The MacArthur FounÂdaÂtion recentÂly announced its latÂest crop of “genius grant” recipÂiÂents. Each winÂner receives $500,000 “with no strings attached” and they can use the monÂey to live, to fund research, or to buy a very modÂest conÂdo in the Bay Area. As usuÂal, the recipÂiÂents come from a wide range of fields and backÂgrounds. ReviewÂing the bios and mulÂtiÂmeÂdia clips of these incredÂiÂbly giftÂed peoÂple, I can’t help but be remindÂed of a great Tom Lehrer quote: “When Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years.”
Beyond Free Speech: Ahmadinejad at Columbia (on Video)
There was a lot of hand-wringÂing leadÂing up to MahÂmoud AhmadineÂjad’s appearÂance at ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty on MonÂday. But, as it turns out, freeÂdom of speech seemÂingÂly worked as it was intendÂed. AhmadineÂjad entered the marÂketÂplace of ideas and quickÂly came out the wrong side of the exchange. (You can watch the full video of his appearÂance here or read the tranÂscript here.) The decidÂing facÂtor wasÂn’t so much the unbeÂcomÂing introÂducÂtion offered by Lee Bollinger, ColumbiÂa’s presÂiÂdent. It was more just a matÂter of givÂing AhmadineÂjad enough rope to hang himÂself (i.e., letÂting him doubt the exisÂtence of the HoloÂcaust and also gays in Iran) and then sitÂting back and watchÂing it hapÂpen.
Of course, the “marÂketÂplace of ideas” metaphor only goes so far when you’re dealÂing with interÂnaÂtionÂal polÂiÂtics. AhmadineÂjad’s speech wasÂn’t about winÂning a comÂpeÂtiÂtion at ColumÂbia. It was mostÂly about playÂing to an audiÂence at home, one for whom his rhetorÂiÂcal strateÂgies score points. But then there are the uninÂtendÂed conÂseÂquences to conÂsidÂer. Far betÂter than a disÂcredÂitÂed Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion ever could, AhmadineÂjad realÂisÂtiÂcalÂly softÂened up the AmerÂiÂcan pubÂlic to any milÂiÂtary plans that the US govÂernÂment has on the table. At the very least, this has to qualÂiÂfy for a DarÂwin Award. I’ll save furÂther analyÂsis for the punÂdits and talkÂing heads since I know that polÂiÂtics and politÂiÂcal opinÂions only go so far on this blog.
RelatÂed Note:
Last week, KQED’s Forum here in San FranÂcisÂco had a good conÂverÂsaÂtion about free speech in the uniÂverÂsiÂty. It touched on AhmadineÂjad’s appearÂance at ColumÂbia, but also Don RumsÂfeld’s inviÂtaÂtion to StanÂford’s Hoover’s InstiÂtuÂtion and LarÂry SumÂmers canÂceled inviÂtaÂtion to speak before the UC Board of Regents. LisÂten here: iTunes — Feed — Mp3 — Web site.
The End of History Revisited
StewÂart Brand, the creÂator of the iconÂic Whole Earth CatÂaÂlog, heads up the The Long Now FounÂdaÂtion, an orgaÂniÂzaÂtion comÂmitÂted to culÂtiÂvatÂing “slower/better” thinkÂing and fosÂterÂing greater responÂsiÂbilÂiÂty over “the next 10,000 years.” (Yes, they’re ambiÂtious.) To help bring this about, Brand hosts a monthÂly speakÂing series that you can downÂload as a podÂcast (iTunes — Feed — MP3s), and, in late June, he brought in FranÂcis FukuyaÂma to speak. FukuyaÂma, a proÂfesÂsor of interÂnaÂtionÂal politÂiÂcal econÂoÂmy at Johns HopÂkins, first made a name for himÂself in 1989 when, durÂing the wanÂing days of the Cold War, he pubÂlished an essay called “The End of HisÂtoÂry?” (LatÂer, he would turn it into a bestÂselling book, The End of HisÂtoÂry and the Last Man.) StealÂing a page from Karl Marx, FukuyaÂma mainÂtained that hisÂtoÂry had a direcÂtion to it. It flowed with purÂpose, always bringÂing progress. But the end point wasÂn’t comÂmuÂnist utopia. It was libÂerÂal democÂraÂcy mixed with free marÂket ecoÂnomÂics. That’s where humanÂiÂty was colÂlecÂtiveÂly headÂing, with a vicÂtoÂriÂous AmerÂiÂca leadÂing the way. (In his origÂiÂnal essay, he wrote, “What we may be witÂnessÂing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passÂing of a parÂticÂuÂlar periÂod of post-war hisÂtoÂry, but the end of hisÂtoÂry as such: that is, the end point of mankind’s ideÂoÂlogÂiÂcal evoÂluÂtion and the uniÂverÂsalÂizaÂtion of WestÂern libÂerÂal democÂraÂcy as the final form of human govÂernÂment.”)
In the interÂvenÂing years, the world’s moveÂment toward westÂern democÂraÂcy hasÂn’t exactÂly folÂlowed a straight line, and the 9/11 attacks and the ensuÂing “War on TerÂror” have seemÂingÂly lent creÂdence to a dimÂmer worldÂview, one outÂlined by Samuel HuntÂingÂton in the conÂtroÂverÂsial book, The Clash of CivÂiÂlizaÂtions and the RemakÂing of World Order. SpeakÂing 18 years after the pubÂliÂcaÂtion of his origÂiÂnal essay (iTunes — Feed — MP3 — Blog), FukuyaÂma revisÂits, clarÂiÂfies and largeÂly defends his theÂsis that libÂerÂal democÂraÂcy is still on track to preÂvail. And that’s because, in his mind, there are deep ecoÂnomÂic, sciÂenÂtifÂic and techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal trends in motion that driÂve almost inexÂorably toward these politÂiÂcal ends. Whether he is right or wrong, it’s imposÂsiÂble to say. RegardÂless, his talk is smart, hardÂly dogÂmatÂic, and worth your time.
The Return of Dr. Strangelove?
The StanÂley Kubrick clasÂsic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop WorÂryÂing and Love the Bomb cenÂters around a SoviÂet doomsÂday device. If RusÂsia is attacked by nuclear weapons, the device will set off countÂless nuclear bombs autoÂmatÂiÂcalÂly, thereÂby renÂderÂing the Earth uninÂhabÂitÂable. It was dark humor when Peter SellÂers brought it to life on the silÂver screen…but what if it’s real?
That’s just what a new book from the U.K. is arguÂing. DoomsÂday Men by P. D. Smith proÂvides eviÂdence that a RussÂian doomsÂday sysÂtem called “Perimetr” went operÂaÂtional in the mid-1980s, and still is. As Ron RosenÂbaum points out in Slate, this is parÂticÂuÂlarÂly upsetÂting news since Vladimir Putin recentÂly announced that RussÂian nuclear bombers would recomÂmence “strateÂgic flights”–potentially armed with nukes. The prospect of war between the U.S. and RusÂsia might seem remote, but the return to nuclear posÂturÂing is not a good sign for humanÂiÂty. RosenÂbaum once interÂviewed some of the MinÂuteÂman comÂmanÂders who conÂtrol our own nuclear arseÂnal and his artiÂcle makes a great read:
“This doomsÂday appaÂraÂtus, which became operÂaÂtional in 1984, durÂing the height of the ReaÂgan-era nuclear tenÂsions, is an amazÂing feat of creÂative engiÂneerÂing.” AccordÂing to Blair, if Perimetr sensÂes a nuclear exploÂsion in RussÂian terÂriÂtoÂry and then receives no comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion from Moscow, it will assume the incaÂpacÂiÂty of human leadÂerÂship in Moscow or elseÂwhere, and will then grant a sinÂgle human being deep withÂin the KosvinÂsky mounÂtains the authorÂiÂty and capaÂbilÂiÂty to launch the entire SoviÂet nuclear arseÂnal.
OthÂer conÂtent worth explorÂing:
- How to Learn 21 LanÂguages with Your iPod
- 25 UC BerkeÂley CoursÂes AvailÂable via Free Video
- The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: A Free AudioÂbook
- James Joyce’s Ulysses: A Free PodÂcast
- BestÂselling NovÂelÂist Sells StoÂry Ideas for $1
- SubÂscribe to our feed in a readÂer
15 Ways to Avert a Climate Crisis
And now we bring you a pubÂlic serÂvice announceÂment.…
Below, you can watch Al Gore talk about tanÂgiÂble ways that you can be a good enviÂronÂmenÂtal citÂiÂzen. The first 5 minÂutes start with some wit and banÂter that would have served him well in 2000; the next 10 minÂutes get down to some busiÂness.
A few, quick relatÂed items: Google offers a free online copy of Gore’s major book on the enviÂronÂment, Earth in the BalÂance. PubÂlished first in 1992, the book demonÂstrates, among othÂer things, Gore’s susÂtained comÂmitÂment to this issue. Next, if you’ve nevÂer seen An InconÂveÂnient Truth, then you may want to give a lisÂten to Gore’s speech at StanÂford’s GradÂuÂate School of BusiÂness (lisÂten on iTunes here). It covÂers much of the same ground. FinalÂly, this all reminds me of a teleÂviÂsion exposĂ© that Bill MoyÂers aired a few months back. It’s called “Is God Green?,” and it takes a lengthy look at how conÂserÂvÂaÂtive evanÂgelÂiÂcal moveÂments in the US are increasÂingÂly takÂing globÂal warmÂing seriÂousÂly as an issue. (You can watch it here.) And if you know AmerÂiÂca, you know that’s essenÂtial for changÂing the nation’s enviÂronÂmenÂtal poliÂcies.
SubÂscribe to our feed in a readÂer
A Short History of Man, God, and Political Philosophy
In case you missed it, The New York Times pubÂlished a lengthy artiÂcle — The PolÂiÂtics of God — last weekÂend which essenÂtialÂly traces how the thought of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and othÂer major politÂiÂcal philosoÂphers gave us secÂuÂlar polÂiÂtics, and parÂticÂuÂlarÂly the sepÂaÂraÂtion of Church and State. They’re innoÂvaÂtions with many upsides, but also the downÂside that they put us at an intelÂlecÂtuÂal disÂtance from entire regions where faith still govÂerns politÂiÂcal affairs. This includes large swathes of the MidÂdle East and othÂer areas withÂin the “MusÂlim orbit.” It’s a good piece to read if you’ve ever wonÂdered how phiÂlosÂoÂphy tanÂgiÂbly shapes our modÂern world. WritÂten by Mark LilÂla, a ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty proÂfesÂsor, the highÂly-readÂable artiÂcle is adaptÂed from his new book, The StillÂborn God: ReliÂgion, PolÂiÂtics, and the ModÂern West. Get the artiÂcle here, and don’t forÂget to subÂscribe to our feed.
RelatÂed ConÂtent for PhiÂlosÂoÂphy Buffs:
- PhiÂlosÂoÂphy Bites (PhilosoÂphers InterÂviews on PodÂcast)
- EnlightÂenÂment on iTunes: The PhiÂlosÂoÂphy of Immanuel Kant
- PhiÂlosÂoÂphy Talk and IntelÂliÂgent Design
- PlaÂto To Go (The RepubÂlic Now on iTunes)
Jon Stewart on 1994 and 2003 Dick Cheney
Strange culÂture we live in these days. It’s the comeÂdiÂans that ask the hard quesÂtions. See John StewÂart below and the refÂerÂenced Dick Cheney video below that.
America’s Philosopher President
What’s gone wrong with AmerÂiÂca’s democÂraÂcy? It’s a quesÂtion that Al Gore takes a hard look at in his recent (and well-reviewed) book, The Assault on ReaÂson. Below, Gore gives you the gist of his arguÂment in a half-hour video. It’s a bit heady. He’s invokÂing the Ancient Greeks, the EnlightÂenÂment, Edward GibÂbon, Adam Smith and John StuÂart Mill. What’s more, his thinkÂing is heavÂiÂly informed by JurÂgen HaberÂmas and his writÂings on ratioÂnal politÂiÂcal disÂcourse. And it all loops into an explaÂnaÂtion of how we’ve takÂen a wrong turn on the Iraq war, the enviÂronÂment, civÂil libÂerÂties and beyond. Yes, it’s heady stuff. But if Open CulÂture readÂers can’t hanÂdle it, who can?
The link to the origÂiÂnal video is here.
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