Tennessee earned the nickname the “Volunteer State” during the War of 1812 because of the prominent role played by her sons, especially during the Battle of New Orleans. When Andrew Jackson asked the state for 2,000 troops, they sent 30,000. It was therefore with good reason that the Congressional Medal of Honor Society chose Knoxville … Read more
There is something wrong with the way we deal with our problems these days. We used to have leaders. Now it seems every crisis must be addressed by some massive law, in which every possibility of error can be foreseen; every detail regulated. It is as if to say, let the government solve our all … Read more
The planned holding of a Satanic Black Mass in the Civic Center, a public building in Oklahoma City, on September 21, represents more than just an exercise of “freedom.” It is a highly symbolic act that signals the end and breakdown of a consensus. Recently a similar event was planned at Harvard, and failed after … Read more
Anyone who has the illusion that the Chinese Communist Party has adopted capitalism would do well to look at exactly how the Chinese economy is run. While it is true that the Chinese state no longer runs everything directly, it does use the West and its economic mechanisms to perpetuate itself and pursue its goals. … Read more
If there is anything that characterizes modern architecture, it is its denial of locality and culture. Modern architects proclaim their freedom from traditional restraint by putting up their eccentric structures wherever they wish. They tend to disregard many of the cultural elements of the people nearby. Traditionally, architecture was the legitimate expression of a people … Read more
Swiss-born architect Charles-Édouard Le Corbusier (1887-1965) famously said of houses—that they were “machines for living in.” We might say of such modern architects that they are “machines that design machines…”
The need for private property is hardly a mystery. From time immemorial, property has existed and can be justified by simple common sense. Aristotle gives four such reasons that can be applied to both his times and our own. We quote from economic historian Odd Langholm who summarizes these four reasons: (1) If property … Read more
In his book, The Horizontal Society, Lawrence Friedman list three ways modern media help create the impression of a mass culture. First, they create the impression that each person is an autonomous being living a life full of choices. Lawrence notes, “Almost every TV commercial, almost every program, carries this secret slogan.” Is Technology Ruining … Read more
“Life is battle. It is an ancient truth. Christianity has always known it. Its validity as an essential principle of culture is already implied in our premise that all culture includes an element of striving. Striving is always battle – struggle, that is – the exercise of the will and strength to overcome resistances which … Read more
Crossing the border into New York on the highway, I came upon a curious road sign. Everyone has seen signs for rest stops along the way to give drivers some respite and prevent accidents. This sign, however, announced something different: a text stop. Yes, a text stop. Not just one but many along the way. … Read more
