After the Futuretag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-2235642008-11-15T10:49:42-08:00"Without the ultrarational hopes and passions of religion no society will ever have the courage to conquer despair and attempt the impossible; for the vision of a just society is an impossible one, which can be approximated only by those who do not regard it as impossible."--Reinhold Niebuhr TypePadScientistic Humanism vs. Personalist Humanismtag:typepad.com,2003:post-585484142008-11-15T10:49:42-08:002008-11-18T16:46:34-08:00Scientism is a world view that promotes natural science as the only legitimate authority over all other interpretations of life. If it can't be explained in naturalistic terms that make sense within the materialist frame within which science operates, there...Jack WhelanLiberal Social Ordertag:typepad.com,2003:post-585190682008-11-14T11:34:59-08:002008-11-21T09:49:16-08:00(Revised 11/21) One of the basic differences between Social Conservatives and Social Liberals lies in the former's belief that chaos will ensue once traditional values and mores are completely jettisoned. As conservatives often say, Liberalism, for all its contempt for...Jack WhelanThrough a Glass Muddy...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-583555482008-11-11T10:13:50-08:002008-11-11T10:36:01-08:00Even in the muckiest mud, seeds left to us from past moments of verdant growth lie hidden, and we should not be too surprised at some point some of them germinate. A cultural springtime is part gift, but also, because...Jack WhelanTransformational Presidenciestag:typepad.com,2003:post-583512842008-11-11T08:52:11-08:002008-11-14T13:00:10-08:00Robert Kuttner:One of the most instructive aspects of transformative leadership is the relationship between the president and social movements. Lincoln had the abolitionists, pushing him to move faster. FDR had the industrial labor movement. And of course LBJ had Dr....Jack WhelanThe Flame of Living Traditiontag:typepad.com,2003:post-582787362008-11-10T09:17:55-08:002008-11-10T20:58:27-08:00Deneen reports on The Future of Conservatism conference at Yale where he was a presenter. He was particularly impressed with Anthony Esolen, whose presentation he briefly summarizes as follows:I can hardly summarize what he said, and am told that a...Jack WhelanLooking Aheadtag:typepad.com,2003:post-582536342008-11-09T07:59:21-08:002008-11-09T19:06:41-08:00We look at the present through a rear-view mirror. We march backwards intothe future.The specialist is one who never makes small mistakes while moving toward the grand fallacy.Mud sometimes gives the illusion of depth.--Marshall McLuhanFor a McLuhanish essay I wrote...Jack WhelanIt's Not about Left or Right . . .tag:typepad.com,2003:post-581826622008-11-07T14:32:27-08:002008-11-10T20:29:43-08:00. . . It's about forward or backward. I think it was Newark mayor Cory Booker who said that on one of the news shows the other day. Of course what forward means to someone who leans left vs. someone...Jack WhelanWhat Now?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-581300202008-11-06T11:20:22-08:002008-11-07T08:09:57-08:00What can be realistically expected? I think there are two basic scenarios: 1. Obama will be Bill Clinton, version 2, and we'll have business as usual but done a little more competently and pragmatically than during the Bush years. 2....Jack WhelanTurning the Pagetag:typepad.com,2003:post-580494522008-11-04T22:49:10-08:002008-11-05T18:22:04-08:00This is a good day for America and so promising for its future. I'm struggling to find an apt way to put what I'm feeling. I'm not as articulate about it as I'd like, because I don't quite grasp it...Jack WhelanContractarians and Beehivestag:typepad.com,2003:post-579070072008-11-03T07:54:45-08:002008-11-03T21:00:38-08:00By way of Ross Douthat I have come across this very interesting 2007 post in Edge by psychologist Jonathan Haidt in which he argues that there are five fundamental moral stances in any society. I remember being quasi aware of...Jack WhelanRedfining the American Dreamtag:typepad.com,2003:post-575724652008-11-01T10:38:35-07:002008-11-01T10:57:32-07:00"The income gap between the rich and the rest of the U.S. population has become so wide, and is growing so fast, that it might eventually threaten the stability of democratic capitalism itself," then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said in...Jack WhelanFar Left/Far Righttag:typepad.com,2003:post-578575612008-11-01T08:58:52-07:002008-11-01T09:26:12-07:00CNN's Campbell Brown in her interview on The Daily Show earlier this week described her new show, "No Bias, No Bull" as trying to fill the center space left between her time-slot competitors the "far-right" Bill O'Reilly and the "far-left"...Jack WhelanRepublican Intellectualstag:typepad.com,2003:post-578096572008-10-31T11:15:32-07:002008-11-03T18:04:32-08:00Look- the intellectual wing of the Republican party is dead. What is left are brain-dead acolytes spreading meaningless and simplistic anecdotes, trite stories, and distilled nonsense passed on that has a more fitting home in AM radio. The McCain campaign,...Jack WhelanObama Interview with Maddowtag:typepad.com,2003:post-578085952008-10-30T22:17:13-07:002008-10-30T22:55:09-07:00I've reached a point where I've become constitutionally incapable of listening to anythng any politician has to say at this point. talking. Nevertheless, I found myself watching this interview tonight, and It broke through all the sound blockers I've set...Jack WhelanWhat Do Conservatives Have to Fear from a Dem Govt.? tag:typepad.com,2003:post-575310072008-10-24T22:25:56-07:002008-10-30T18:09:21-07:00Unlike past Democrat presidential candidates, Obama is a hardened ideologue. He's not interested in playing around the edges. He seeks "fundamental change," i.e., to remake society. And if the Democrats control Congress with super-majorities led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry...Jack WhelanA Conservative Libertarian Case for Obamatag:typepad.com,2003:post-574495012008-10-23T08:06:51-07:002008-10-28T18:27:29-07:00Radley Balko at reasononlineWhile I'm not thrilled at the prospect of an Obama administration (especially with a friendly Congress), the Republicans still need to get their clocks cleaned in two weeks, for a couple of reasons.First, they had their shot...Jack WhelanGarry Wills on the Unitary Executivetag:typepad.com,2003:post-573648852008-10-21T14:07:05-07:002008-10-21T15:08:49-07:00Why a McCain win would cause me to lose hope: court appointments. Liberals are foolish to be obsessed about Roe; they should be more concerned about this deeper and more far-reaching issue. I'm surprised there isn't more discussion of it....Jack WhelanShrewd as Serpents, Guileless as Dovestag:typepad.com,2003:post-571425892008-10-20T18:54:01-07:002008-10-22T23:18:29-07:00(Revisions made Wednesday morning) I was going to write something about Republicans and their absurd campaign to accuse the Dems of voter fraud and how the fabric of Democracy is in jeopardy, not because of the long list of things...Jack Whelan