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At Large
Back to Nature in Europe
It isn’t often that human excrement brings clarity.
It isn’t often that human excrement brings clarity, unless you’re a diagnostician. And yet a story from Fox Sports, “Soccer Fans Banned for 3 Years,” put everything into perspective for me:
German soccer club FC Cologne announced Thursday three fans accused of throwing urine and feces during a German league game have been handed a three-year nationwide ban from all German stadiums.
The three fans reportedly threw cups filled with urine and feces onto a group of Schalke fans during Cologne’s 5-1 away loss in Gelsenkirchen.
We’ve been reading reports of rioting in Europe, most recently in England, for a while. Experts struggle to generate a comprehensible explanation for all the anger and violence. The people are angry, some say, because benefits (for which others generally pay) are being cut back. Or they’re angry because they have no hope of advancement in a society where advancement is considered somewhat vulgar. They’re angry because of white racism, or brown racism. They’re just angry.
But the feces-throwing puts it in perspective. Because feces-throwing is the natural behavior of hominids in the wild.
Now let me pause here to make clear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying anything at all about race or ethnicity. From all reports, the European rioters were a glorious rainbow of vibrant diversities. I’m not suggesting that the poo-throwing instinct is distinctive to some ethnic group. I’m saying that it’s universally human but rarely observed among humans, for reasons which are in dispute (I’ll get to that later).
It’s not hard to imagine the Tories and Royalists of centuries past saying, “See? We told you this democracy experiment would end this way. The common people are beasts. They require guidance and discipline administered by their betters. For their own safety, if for no other reason.”
This was the kind of objection early liberals had to fight. They framed their own arguments, by and large, in one of two main ways, Christian or secular. It should surprise no one who has studied history that the Christian argument was based on revelation plus practical experience, while the secular one was based on revelation plus wishful thinking. The Christian argument said that humanity was a special creation of God, fallen and flawed but capable of sanctification. The secular argument was that humans were just highly developed apes, who were capable of higher things… for some reason.
The experience of Norway, the European country I know best, is instructive. A Christian revival, sparked by the work of the lay preacher Hans Nielsen Hauge, brought about a profound cultural change that shook the establishment. Common people who had learned to read the Bible were now reading more generally, forming opinions and expressing them. Some of them proved — to the surprise of many — to be sensible people. It grew harder and harder, and finally impossible, to deny them a voice in government. The party that spoke for them was known as the Venstre (the Left), and its leadership was overwhelmingly Haugean. Its chief concern was moral and spiritual improvement in the nation. As Christians, these Leftists recognized the essential depravity of man, but they believed they had a means, in the Bible and the church, to elevate human nature.
But in time the Venstre Party passed into the hands of what was called the “Pure” Left (Rene Venstre), acolytes of Rousseau and Marx. These new leftists were in some ways, at first, almost indistinguishable from the Haugeans. They believed in stern duty, and called on the people to sacrifice for the common good. But they were operating on pure cultural habit. In fact they believed that people were just apes, and their assumption of inevitable progress was faith-based. They recall to me an agnostic I once did business with who used to say, “When it comes down to it, we’re all just poo-flingers.” The irony was that he was a man of tremendous integrity and decency. He didn’t live like a poo-flinger at all.
The democracy experiment worked. In a way, it worked too well. At this point I need to veer off from Norway and address Europe as a whole. Norway has not seen the great riots — yet. What put Norway in the news recently was an atrocity committed by a man who was not a leftist. But while it would be a lie to suggest that an act like his (I won’t do him the courtesy naming him) couldn’t be committed by a Christian, it might be noted that he expressly denies personal Christian faith. He shares with his political enemies the basic belief that he’s essentially a poo-flinger with no higher Tribunal to which he must answer.
As prosperity and freedom increased in Europe, politicians found it easier (and far more popular) to promise more to the people and expect less from them. Where the Christian leaders and old Socialists once called on the populace to suppress their lower instincts, the new leaders told them “There’s nothing wrong with you except that you’re not getting enough government money.” The people liked this, and the politicians liked it too, because it wasn’t their money. This was a win-win strategy for everybody except… everybody.
And so the people, bereft of any cultural brakes, either legal or internal, end up rioting and throwing feces. This is because, Rousseau to the contrary, man was born in chains and is everywhere being pandered to.
You’re probably expecting me to conclude with a prediction that Europe is about to become a great monkey colony, an anarchy where jungle law prevails.
But that’s not what’s going to happen.
About the Author
Lars Walker is the author of several published fantasy novels, the latest of which is an e-book, Hailstone Mountain.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (34) | Leave a comment
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Drudge Ette Obama| 9.1.11 @ 6:30AM
It should not surprise us, the decendents of the hominids (by the way, congratulations on beating the odds of survival), that a few hairy neighbors catapult a cup of this or that away from themselves and onto their opponents' supporters.
Politicians engage in this behavior every day.
And then you have the passive poo-throwers: the neighbor who walks his dog on your freshly mowed lawn, the husband or son who doesn't put the lid down or neaten up afterwards, and the ever-familiar person who asserts power over successors-in-interest by failing to flush.
We are only civilized if we all agree to be.
Nature is a cycle of chaos and order...we may have to endure some poo throwers until we have had enough. Apparently, soccer has had enough.
John Navratil| 9.1.11 @ 8:22AM
Drudge Ette Obama,
"Politicians engage in this behavior every day."
Do they do anything else? I'll take your passive poo-thrower any day.
The warning is given in your last paragraph. Soccer has had enough and has banned a few fans. The backlash in civil society will result in more government rather than less, albeit of the Singapore variety.
It's true that we are only civilized if we all agree to be. If we do not agree, we are likely to be compelled to. The perversity is that the people have taken the "natural rights" view of Locke and mashed them together with the "government as rule of man" view of Rousseau, added a dash of egocentrism and, as a result, have completely confused liberty and license.
Islam has the answer if the answer is submission. They also have the answer for those who don't submit. We are not so separate in the secular world.
Solo| 9.3.11 @ 3:56PM
"...the husband or son who doesn't put the lid down or neaten up afterwards,...".
Huh? What...?
You're equating "poo-throwers" to not putting down the toilet seat? Can you get any more petty?
Here's a suggestion for one of the 'higher primates":
Learn to operate a toilet seat. If it's up....THEN PUT IT DOWN!
Hell, even a genuine "Poo-throwing Primate" can figure out that much.
;)
Kevin Dunn| 9.1.11 @ 6:32AM
Good stuff! We need to hear from Lars Walker more often!
Shamus| 9.1.11 @ 7:34AM
I knew there was a reason that I don't like soccer.
PaulyD| 9.1.11 @ 2:16PM
Poo-throwing was a characteristic of the "Yahoos" in Jonathan Swift's Gullivers Travels.
Swift was making satire on the human condition. Not much has changed, has it?
Dan Mathewson| 9.1.11 @ 5:38PM
Plus ça chose, plus ça la même chose.
Pecos Pete| 9.1.11 @ 7:46AM
Lars: Interesting conclusion to your commentary.
Ken (Old Texican)| 9.1.11 @ 7:54AM
Pete,
I think it was a warning note.
old white guy| 9.1.11 @ 11:30AM
for sure a warning.
Occam's Tool| 9.1.11 @ 1:39PM
And true. Check the Demographics. I know the Brilliant Old Texican has, and with his experience of Islam, he was VERY quick to draw the lines from the dots, as he did in his brilliant novels.
Petronius| 9.1.11 @ 8:14AM
Dr. Roger price describes this to a T in his last book, The Great Roob Revolution. back in1970, he likened this over self indulgent nation to a kindergarten where the teacher has left the room and everybody is peeing in the sandbox: (fun time). And the day would come when most people would say, "that's enough", and turn to a Cromwellian archetype to end the chaos. That may still be possible but unlikely here. In Europe there are none. It will not end well in either case. The E U will collapse with mixed results. Here in the U.S. the trash elements of society aren't just throwing their usual infantile hissy fits. They are getting more violent, attacking white middle class families and retail businesses because those of us who are civilized are no longer their door mats. I don't know what to expect the day the first Tea Party activist gets murdered by their kind. I'm waiting for the day after. Where's Oliver Cromwell when we need him?
John Navratil| 9.1.11 @ 8:29AM
Petronius,
Fortunately, for liberty, he is dead! His views of the divine guiding his victories sound to much like "Ins'Allah" to me. Not to fear, a Cromwell is lurking. Some might suggest his inspiration lives in the current president.
Petronius| 9.1.11 @ 10:19AM
John
Do revisit the English Civil Warre and the interegnum and Cromwell's protectorate. His New Model Army deposed Charles I for bankrupting the Kingdom, violating both Magna Carta and His Coronation Oath. (Read The Tyrannicide Brief). Then look at what is happening before your own eyes.
John Navratil| 9.1.11 @ 11:13AM
Petronius,
It's an evil wind that blows no good. I'm familiar with the war and am no monarchist. One tyrant for another, if you ask me. The interregnum didn't survive him.
ConantheContrarian| 9.1.11 @ 10:24AM
How about an Augusto Pinochet?
Lars Walker | 9.1.11 @ 8:26AM
Ken: You are correct.
Gary B| 9.1.11 @ 10:29AM
Lars,
Who will heed this warning?
Patrick| 9.2.11 @ 6:13AM
Those who might become dhimmi.
Islam is not that hard of a conversion for the poo flinging barbarian. You just replace poo with acid and all is better.
Christianity, on the other hand, is much harder to embrace. European Catholicism in particular is too busy trying to exterminate itself to be bothered with restoring Christendom.
POST American| 9.1.11 @ 9:18AM
---Of course it's now general intel that the
mass 'sports culture' was set up to occupy and
emasculate via vicariousness, the male
within the capstone culture as his power --indeed, his future,
his culture, and his very fertility were off
quietly and incrementally destroyed.
Bertrand Russell, Huxley and Wells used
to giggle about this at their EUGENIST get togethers.
----------------LISTEN --you can still hear them.
------------------------REALLY---------------------------
Dan Hirsch| 9.1.11 @ 10:15AM
POST'
I finally got one of your posts! You write well when your nouns and verbs are clear and obvious.
Less "CAPS LOCK," fewer random capitalizations, fewer strings of hyphens give your posts more credibility. A little more background for some of your less obvious references would add, too.
I'm just saying...
Dan Hirsch| 9.1.11 @ 10:09AM
Two thoughts:
First, Islam is a religion, but with Islam you get a bonus! It's also a political system set up to run your country, state, province, county, parish, township, village, borough, mosque, family...
And they have an interesting recruiting technique, if you do not join them, you are an apostate, which to them is well, okay. But, unfortunately, somewhere else in their system they hold the belief that apostates should be redeemed here or in heaven, to wit, if you don't convert here, they are supposed to dispatch you to God so He can take care of it, and soon.
Second, I defer to Winston Churchill:
Roughly: 'Democracy is the worst political system, except for all the others.'
You Norwegians may want to be a little cautious if you wish to maintain freedom to be something, anything, other than Muslim. They are not fooling around; you will NOT be able to talk them out of it; they mean what they say, but they have no stricture against lying to apostates.
Good luck with that.
Don't tread on me...
Gary B| 9.1.11 @ 10:45AM
Dan,
Excellent point. What frightens me is that turning the other cheek is not a defense against the Islamist tide. To ultimately rid the landscape of their conquer mentality, civil society may have to become uncivil, thus violating our own standards.
Put another way, they're using our own political correctness against us. They are not bound by such silly suicidal "principles." We, too, must become unbound if we're ever to take a gun to a gun fight.
I fear Europe will be unable to let go of political correctness to properly defend itself. America's chances are better. The preliminary evidence is that politically-incorrect Rick Perry has struck a chord that is resonating throughout the land. But, as they say, the jury is still out.
SGT Baker, James| 9.2.11 @ 1:14AM
As I recall, no where in that verse does it say keep turning the other cheek back and forth.
Maybe if we had not been brainwashed into believing there is a separation of church and state so that our traditions of morality could be eroded away, we would not be in such a mess today. While there will always be those who are politicians, once we also had those rare people called Statesmen. We need those type of people to be our leaders.
Where are those that look at the Flag and see in the flowing stripes and stars our history written there? We also need those that will stand and say, "No more compromise, here the line is drawn and we will hold it." It seems that over my lifetime so far (38 years), I have seen our freedoms whittled away a little at a time in the name of compromise. Just a little here, or a little there adding up to a great loss of freedom. Sorry, I know I am rambling on, it is just that I see the Country I love with all my heart and soul giving up everything that made it America. Sitting here in Afghanistan missing my wife and children sorely, yet holding to my sworn duty, because in the end I am an American..
old white guy| 9.1.11 @ 11:36AM
as far as turning the other cheek goes, well, i do not see anywhere in the bible that we are to commit suicide. time to fight back.
Franco| 9.1.11 @ 12:58PM
In addition to the firearms and ammo I have in my posession, perhaps I should stock up on paper cups and a cache of my own poo.
Occam's Tool| 9.1.11 @ 1:41PM
DEbbie Schlussel noted what was really going on at the Norwegian Camp in her website. Very, very sorry about the deaths, but the Campers were pro-Terrorist.
Stoddard| 9.1.11 @ 2:48PM
Is this what Europeans mean by "more sophisticated"?
Occam's Tool| 9.1.11 @ 7:20PM
Yes, Stoddard---more sophisticated ways of "flinging poo."
Example: I visited my sister in Denmark in 1997. My wife and I tried the local Aquavit. I choked on it---deadful, crappy stuff. The gay hairdresser friend of my sister's in-laws teased me about drinking like a woman. I refrained from breaking his jaw. I simply asked him if he had ever had to deal with a drug crazed psychotic combative fellow in The City of Angels, and, until he did, his job hardly made him fit to judge.
Occam's Tool| 9.1.11 @ 7:21PM
should have been "dreadful." Denmark has good food, but the assholes drink like fishes and smoke like chimneys.
Purple Lips| 9.1.11 @ 5:00PM
The Progressive Movement in the US also had its roots in a religious revival - The Great Awakening was a Protestant revival. John Rockefeller's mother was a pious devout Baptist, who showed all of the traits that many of the hardy pioneers of Pennsylvania showed in those days. Many of the capitalists who were part of the US Industrial Revolution were sons of pious, sober Protestants (Baptists, Calvanists, Methodists, Mennonite, etc..). However, their rather bleak take on Human Nature evolved into a "We are the World" mentality. Gone was the sober piety, and religious fevor; but, the "good works" mentality continued. And it wasn't the church that would dispense with the good works; it was the State. By 1900, Progressives were a religion unto themselves. And thier works were very influential. Jonah Goldberg wrote a fascinating piece on them in Liberal Fascism. Progressive thought was actually exported to Europe, and had serious political implications there -so much so that pure Marxism was put to rest in favor of the Third Way (ie Progressivism). It is still with us today.
Tony in Central PA| 9.1.11 @ 8:08PM
When society abandons the big rules, you don't end up with anarchy, you end up with lots of little rules. That's why Europe will be Islamic sooner than the secular humanists think.
Rich Rostrom| 9.3.11 @ 2:21AM
1) There is no evidence that the infamous "football hooligans" were motivated by anything more than a self-indulgent taste for violence. When investigators actually looked at them, they found that many were well-off middle or upper-class types.
2) The hooliganism has largely dissipated. Last year I read of an English side playing an exhibitiion in Spain. They were accompanied by tens of thousands of fans, who guzzled astounding quantities of beer - and yet there were only a few dozen arrests.
Brewster| 9.5.11 @ 10:28AM
Ballots or Bullets. I'm afraid Obeyme is not going to give us the choice. No communist or muslim ever left voluntarily. Neither will he or Billy Ayers. Be ready to defend yourselves.