Creatively Advancing into Novelty
“All of us are already civilian soldiers, without knowing it… The great stroke of luck for the military class’s terrorism is that no one recognizes it. People don’t recognize the militarized part of their identity.” –Paul Virilio, Pure War. New York, NY, U.S.A.: Semiotext(e), 1983. p. 18 We normally don’t think about Paul Virilio while…
David: [EXHALES SHARPLY] I read that story collection. The one in your book. At first, I was confused, you know ‘Why is she carrying around this sordid tale of sex clubs and drug addicts and’ And then I read this: “Junkies and masochists and hookers, and those who have squandered everything are the ring of…
“Warmongers often claim that they are only being realistic, that peace is a great idea and all but that’s just not how the world works. This claim of realism is often just a narrowing of events and an ignoring of the context of the situation. It’s not being realistic, but simplistic. They claim to be…
I never sing the National Anthem. I will stand at baseball games when it’s played or sung, because I don’t want to dishonor the people who are allegedly are being honored by the singing of it. But look, it’s a war hym, and Mennonites cannot innocently play it or sing it. It underwrites a nationalism…
Below is an excerpt from the poem Some Further Words, by Mr. Wendell Berry, one of my favorite writers. Berry critiques the land he loves with a wise reverence, and although this poem was written decades ago it is timeless and carries special meaning today. The world is babbled to pieces after the divorce of…
What would you do if someone broke into your house and started beating your grandmother, torturing your sister, raping your wife and kidnapped your kids? That’s the kind of ridiculous, hypothetical question pacifists are asked. I like Shane Claiborne’s idea of responding with an equally ridiculous answer like: “well I guess I would put my…
Peter Walker posted this chart over at his blog. I think it goes nicely with my thoughts from yesterday.
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have…
Why do you keep telling me this?Stop. I know this already, you do not need to continue. I’m going to stop listening know, thanks. Wait, maybe we should talk. I’m going to ask you some stupid questions because I need to remember. I’m consumed with one thing and before you know it I’m off to…