Sound The TRUMPets! A Thread for Presidential Pondering 2016-2020(?)

[Florestan]

One cannot disagree about a typical humanist scholar to be a humanist scholar; Calvin was one, as were e.g. Morus, Montaigne, Erasmus, Melanchton, and all the like. One can only discuss his qualifications as a scholar: but I read him and can testify to his qualities, that I hold in higher esteem than those of Martin Luther, to mention another name (& one who was well educated, but not a humanist).

I don't deny Calvin's impeccable credentials as a scholar of philosophy and law, but humanism is much more than scholarship: it's a conception of humanity and its role in the world, and a corresponding existential attitude, which Calvin never embraced.

[Christo]

I don't deny Calvin's impeccable credentials as a scholar of philosophy and law, but humanism is much more than scholarship: it's a conception of humanity and its role in the world, and a corresponding existential attitude, which Calvin never embraced.

This short lecture might help:
https://www.youtube.com/v/VFl371p36KQ 

[Christo]

Saxons, Franks, all the same: Germanic tribes which usurped the name Latin / Roman, incurring the legitimate ire of the true Latins / Romans.

You seem to forget Latin has been the language of the West until the 20th century: of science and arts (my Kuyper and his colleagues wrote in Latin), of the state (often till the 18th or 19th century), of international relations, and of course of the church. Latin, mind you, not some unintelligible Vlach dialect. 
And of course, for over a thousand years, there was a Roman Empire too: the Sacrum Imperium Romanum, from 800 till 1806, officially (even 1809 in a territory of the German Order not far from where I live).

[Florestan]

You seem to forget Latin has been the language of the West until the 20th century: of science and arts (my Kuyper and his colleagues wrote in Latin), of the state (often till the 18th or 19th century), of international relations, and of course of the church.

Of course it was. The Germanic languages didn't even had enough, or proper, words for the multitude of concepts and ideas expressed in Latin --- until Luther, that is, who in this respect, as in many others, was far superior to Calvin.

And of course, for over a thousand years, there was a Roman Empire too: the Sacrum Imperium Romanum, from 800 till 1806, officially (even 1809 in a territory of the German Order not far from where I live).

Oh, please, Johan. That state, which had absolutely no political connection whatsoever to the true Roman Empire was neither Sacrum, nor Imperium, nor Romanum; the title was fraudulent on all accounts --- and you know it only too well.

[Christo]

Of course it was. The Germanic languages didn't even had enough, or proper, words for the multitude of concepts and ideas expressed in Latin --- until Luther, that is, who in this respect, as in many others, was far superior to Calvin.

Wrong, (Southern Netherlands, mostly) Dutch had already devoloped into a cultural language of comparable conceptual use in the 14th and 15th centuries (long before High German, which followed Dutch in this respect). And Luther was many things, but as an intellectual no match for Cauvin (he needed other humanists like Melanchton to do the job for him). BTW: lets continue on this thread, OK? http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,27709.0.html 

[SimonNZ]

America's Taliban, the Council for National Policy (to which Kellyanne, Bannon, the DeVos family, the Mercers, Pence, Ken Blackwell, and two men whose families funded the largest voting machine vendor in the U.S.) has set a deadline of 2020 for restoring "religion and economic freedom and Judeo-Christian values" under the Constitution.

[Todd]

Sayeth mighty Joe Scarborough: A storm is gathering, and there is every reason to believe that 2018 will be the most consequential political year of our lives.

I expect a similar proclamation come December 2019.

[Christo]

For much, if not all, of the 16th century, Jews could not openly live as Jews in England, France, and any part of the Spanish Empire (which included Sicily and any portion of the Italian peninsula under Spanish rule), Portugal, and what is now Latin America.  In the Holy Roman Empire and lands under the rule of the Austrian Hapsburgs, they were banned by localities, not by general decree.

In Leon Poliakov's classic History of Antisemitism, most chapters are on Western Europe and only one - IIRC, will check tomorrow - on the Islamic world, though this region had his special attention. This is why: antisemitism is first and for all a Western thing, and we better acknowledge that. 

[kishnevi]

In Leon Poliakov's classic History of Antisemitism, most chapters are on Western Europe and only one - IIRC, will check tomorrow - on the Islamic world, though this region had his special attention. This is why: antisemitism is first and for all a Western thing, and we better acknowledge that. 

There were outbreaks in Iran and other places which can not be blamed on the West. There was discrimination (Yemen is a glaring example) and riots, but not on the scale of Europe.  And Christians, as possible agents of Russia and other Christian powers, were probably more at risk: being killed on the Sultan's orders amounted to an occupational hazard for the Greek Orthodox episcopate, especially the Patriarch of Constantinople. The most famous example under Ottoman Rule, the Damascus Blood Libel, was the fault of a French diplomat backing up some French Franciscan who got co-operation from the Ottoman governor.

[Todd]

From Comedy News Network: It was an epic year for stocks

Thanks, Donnie!

[milk]

Breitbart's Astonishing Confession
"Even if they believe that you were sexually assaulted at 14 by an older man, they will continue to destroy your reputation as a way of protecting that older man, because their real mission is to protect Donald Trump — and extremism in the defense of Trump is no vice. Truth, fairness, and ordinary human decency don't matter. Only winning."
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/12/the-ongoing-mistreatment-of-right-leaning-news-consumers/549335/?utm_source=atlfb

[milk]

. . .his aides needed time to sketch out what Mr. Trump should say — and not say. . .As the aides agonized over which words to feed into the teleprompter, they become so engrossed that a hot light set up next to the machine caused Mr. Bannon's Kuhl hiking pants to begin smoldering.

"I think my pant leg is on fire," he said after noticing the acrid smell.

by Maggie Haberman, Ashley Parker, Jeremy W. Peters and Michael Barbaro. November 7, 2016

[Christo]

There were outbreaks in Iran and other places which can not be blamed on the West. There was discrimination (Yemen is a glaring example) and riots, but not on the scale of Europe.  And Christians, as possible agents of Russia and other Christian powers, were probably more at risk: being killed on the Sultan's orders amounted to an occupational hazard for the Greek Orthodox episcopate, especially the Patriarch of Constantinople. The most famous example under Ottoman Rule, the Damascus Blood Libel, was the fault of a French diplomat backing up some French Franciscan who got co-operation from the Ottoman governor.

Thanks & agreed again: and I was right about Poliakov (three chapters on the Islamic wordl; the rest mostly on Western Christendom). 

[arpeggio]

I just watched on the Military History Channel an episode on the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.

As a result of an all to typical Roman Civil War he eventually became Emperor.

One of his rivals was Maxentius.  He ascended to the throne when his father, Emperor Maximian, passed away.  Maximian was co-emporer with Diocletian.  One of the promises Maxentius made in order to secure the throne for the whole empire was a promise to cut taxes and provide free grain to the populace.  Instead he cut taxea and provided free grain to only the wealthy 

My wife and I fell out of my chairs laughing when we heard this.

Better dive into my bunker before the Trump apologists respond to this 

[Todd]

How the Trump era is changing the federal bureaucracy

One of the best feel good stories of the year.

[arpeggio]

My wife and I are retired federal employees.

She was a computer administrator with the Department of the Army and the Justice Department for forty years.

I was a pension auditor for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for twenty-nine years.  I am also a veteran.  I served in the Army from 1969 through 1971.

It is disheartening to me how conservatives have made us a scapegoat for many of our countries problems.  Now that the Republicans have messed up the deficient they are now threatening to attack and cut back many programs including our retirement.  Yet in spite of a life of dedicated service conservatives consider us leeches.  To mess up our benefits so the wealthy in this country can get a huge tax break is demoralizing to us.  I seriously doubt if cutting all the entitlements that the Republicans are threatening to do will bring back all of those jobs and make everyone wealthy.

Of course we have our share of deadbeats.  The private section is not the perfect either.  I have audited many companies that went bankrupt because of bad management.  Most of the alleged worthless bureaucrats are hard working dedicated people.  Anyone who thinks our years of service is a waste can take their bogus opinions and shove them up their (*^&)^*^*(*&(!!!

I refuse to engage any conservative who considers our efforts a waste of our countries resources.

[Todd]

My wife and I are retired federal employees.

She was a computer administrator with the Department of the Army and the Justice Department for forty years.

I was a pension auditor for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for twenty-nine years.  I am also a veteran.  I served in the Army from 1969 through 1971.

It is disheartening to me how conservatives have made us a scapegoat for many of our countries problems.  Now that the Republicans have messed up the deficient they are now threatening to attack and cut back many programs including our retirement.  Yet in spite of a life of dedicated service conservatives consider us leeches.  To mess up our benefits so the wealthy in this country can get huge tax break is demoralizing to us.  I seriously doubt if cutting all the entitlements that the Republicans are threatening to do will bring back all of those jobs and make everyone wealthy.

Of course we have our share of deadbeats.  The private section is not the perfect either.  I have audited many companies that went bankrupt because of bad management.  Most of the alleged worthless bureaucrats are hard working dedicated people.  Anyone who thinks our years of service is a waste can take their bogus opinions and shove them up their (*^&)^*^*(*&(!!!

I refuse to engage any conservative who considers our efforts a waste of our countries resources.

[SimonNZ]

Okay Todd, now I'm going from trying to ignore you to adding you to my bozo filter.

Pity, because unlike a couple of others I've filtered I think you could actually argue your position intelligently if you chose to do so and could hold your douchier impulses in check.

[Todd]

Okay Todd, now I'm going from trying to ignore you to adding you to my bozo filter.

Bozo filter?  Don't lie, did you make that up all by yourself?

[milk]

Okay Todd, now I'm going from trying to ignore you to adding you to my bozo filter.

Pity, because unlike a couple of others I've filtered I think you could actually argue your position intelligently if you chose to do so and could hold your douchier impulses in check.

I go into discussing or debating stuff thinking I can gain from the exchange - even if I end up disagreeing. I'm genuinely interested in the conservative or libertarian (or "progressive") view. But trying to one-up someone with insults doesn't give me the enjoyment it clearly gives some others. Anyway, Happy New Year!