Recent Blog Posts

Reader comment on:
The Imperial Appetite
in response to reader comment: The West is still here

Submitted by Karen Ways, Feb 8, 2008 21:58

"The West" has made great strides in science, technology and economic achievement. Western Europe's recovery from the devestation of two suicidal world wars is amazing. Yet since the 1960s western society, including North America and the English-speaking countries like Australia, has been turning its back on its cultural heritage. The family based on marriage has been allowed to diminish severely in social influence. Academia has been infiltrated by quasi scientific social, psychological and artistic theories, often obscurantist. Public manners of adults and children have deteriorated into generational fracture and obscenity. The boundaries between high and low art have been obliterated. Books, newspapers, magazines and electronic media have dumbed down. High schools have become places of mental immobility, drugtaking and violence. Celebrity culture has distracted societies from the pursuit of excellent and noble ideals. Science and technology are used for debilitating entertainment, war industry, esoteric experimentation and defilement of the natural world. Relativist philosophy has sapped adherence to the judaeo-christian ethical system that acted as a binding force throughout the long difficult ascent of western civilization. In short,The West has been dismantling itself piece by piece following the ravages of the world wars that started in Europe, but in which the USA became involved.

"If I forget thee Jerusalem, let my right hand lose its cunning." If western society does not regain its cultural roots it could perish like the dinasaurs. We do not live on science, technology and affluence alone.


Note: Comments are screened, and in some cases edited, before posting. We reserve the right to reject anything we find objectionable.

Other reader comments on this article

Comment By Date

The Puritan rhetoric (our City on rhe Hill syndrome) which has kept median Americans from realizing how imperialistic we've covertly... [MORE]

Patrick D.Hazard 

Feb 8, 2008 12:03

self-delusion on both an individual and collective basis is crucial for the human psyche. Russians remain proud of the might... [MORE]

Frankly Speaking 

Feb 9, 2008 22:19

The imperial appetite of certain countries has never ended, indeed if anything it has grown. What has changed are the... [MORE]

Siddhartha S.Bhadrakumar 

Feb 10, 2008 23:40

I wonder if Mr. Hazard would have the courage to spout the same if America hadn't saved him and his... [MORE]

Glenn Smith 

Feb 12, 2008 18:15

I've just now had a chance to read "Frankly Speaking".It is a very thoughtful response for which I am grateful.... [MORE]

Patrick D.Hazard 

Feb 13, 2008 10:26

Don't be so quick to assume America is about to elect either a woman or an African American man as... [MORE]

BklynGal305 

Feb 14, 2008 17:38

Dear Mr.Smith: I came not to bury American Exceptionalism but to raise it:-- from Ideals to Realities. I used to... [MORE]

Patrick D.Hazard 

Feb 21, 2008 03:00

Hey Sidd, what have you been smoking? Do you really think China is the victim of imperialism rather than the... [MORE]

ricardo maxwell 

Feb 21, 2008 08:51

Upon reading Patrick Hazrads article I kept looking for substance, concrete unambiguous facts that would stand alone without the distraction... [MORE]

Michael Rodriguez 

Mar 4, 2008 14:05

So, the burden of the intelligentsia is to show the poor masses the errors of their ways and to enlighten... [MORE]

Paul McCord 

Mar 10, 2008 10:30

I'm not sure exactly what the poster said, but I am sure he said everything he knew about the subject. BTW... [MORE]

gxb 

Mar 10, 2008 10:38

Mr. Hazard I know that you have the best intentions in your heart and it behoves me to respond. American... [MORE]

Gene Guffey 

Mar 15, 2008 10:58

Besides the oft quoted rationale of 'opening new markets' abroad (with all the dubiety that it sometimes involved) was there... [MORE]

SD Goh 

Feb 8, 2008 10:10

Perhaps, in the case of the Spanish, who in 1491 had just finished 700 years of expelling the Muslims who... [MORE]

Feb 8, 2008 15:03

I'd just like to point out that "arrogance" is hardly a Western monopoly. It is fundamental to the Chinese worldview;... [MORE]

Feb 8, 2008 09:24

I think D makes some very good points (see "This book is an attempt to frame..." above). To get close... [MORE]

Billy Smith 

Feb 12, 2008 11:29

The European superiority over China was substantially due to technology and industry. Europe also became superior in science. Here are some... [MORE]

John McCarthy 

Feb 8, 2008 04:29

Darwin's seeing the predominant ruling form for mankind throughout history as 'empire' no doubt takes a page out of the... [MORE]

Shalom Freedman 

Feb 8, 2008 02:11

"The West" has made great strides in science, technology and economic achievement. Western Europe's recovery from the devestation of two...

Karen Ways 

Feb 8, 2008 21:58

In the long history of human civilization, lies a impulse to have war. Jane Goodell in her research of chimpanzee... [MORE]

Feb 9, 2008 21:19

I enjoyed all the comments regarding this subject. Varied and informative. Especially agreed with Karen Ways "Social and Spiritual Dismantling". I... [MORE]

Patrizia von Lutzow-Vorbeck 

Mar 16, 2008 16:46

Comment on The Imperial Appetite

    Before submitting your comment, please provide a valid email address to complete the verification process.