Join the week’s news roundup with Victor Davis Hanson and cohost Sami Winc: fragile relations between the US and Europe, the nature of a second Cold War, the European establishment attacks free speech, the non-existent border blamed for retail theft, Wyoming squatters and Burning Man disaster, and JRR Tolkien’s intent and our interpretations.
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One thing weird about the JRR Tolkien movies is I didn’t see any farming or food production [The Hobbit, I’m not sure].
“Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It’ll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they’ll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields… and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
JapanAnzac is the future of the Pacific.
Thanx again for the shout out to Mark Knopfler who I consider the greatest singer, songwriter guitarist of our time. His music is directly about regular people from a band in London to Ray Kroc of MacDonald’s fame to working people like a pawn shop/curiosity shop owner to Elvis. Who else would read Thomas Pynchon’s Mason and Dixon and write the most beautiful song utilizing the vocal talents of James Taylor? His father was a Hungarian Jew with Communist sympathies which clearly bleed over into Mark’s work. His music is laced with leftist sympathies like Why Aye Man, Punish the Monkey and Postcards From Paraguay which seem to have innocent curious names but whose critical natures are clearly left. He has the unique ability to intermingle the beautiful words with incredible melodies and tasty guitar lines. Sad that so many intelligent people like Mark champion political parties which lead directly to the horror they lament. If only they would understand the higher calling of championing individual rights.
By the way. Merkel’s cell is only related to melanoma in that it is malignant and usually affects the skin.
You want to tell the immigrants what they should and should not do when they enter your country. You want to remind them they chose to come here. While millions continue to pour into and invade your country illegally. Do you know how ridiculous you sound?
Please use your energy to support Trump. When he gets re-elected, he will fix the illegal / invasion problem. Then you can lecture the immigrants to your heart’s content.
Thanx again for the shout out to Mark Knopfler who I consider the greatest singer, songwriter guitarist of our time. His music is directly about regular people from a band in London to Ray Kroc of MacDonald’s fame to working people like a pawn shop/curiosity shop owner to Elvis. Who else would read Thomas Pynchon’s Mason and Dixon and write the most beautiful song utilizing the vocal talents of James Taylor? His father was a Hungarian Jew with Communist sympathies which clearly bleed over into Mark’s work. His music is laced with leftist sympathies like Why Aye Man, Punish the Monkey and Postcards From Paraguay which seem to have innocent curious names but whose critical natures are clearly left. He has the unique ability to intermingle the beautiful words with incredible melodies and tasty guitar lines. Sad that so many intelligent people like Mark champion political parties which lead directly to the horror they lament. If only they would understand the higher calling of championing individual rights.
And by the way, the only relationships between Merkel’s Cell and melanoma is that they are both malignant and both are mainly(not always) start in the skin.
VDH speaks many languages. And while I’ve more training that many in Greek & Latin, English is my only language. That’s my preamble.
English is such a powerful language. Yet with all its power, words have seemingly not yet been coined to fully describe the pleasure I receive from listening to VDH & Sami. Thank you!
VDH never got to the Lutheran Christian bishop and m.p. in Finland accused of hate speech.
I think Victor bundled it in the discussion about rise of Islam in the Nordic countries in general. Though, I’m Finnish and I would say some of the things he said were not quite appropriate regarding Finland. I’m not sure about Denmark but we don’t have nearly as much problems with assimilation as Sweden. There are no no-go zones or burning bibles in the streets. In fact, Finland still has actively enforced blasphemy laws which would make that a criminal offense (of course the almighty professors want to take it out).
In my opinion, the woke movement here is against religiousness as a whole rather than just Christianity. It’s part of the post modern ideal of a secular world where we tear down all sense of authority and everyone can be whatever fantastical creature they conjure up in their heads. Working in academia, I’m delighted whenever I hear that someone follows ANY religion.
As for the Räsänen & Pohjola trial, the district court unanimously dismissed all charges, but it’s now in the Court of Appeals which should give their verdict by the end of November. The general sentiment in Finland seems to be that no one expects a guilty verdict. Of course the left wants it, but I don’t think they expect it. You don’t need to be too cynical to see that the whole point from the start was to set a precedent against the bible.
Thanks for your sharing and insights.
Victor – So, if Tolkien was a Catholic moralist who believed in redemption and original sin, did he believe that man has the ability to rid himself of evil personally and within the world that he lives?
A biblical understanding of man’s nature is that he is born a sinner because Adam sinned, having inherited a disposition to rebell against God, is unresponsive to God naturally, and is under God’s judgment. (Romans 5:12-14; Psalm 51: 5; Ephesians 2: 1-3; Romans 6:23)
Man is helpless to solve his own sin problem and rid evil from himself let alone the world (Romans 3:20, Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-10).
It is only Christ who can deliver men from their sin. (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 7:21-25, 8: 9-14; 7:6; John 3:3)
Men must turn to Christ as Savior and Lord through trusting Him to pay their penalty and deliver from the power of sin. (Romans 10:9-11; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor 15:1-5; Mark 1:15)
Hence, Tolkien’s understanding is not what the Bible teaches.
Addendum to “Men must turn to Christ as Savior and Lord through trusting Him to pay their penalty and deliver from the power of sin, see Romans 6: 1-14; Romans 7:6, 21-25; 8: 12-14, 26-30.