise... what's the point other than to agrandize one's self. And one so prideful often has little to express that is of any worth to the community. And if you have nothing to expess... you don't have art.
David W| 12.16.10 @ 12:01PM
Here is a great comment to reply to, given the sentiment of the writer.
How about this. We have a painting titled “Paved with Good Intentions”. The painting shows a typical “GLBT” parade, with the participants decked out in their leather straps, chaps, etc. As they walk down the road there is an image in the lower corner that shows someone who looks like “a demon” pointing to the parading folks and laughing. In an upper corner it has a picture of Jesus or God shaking his head and being comforted by an Angel. The idea is that the GLBT people are doing the work of the devil. Or maybe the same painting but with a hole in the road where they fall through and into a lake of fire and brimstone (and eternal damnation). And just before the hole there is a person trying to stop them from falling in but they laugh and ignore him.
Now, do you think that that painting would appear in any museum in the country? Do you think anyone would complain about it (of course you would not)? Do you think that supporters of the arts would say to the complainers “it’s just art, it is expanding the envelop, making us think about the bigger picture?”
If I could paint I would create such a painting and see what happens. I would bet almost any amount of money that those who cry for tolerance the loudest would be in the front attacking it.
JCfromDC| 12.17.10 @ 6:55AM
What a great idea! I'm an artist... I'm all over this one... could be my magnum opus!
JF| 12.16.10 @ 1:05PM
So Michael, what "though" (I believe you mean "thought") does ants crawling on a crucifix inspire? Does this elevate your silly little mindset to something above what you seem to be? How does this make YOU more moral, civil or functional in a civilized society? Please clarify.
Petronius| 12.16.10 @ 4:24PM
Gotcha
I used to be a liberal when I was a starving actor. And I know exactly whereof I speak. On attending a performance of Uptight by Gunther Grass at the Area Stage nobody clapped louder when the protagonist uttered the line, "I want to do something that will make THEM shit in their pants." My take here is that A Fire In My Belly is a variation on the Liberal reson d'etre of Disturbing the Peace; (of anyone not liberal). So just haul it off to some Greenwich Village salon. Better yet, send to the Tate Modern in London. The next Turner Prize is a lead pipe cinch. There, all the twits can bow down and pray to it. I simply do not want to be forced to subsidize it before or after the fact.
Of cultural primacy: understand this. Real Americans are honest, industrious, and virtuous.
We are not predators, perverts, or parasites. And it is we middle class Americans who end up paying the costs from the results of these behaviors in treasury, property, and blood. So for My money, any and all practitioners of any of those three should be prohibited from living Here.
That is all!
Kilgore Trout| 12.16.10 @ 4:38PM
Hey Mike, how about provoking conversation by depicting ants on mohammed?
That'll provoke somethin' alright, but, not merely letters to the editor. No, you'll get a bombing or beheading as a direct result of the provocation.
Occam's Tool| 12.16.10 @ 6:41PM
michael:
I don't have a direct dog in this fight. I'm not Christian. But I am a psychiatrist working with indigent native Americans, and I can tell you that the breakdown of family and faith is at the heart of some stunningly violent and disgusting social pathologies which you've never seen.
Secondly, these "artists" are attacking people who won't strike back. When they do the same to Islam, maybe I'll take your argument more seriously. Until then, I view these "artists" as just a group of crawling scum, not entitled to my tax money---that's my main gripe---money that I earned through pain and exhaustion is going to support these gutless, terrorist lap-dog vermin.
Patrick| 12.16.10 @ 6:45PM
That art is should categoriccally intended to provoke conversation and thought (key word : "provoke", meaning anti-establishment conversation and thought in this case) is a modern (and modernist) piety, a sentiment that most artists and their patrons would have found unfathomable in the past.
Pall Leosson| 12.16.10 @ 12:48PM
Amen, Petronius! Amen!
Pall Leosson| 12.16.10 @ 12:56PM
Amen, Petronius! Amen!
Eric Cartman| 12.16.10 @ 9:29AM
Here is Liberalism in all it's glory. From what it does to who practices it: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/20.....istration/
Loshooligan| 12.16.10 @ 10:29AM
Hey Cartman,
Please re-post. The link is broken.
Eric Cartman| 12.16.10 @ 1:10PM
Whoops! Sorry - was with client. Here is the story on CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/.....index.html
mercman| 12.16.10 @ 6:25PM
Hey, perfect story! Another case of "Name That Party". Can you find the party affiliation of any of the crooks in this "news" report, written by "journalists" at the "news" outlet CNN?
Purple Lips| 12.16.10 @ 9:44AM
I wonder if the Warhol Foundation would exhibit my painting, "Mohammed in Drag" ?
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.16.10 @ 12:07PM
Purple Lips,
Perfect!
Man, you gotta' download my book for holiday reading. www.texassaidno.com
Petronius| 12.17.10 @ 12:44AM
How would we know the difference? Would you give him a bigger "schwartz"?
Anthony| 12.16.10 @ 9:46AM
"Liberalism's fundamental value, from which it never varies, disturbing the peace".What a magnificant line!!!
Will the Warhol Foundation sponser my piece de resistance, a Koran covered in pigs blood, with a few roaches sprinkled on top?
I believe the arts critic for the NY Times would call it a "dramatic piece with an exciting equipoise between the religious and the profane".
Tim the Enchanter| 12.16.10 @ 12:00PM
Anthony: you must be new to AS and Mr. Tyrrell. He does an entire chapter in his book "The Liberal Crack-Up" on Liberalism as a Misdemeanor, IIRC. It's a great book, written when Prez Carter was still fresh in everyone's mind.
Anthony| 12.16.10 @ 1:09PM
Thanks Tim, but I'm not a recent traveler to TAS, and am well acquainted with the magnificant Mr. Tyrrell, although you have now "outed" me into admitting that I do not own a copy of Bob's book.
I was merely taken in with the wonderful turn of phrase and the imagery of liberalism as a "disturbance of the peace". I stand by my previous post, it IS a magnificant line. (Bob is this you disguised as "Tim", fishing for more compliments and hawking your book?, just checking)
That said, "Tim" your point is well taken as Disturbing the Peace, is , in all 50 states, a misdemeanor.
My point was merely to applaud the phrase, which you must admit, is more poetic than "Liberalism's fundamental value is that of a misdemeanor".
Christopher| 12.16.10 @ 10:40AM
The only religion you can criticize, deride, and make fun of is the Catholic religion. Did you ever see a museum showing an exhibit of the Koran or Mohamed in a bucket of urine? Please post if you have, or of some other religious symbol of any other religion treated thusly.
Pall Leosson| 12.16.10 @ 1:00PM
The Roman Catholic Church is a denominational component of the Christian religion, not a religion in itself. You are quite correct, nevertheless, to suggest that the only religion in our politically correct, multiculturalist, leftist-liberal, postmodern society that may be mocked, bashed, or outright persecuted is the Christian (not only the Catholic component) religion.
Christopher| 12.16.10 @ 1:49PM
Serious question, what is your basis or authority to say the RCC is a denomination of Christianity? The reason for asking, not to argue, the "Protestant" denominations were formed when they , such as Luther, Calving, etc. broke away from the RCC
Pall Leosson| 12.16.10 @ 6:04PM
The so-called "Protestants" were Christian thinkers who wishes to reform the Church at the time (which was plagued with corruption and questionable practices). And this is what they did. (Of course, a whole lot of confusion continued to riddle the Christian Church throughout the following years, but the original intent was simply to clean up the Christian Church's perversion of the primitive and pure faith and an attempt to return to basic Christian principles and practice.) Roman Catholics (such as myself) and Anglicans and Orthodox and Protestants and Evangelicals are all Christians. And it is Christianity that is being so glibly and maliciously attacked in these postmodern, multiculturalist, politically correct times, so dominated by the leftist-liberal persuasion.
Christopher| 12.16.10 @ 7:40PM
Luther was a Catholic monk. Wycliff was an ordained priest. Calvin was a Catholic. You can call them Christian thinkers and be correct, but they were Catholics who wished to reform the Catholic religion, and ended up creating what we refer to as the Protestant denominations. King Henry in England was not a "thinker," he simply wanted the Pope to annul his marriage so he could marry Ann Boleyn, and was willing to sacrifice his friedn Thomas Moore, and so that is how the Church of England got started.
We may be debating semantics, but before the Protestant Reformation, the Christian was the same as Catholic, which included the RCC and the Orthodox.
Merry Christmas.
Do agree with your political statment, the history of the Church is more debatable than your assertions.
Pall Leosson| 12.17.10 @ 8:50PM
As a Roman Catholic I consider myself a Christian first and foremost, and I am a Christian along with my "Protestant," Anglican, Orthodox, and Evangelical Christians. This fretting with divisions is counterproductive.
I have little admiration for Henry VIII. But he did not found or start a new church in England. He merely declared that the Pope (Bishop of Rome) had not jurisdiction over the church in England. He remained theologically a Catholic to his deathbed. The Church of England, if I understand ecclessiastic history correctly (and I confess, I am no expert) began from Celtic origins then more formally with Augustine of Canterbury.
Anyway, my interest as a person who is of the Roman Catholic Church is in Christianity, and I welcome this emphasis on the uniting principles of BASIC Christianity from all (regardless of denomination) who practice it. In this post-Christian, postmodern, multiculturalist, leftist-liberal age (indeed, a time of growing Christian bashing), this should be the focus. The Christian Faith plain and simple. Merry Christmas, brother Christoper.
JCA| 12.16.10 @ 10:41AM
In the sixties when I was in school in DC, I marveled at the art in the musems and a trip to Europe thereafter blew my mind, art wise. I schuttled my dream of making a living as an artist and went into business. Now I go to these so-called art fest, such as the Basel Art show in Miami, and I see this amateurish crap, and it finially hit me, the National Endowments of the Arts has been funding these so-called arts. I propose they severely cut funding, if not defund them totally. The cream will rise to the top and the rest, will have to find another way to earn a living.
"A Fire in My Belly' is another sign of the NEA liberalism pushing their marxist dreams against the free market capitalism.
Tim*| 12.16.10 @ 10:51AM
Catholic League President Bill Donohue responds:
"The Warhol Foundation is threatening to cut funding to the Smithsonian unless the vile video of ants crawling all over Jesus on the Cross is restored. Its president, Joel Wachs, shows nothing but contempt for Christians, justifying this outrageous exhibition by branding its critics "bigots." Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
This is all so typical: every time some so-called artist offends Christians—dunking a crucifix in a jar of urine or throwing elephant dung and porn pictures on Our Blessed Mother—the artistic community rushes to the defense of this trash, never once indicating that just perhaps Christians might be offended.
Wachs calls the "Hide/Seek" exhibition "brilliant, revelatory and educational." It's not certain what part of the exhibition he was referring to. The ant crawlers? The S&M boys with their bullwhips? No matter, he sounds downright silly when he vents that critics of these masterpieces have "trivialized" the exhibition. No, sir, we couldn't do a better job of trivializing the "art" that you funded.
In 1959, New York Times art critic John Canaday stunned the artsy crowd when he wrote that "freaks, charlatans and the misled" had surrounded the truly creative, thereby giving legitimacy to phonies. "We've been had," he concluded. And so has the Andy Warhol Foundation and the Smithsonian. "
http://www.catholicleague.org/
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.16.10 @ 12:14PM
Tim*
Another splendid post.
Occam's Tool| 12.16.10 @ 12:40PM
Nice post, Tim*.
Christopher| 12.16.10 @ 1:45PM
Agree, good positive post Tim*
skip| 12.16.10 @ 1:52PM
An ignorant liberal troll has recently been making false accusations with an antithetical epithet directed at Timmie / Skippie. I will try to be worthy of the compliment and honor. I have not understood the rancor you receive at this website. Your posts are backed up with references and your arguments are supported with logic. Your retorts have bite and therefore stand out above all the noise. I am proud to be associated with the legendary Tim*.
Tim*| 12.16.10 @ 2:27PM
I would like to thank the members of The Academy of Wits,Wags and Curmudgeons for this prestigious award.
Why, it was only yesterday it seems, that I was just a rookie pseudo-intellectual over-opinionated blowhard ...... on & on..... ad nauseum......... Zzzzzzzzzzz !
skip| 12.16.10 @ 2:44PM
What, no award from LAIDAKISS foundation?
skip| 12.16.10 @ 4:44PM
Leave Already If the Damn Almighty Kitchen Is So Sweltering Foundation goal is to provide assistance for the thin skinned unglued unhinged unintelligent dishonest cowards among us.
Lack of Integrity But Ever Repugnant Ambitions for Living in the States are rumored to be protesting all awards.
Tim*| 12.16.10 @ 5:33PM
And here I thought of all kinds of risque' double entendre for LAIDAKISS.
R-epublicans
C-uss Out
V-olts
How Am I Doin' Skip ?
skip| 12.17.10 @ 5:06AM
I am so not worthy. But I will so continue to try.
And patting myself on the back of course the entendre (for crying out loud I'm lip servicing a frog word) was intentional, You Jesus Was And Always Will Be Jewish Worshiping Constitution Loving Providing For The Common Defense Supporting Disgusted By Liberal Hypocrisy Patriot.
Occam's Tool| 12.16.10 @ 6:44PM
The rancor has to do with the blatant antisemitism and name-calling, Skip, and, worst of all, the Incessant Use Of Capitals In Inappropriate plAces. I haven't detected much of that in you.
Tim*| 12.16.10 @ 7:04PM
Uh Oh ! Israel Firster AgendaBoy Tool Job is upset again.
skip| 12.17.10 @ 5:23AM
1) I have never seen a post from Tim* that was antisemitic. Prove it.
2) I just found out you are not a Christian. Now YOU have to prove YOUR credibility which by your admission of unfaith is suddenly suspect.
Nick| 12.16.10 @ 6:51PM
Do you have nothing better to do, than to write bogous praises to yourself in the name of others, CINO Tim*? How pathetic.
What a little, little man you are.
Catholic
In
Name
Only.
Tim*| 12.16.10 @ 7:07PM
You're a Slandering Liar Nicky CINO Twerp.
I didn't write those posts.
Ya wanna make somethin' of it Israel Firster CINO Boot Licker.
Nick| 12.16.10 @ 8:21PM
Suuuurrrre you didn't, CINO Tim*!
It must have been your other personality, Mary, Queen of Scots, huh?
And, I think I already did make something of it.
Tim*| 12.16.10 @ 8:44PM
Oh Yeah CINO Cupcake!
I got $ 1000.00 that says I didn't write those posts.
Now Obsessive Little GirlieBoy, Go Ask Ken, Skip, & Christopher, because I didn't & either Tool Job went schizoid or somebody punked his name.
Aaaand, then I want my money,Ya Little Mouthy Keyboard Creepy Freak.
Nick| 12.16.10 @ 11:38PM
You can have your money, CINO Tim, if you can tell me who is burried in Grant's tomb?
Are you going to have "Margie" praise you next?
Tim*| 12.17.10 @ 12:07AM
Your Blathering Mouth Writes Checks You Can't CashWimp Wuz.
skip| 12.17.10 @ 5:12AM
My 5:06am post was before I read any further down the page. Tim* / skip
skip| 12.17.10 @ 5:15AM
are one and the same? Cool! Who the (one more retard) is Nick? And what just happened computerwise to post on the page in mid-type?
Nick| 12.17.10 @ 7:13PM
Skip,
I am Nick.
I'm a Roman Catholic, who works in a small family business (heating and air conditioning) in the Metro Detroit area, and is a proud right-wing, religious conservative.
CINO Tim* is someone who claims to be Catholic, but doesn't follow Her major tenets, like loving your neighbor as yourself.
Who are you Skip?
Someone with bad typing skills, I see!
skip| 12.17.10 @ 9:10PM
I am someone who knows liberalism is wholly lacking in intelligence and wholly lacking in honesty.
I am someone who despises liberalism for its attempts at destroying America and the Constitution.
I am someone who despises liberalism for its attacks on Christianity.
I am a hardcore Calvinist Protestant.
I am someone embarrassed by the aforementioned typing skills.
I am not Tim*.
I am someone who sees in Tim*'s posts a confessing Christian, a defender of the Constitution, a despiser of liberalism, and a recipient of undeserved rancor, other than possibly displaying a poisonous tongue, of which their are damn few innocent of this here at this website, myself especially included.
And I am someone who noticed your post on 12/16/10 at 6:51 pm can be construed as contradicting the ninth commandment that thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, and that your love of your neighbor Tim* seems to be as lacking as my typing skills.
Merry Christmas Nick.
skip| 12.17.10 @ 9:17PM
Metro Detroit is massive. Novi? Walled Lake? Lake Orion? One of the Rochesters? Troy? One of the Grosse Pointes? Romulus? One of the Dearborns? Hamtramck? Royal Oak? One of the Bloomfields? Farmington Hills? Northville? Livonia? Taylor? Wixom? I'm running out of 'em off the top of my head.
Nick| 12.18.10 @ 12:20AM
I'm sorry, Skip, are you confessing to be the one who praised CINO Tim* by falsely using the names of Ken (Old Texican) and Occum's Tool?
Also, CINO Tim* deserves all the rancor he gets here. He is deranged.
Merry Christmas, Skip!
Nick| 12.18.10 @ 12:30AM
p.s. I don't question CINO Tim*'s conservativeness, only his Catholicity.
And, I try to love all my neighbors, but, people like CINO Tim* make it real hard!
If you were the one posting under false names, I will certainly admit my mistake, okay?
Finally, Metro Detroit is as specific as you're going to get. I don't need CINO Tim* trying to track me down. He is deranged.
And, he thinks I owe him a thousand bucks!
skip| 12.18.10 @ 12:59AM
Let me make this as clear as I can. I have never posted under the name of any poster here at this website. I am beginning to think you are deranged. What on earth could possibly even hint to you that I ever have?
Do you have a clear concept of what exactly 'bearing false witness' is?
I repeat again I do not understand the volume of rancor directed at Tim*. I have never seen a post by Tim* that was antisemitic. As far as his being catholic, every single christian on this planet, catholic or protestant, including you, me, Ken, Margie, and Tim*, every single one, is a disgraceful hypocrite unworthy and undeserving of any mercy by the Lord God Almighty.
Prove me wrong about Tim*. Which posts are antisemitic? Which posts are demonstrably unchristian above and beyond that everyone is guilty of? Under which AmSpec articles? Posted what date and time?
skip| 12.18.10 @ 1:22AM
Just reread the above posts.
Where do you get that Ken (assuming at 12:14pm) and Occam's Tool (assuming at 12:40pm) comments are not really theirs? What am I missing?
Tim* responded he would put up money on a bet he did not post under their names (8:44pm). I assume he would be willing to follow through on this. I assume he has no reason to lie about it. I assume you can take him up on it if you want. I assume AmSpec can verify the email address of every post and would do so with written permission from both parties or some such. Again, what am I missing?
Nobody likes to be called out on unintelligent or dishonest posts (ask RCV), is all the rancor simply because he is rather masterful at it?
Margie| 12.18.10 @ 12:34PM
"every single christian on this planet, catholic or protestant, including you, me, Ken, Margie, and Tim*, every single one, is a disgraceful hypocrite unworthy and undeserving of any mercy by the Lord God Almighty."
Speak for yourself. Unworthy, yes. But not everyone is a hypocrite.
Now if you want to talk about liars, Tim* is that.
He accuses conservatives of being Israel-Firsters, which IS anti-semitic in its connotation.
As to his months and months of vile and perverted language, anyone with eyes has read his posts here.
He also posts using my screen name, and many others to try and ruin reputations.
I also notice that while you yourself have the audacity to say we're all hypocrites, don't mind using the F word in your holier-than-thou posts, along with your use of Scripture.
You and your pal, Timmy* need to grow up, hmm?
Nick| 12.18.10 @ 4:20PM
Then you must be new here, Skip.
I know it's not Ken and Occam's Tool. CINO Tim* refers to O.T. as "Jew Tool Job." Is that not anti-Semitic?
Ken has called CINO Tim* worse things than I have.
I asked if you posted under their names, because the only way you could know that it wasn't CINO Tim*, would be if you posted them.
I agree with you, to a point, that we are all miserable sinners, underserving of God's love and forgiveness. But, as you are a " hardcore Calvinist Protestant," our Catholic family squabble is hard to explain to our fellow Christians. Unless, you are a former Catholic?
Are we clear now?
Claypoole| 12.19.10 @ 8:12AM
All right now, children, you've had your fun. Time to calm down and behave----Tim! Stop hitting Nick with that pillow! All of you, clean up your toys, tuck in your shirts and tie your shoes. Hurry, we're already late for church.
skip| 12.21.10 @ 3:01PM
Still not one reference to a post by Tim* with a particular date and time to show he is antisemitic and/or unchristian.
Using 'Jew Tool Job' is proof of antisemitism?
An individual using 'Christian Hypocrite' would therefore be antichristian by this logic?
Catholicism is too complex and therefore no proof will be required?
I repeat, still no proof citing any single post by Tim* to back up claims of antisemitism and/or antichristianity.
Asked for any proof 5 days ago.
Just saying.
clx| 12.16.10 @ 11:07AM
What's so bad about ants? Hard working, industriousorganized and social creatures. The most important animals in the ecosystem by far.
Tim the Enchanter| 12.16.10 @ 12:02PM
I'd have to give the nod to bees, not ants. Also hardworking, industrious, and social, with pollination and honey, to boot.
gene hauber| 12.16.10 @ 11:50AM
For the libs it seems not only ants have intrinsic value, but dung and urine also.
SUCH HIGH-MINDED PEOPLE.
Margie| 12.16.10 @ 11:55AM
In the words of (sort of), Forrest Gump:
Liberal is as Liberal does.
Ken (Old Texican)| 12.16.10 @ 12:50PM
Margie,
YEP!
or perhaps evil is as evil does.
YeloStalyn| 12.16.10 @ 12:04PM
Where is the PETA/ACLU coalition denouncing the forced exposure of Christianity to the ants?
I mean, didn't the pres (or ex-pres) of PETA once say that "a human is an animal is an insect" or something to that effect?
Robster| 12.16.10 @ 12:46PM
YeloStalyn:
You got it nearly right, and I can only embellish to the extent that there is a book entitled "A Boy Is a Dog Is a Rat Is a Pig" by an author whose name isn't coming to mind. What is alarming is the mindset that generates this sort of thinking; that a human being (in the eyes of the abortionists, an embryo) has no more intrinsic value than the animals named in the title. PETA places a higher moral value on animals than on their felow humans, if that is how they view themselves in the first place. So it's no surprise then, that in this case, the ants are the epitome of natural design, exhibiting their basic rights to rule over even the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. How one descends to such base and vile dispositions is incomprehensible. But to the Liberal, thoughts that are altogether too rational as the expression of freedom that even they hold in contempt, having neither contributed to the cause of liberty nor taken up arms in it's defense. They seek only to exercise their "rights" while trouncing on yours and mine. What an exclusive club. How utterly tragic for our country.
JF| 12.16.10 @ 1:08PM
You're right - I haven't seen any quotes to the effect, "How many ants were hurt in order to create this display?" You'd think the 'artiste' would be a little more sensitive.
Petronius| 12.17.10 @ 12:50AM
Ants get a pass because they can't see the piece of junk they're walking over. For them not to have eyes is their good fortune. A better place for them is the Longaberger Corporate headquarters in Newark, Ohio. That building is the worlds largest picnic basket.
sans| 12.16.10 @ 12:25PM
He did not 'come around'. After being held hostage by your sleezy party who puts party before country, Pres. Obama made the decision to put country before party. stop twisting and obfuscating the truth.
JF| 12.16.10 @ 1:13PM
Oh puleeze. Obama never put "country before party." Obama put "Obama's reelection before any other consideration." And BTW, how can a minority party - which the Republicans STILL ARE until January 4, 2011 - hold Obama hostage. Seems to me there are more than a few Dems who like their jobs enough not to raise taxes on the working poor by 50%.
W| 12.16.10 @ 1:51PM
Sans, sounds like your are Alan Brooks/ TedR, same old song,
sans| 12.16.10 @ 12:30PM
If Republicans, right wing Christians and right wing Moslems were all eliminated, we would have peace and prosperity on Earth.
Dai Yoshida| 12.16.10 @ 12:55PM
So you want 60% of this country eliminated so you can have peace and prosperity? Hmm.
JF| 12.16.10 @ 1:15PM
Peace perhaps - you stoners would be too toked out to move away from the Doritos. Prosperity is another matter. When you are living in your parents' basement eating junk food and playing XBox, it's hard to create economic growth. You really need to get on your knees, thank your god (or Gaia) that there are still people with enough pride and integrity to bother with work and who so far have paid your freight, brother.
Pall Leosson| 12.16.10 @ 1:19PM
Such violence and hate, sans! Such flawed logic in your equating (right wing) Christians with (right wing) Muslims...what ever you really mean by such glib terminology. Such a want of knowledge! Such out and out vehemence and hostility! Such ignorance and moronicism seething through your blind rage!
1
kingsmill| 12.16.10 @ 1:25PM
But then the Left wouldn't have the opportunity to do what they do best e.g.political mass murder a la the 20th century Leftist utopian murder regimes.
Occam's Tool| 12.16.10 @ 6:46PM
Dear sans: No, we would still have idiots that wear Che T-shirts, idolizing a murderer (you, perhaps?)
GavInTucson| 12.16.10 @ 10:24PM
This "elimination" doesn't sound very peaceful, sans. Hypocrite.
Petronius| 12.17.10 @ 12:59AM
s
The Moslems want to cut off your head. Real Americans prefer that you order your life and behave like a civilized person. Which choice scares you more?
skip| 12.18.10 @ 1:50AM
sans
If unintelligence and dishonesty were capital offenses you would be in deep shit.
Garry Owen| 12.16.10 @ 12:35PM
He is playing nice - hoping to get reelected so he can really sock it to Americans!
Good post Purple Lips. It is alright, in the minds of these loons to attack Christians but Muslims are off limits. Do I see discrimination here or is it fear of Muslim retribution?
Robster| 12.16.10 @ 12:51PM
GO, that's an easy one. It's called moral cowardice. Heard what Ann Coulter has to say about it.? "What do Muslims and liberals have in common?" They both hate Christians and Jews". How's that for controversy?
Perusha| 12.16.10 @ 12:51PM
Ah, what is art?
RET’s pithy “disturbing the peace” understanding of what so much of the repulsive and banal creations by people who don the “I am an artist” garb is right on.
However, I think we can go deeper, and reckon it as just a more recent manifestation of the essence of all humans, these days---it’s all about ME.
Narcissus rules!
Remember when you were a newly minted character, and first sampling “out there” reality with mother, usually? It was all about “Look at me, mommy!”
It is natural for “good” parents to praise their offspring, surely, BUT without honest appraisals, such as when one does wrong, too high a self-esteem leads to---bad ART!
“The essence of art is poetry. The essence of poetry, in turn, is the founding of truth. ….
Art lets truth originate. Art, founding preserving, is the spring that leaps to the truth of beings in the work. To originate something by a leap, to bring something into being from out of its essential source in a founding leap---this is what the word “origin” [Ursprung (German), literally, primal leap) means.
The origin of the work of art---that is, the origin of both the creators and the preservers, which is to say of a people’s historical existence, is art. This is so because art is in its essence an origin: a distinctive way in which truth comes into being, that is, becomes historical.” Heidegger; “The Origin of the Work of Art”
George S| 12.16.10 @ 1:06PM
This is an injustice and must be stopped. I therefore propose a "foundation tax" that will raise badly needed revenue from sources that have more money than they need; which they also did not earn. If the argument for an estate tax is that the heirs did not earn the money passed down, then the congruent argument to the foundation tax is that the organizations did not earn the money that rich liberals shifted their way to avoid their own estate taxes or to deduct from their grossly unfair gross income. Can these foundations, in good conscience, object to the needs of government, especially with all that money which they cannot possibly spend? I say no giveaways to the rich foundations. Return that money to its rightful owners -- the unemployed. After all, what would these foundations tell the unemployed when their benefits run out just in time for Christmas?
Gretchen| 12.16.10 @ 3:27PM
George
What a wonderful suggestion! (Do I detect a tongue firmly planted in a cheek?)
MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours!!!
George S| 12.16.10 @ 5:35PM
And a very merry Christmas to you.
Petronius| 12.17.10 @ 1:01AM
Great idea. The Kennedy's would finally have to "give something back."
DJ| 12.16.10 @ 1:22PM
"The Foundation's indignation is but another manifestation of modern Liberalism's fundamental value from which it never varies, disturbing the peace."
I know RET beats this drum a lot, but oh how true it is. If you want to know what position a progressive will take on any issue, just think of what the most disagreeable position -- whether or not it is logically consistent -- is to a sane man, and that's where you will find them. Recent example: Look at Canadian Bacon's grandstanding about bailing out ASSange! They rally around the turd in the punchbowl.
gary siebel| 12.16.10 @ 3:56PM
Somebody has to disturb the peace or there can be no progress. There are times when conservatives crave that disturbance because, after all, they don't know how to party.
I was at a party in SF in an empty downtown office space a few years ago where I noted an interesting phenomenon. There were actually two parties. On one side were the "Burners," and on the other side were the wine and cheese, suit and tie, conservatives. The two parties were divided by a glass wall, so each could look through to see what was happening at the party on the other side. By the end of the night, guess which side had gone over entirely to the other, completely abandoning it's half? Which side was boring and dull, compared to the other?
Having said that, Warhol is hugely overrated. Great execution of artistic ideas, but his ideas were weak and shallow.
doolittle| 12.16.10 @ 4:08PM
thank goodness for the wonderful posts..obviously a lot great thinking people read the magazine in whatever form..and reading posts such as these rounds out the articles...I find myself in agreement more than not. thanks
William W Western| 12.16.10 @ 4:53PM
Oh look at the cutting edge courageous arts community tackling the Christians, a group that is entreated by their scripture to forgive and turn the other cheek and leave the vengeance to God. I would be far more impressed if they would direct some art toward, say The Taliban or the local Hell's Angels' chapter, groups that likely would broache little sentiment toward the insight provided by these art installations.
DRed| 12.16.10 @ 8:43PM
I got this from a Times article on the piece here. "In Wojnarowicz’s nature symbolism — and this is confirmed in other works — ants were symbols of a human life mechanically driven by its own needs, heedless of anything else. Here they blindly swarm over an emblem of suffering and self-sacrifice. "
Who knows if that's accurate or just some justifying blather. I don't. I'm sure you don't either. We can't ask the artist, because he's been dead for about 20 years . But it's possible that's what he intended. Have you even watched the video? Maybe you should before you just assume he's attacking Catholics.
And as for the muslim issue, this piece is from the 80s, and the guy who made it was a Catholic. So why would he be concerned with muslims?
Victor Rollins| 12.16.10 @ 6:02PM
They have every right to do this - just not with my money. Let them use the free market for their stupidity.
mercman| 12.16.10 @ 6:56PM
I am saddened by the Smithsonian's decision to remove the display "A Fire In My Belly". This act throws a dark cloud over my current project as it nears completion. A grand display of the Koran and tile mosaic of Mohammad with ants crawling over it titled "A Fire In YOUR Belly, Comrade". Oh well, I'm sure I can get an outrageously generous "earmark" grant from an outgoing Dem Congress "person" striking one last hurrah for the "cause" of Art as they get the bum's rush down the steps of Congress, to the curb and onto the Trash Heap Of History.
Pete | 12.17.10 @ 12:13AM
What the hell is so "important" about this work, and who the hell is it "important" to? Acutally, sounds kinda stupid to me. As vacant as Warhol himself.
Petronius| 12.17.10 @ 1:05AM
Like my local Fox reporter says; "you paid for it."
led sign | 12.17.10 @ 3:05AM
The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America . Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."
weddingdress | 7.15.11 @ 5:16AM
The Taliban or the local Hell's Angels' chapter, groups that likely would broache little sentiment toward the insight provided by these art installations.