Comments on: Uncharacteristically Brief Remarks http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2008/02/20/uncharacteristically-brief-remarks/ Culture, Politics, Academia and Other Shiny Objects Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:26:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: back40 http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2008/02/20/uncharacteristically-brief-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-4993 back40 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:08:26 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=523#comment-4993 <a HREF="http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm" rel="nofollow">"While freely conceding that the Soviet Cuban regime exhibits certain features which the humanitarian may be inclined to deplore, we must, I think, agree that a certain curtailment of the right to political opposition is an unavoidable concomitant of transitional periods, and that the rigors which the Russian people have been called upon to undergo have been amply justified in the sphere of concrete achievement."</a> “While freely conceding that the Soviet Cuban regime exhibits certain features which the humanitarian may be inclined to deplore, we must, I think, agree that a certain curtailment of the right to political opposition is an unavoidable concomitant of transitional periods, and that the rigors which the Russian people have been called upon to undergo have been amply justified in the sphere of concrete achievement.”

]]> By: Doug http://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/2008/02/20/uncharacteristically-brief-remarks/comment-page-1/#comment-4988 Doug Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:27:41 +0000 http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=523#comment-4988 "pretty much every change in a community makes someone unhappy" As does lack of change... What was the old saying in the Shire? "Go not to the elves for counsel, for they will say both yes and no"? Part of the intensity at the CT post may be that for a high-profile blogger, he's unusually thin-skinned. The sneering at anyone who's politically to the right of the Orthodox Trots (Reformed, Sinaloa Synod), or some such, probably also helped raise the heat. On the other other hand, the sight of a middle-aged, British, opera-loving philosopher touting his closeness to the oppressed of the world by writing a blog post crowing about political events of a quarter century ago is just too much of a fat one across the plate for some people not to take a swing. I decided not to feed the troll. (Sorry about the mixed metaphor.) No, no, please don't change the title! I still have visions of writing a little something about most of the books I read in 2007, maybe a comment a day. Your efforts give me hope (look, even Tim Burke can find the time!), although I have managed exactly none so far, or maybe one if you consider listing the books with a few random comments. “pretty much every change in a community makes someone unhappy” As does lack of change… What was the old saying in the Shire? “Go not to the elves for counsel, for they will say both yes and no”?

Part of the intensity at the CT post may be that for a high-profile blogger, he’s unusually thin-skinned. The sneering at anyone who’s politically to the right of the Orthodox Trots (Reformed, Sinaloa Synod), or some such, probably also helped raise the heat. On the other other hand, the sight of a middle-aged, British, opera-loving philosopher touting his closeness to the oppressed of the world by writing a blog post crowing about political events of a quarter century ago is just too much of a fat one across the plate for some people not to take a swing. I decided not to feed the troll. (Sorry about the mixed metaphor.)

No, no, please don’t change the title! I still have visions of writing a little something about most of the books I read in 2007, maybe a comment a day. Your efforts give me hope (look, even Tim Burke can find the time!), although I have managed exactly none so far, or maybe one if you consider listing the books with a few random comments.

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