There's a time and place for everything even whatever the f that was. But IMO the Olympics opening ceremony was definitely not the time and place for whatever the f that was. But the Olympics has become hopelessly politicized ie. Belarus and Russia banned and even potential athletes from those country competing under neutral flags being forced to submit to an ideological purity test on their attitude to the war in Ukraine to compete. Meanwhile Israel is free to both compete and commit genocide and I don't remember US and UK athletes etc being barred because of the illegal invasion of Iraq based on a lie. We are through the looking glass and the view is trash. C'est la vie.
As Alex C. put it, the scene in Paris was ClownWorld.
RE 'universalism' and 'liberalism':
The 'universalism' that Glenn objects to is objectionable, but it is not the universalism of Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, Alexis de Tocqueville and the other best figures of conservative liberalism.
Glenn, too, favors a universalism, one that is context-sensitive and suitably humbled to the human limits of knowledge.
"Of Universal Benevolence," Adam Smith in THE THEORY OF MORAL SENTIMENTS:
"The administration of the great system of the universe,...the care of the universal happiness of all rational and sensible beings, is the business of God, and not of man. To man is allotted a much humbler department, but one much more suitable to the weakness of his powers, and to the narrowness of his comprehension — the care of his own happiness, of that of his family, his friends, his country..."
I object to the concept of a god or any other superstition. I am a lifelong atheist and so were my parents. They spared us the mind pollution of religion and I thank them for it. So Adam Smith can jump.
I believe this performance was calculated to sucker everyone into outrage, denouncement, and discussion- all as a distraction. Glenn, if you are spending time writing about this nonsense that will soon be forgotten, you are not instead spending time writing about the genocide, the war in Ukraine, the intrigues in North Africa, the Caucasus, or east Asia, the collapse of the Empire, or the fact that there is no bread to go along with this ridiculous circus. They didn't just get you, they got a large portion of the planet with this.
Mission has been accomplished, from what I can see.
I'll add- Fascist Neoliberalism has a long history of elevating corrupted members of otherwise marginalized minority groups in order to sow division, as well as use as a distraction from their own exploitation of these same marginalized minority groups. None of this shit is ever what it seems, and it is always done for a calculated reason.
Or simply finds such "events" as you said it yourself, distasteful and tedious.
Pierre Trudeau, "The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation."
Nobody is interested in what's going on in other bedrooms. Nobody wants the "bedroom business" shoved in their faces, much less broadcasted. Deal with it.
I could have never imagined that the opening ceremony of The Olympics would be unsuitable for families with children. I wonder how many families found themselves quickly changing the channel after being ambushed by whoever dreamed up and approved this salacious display supposedly in support of worldwide unity. Seriously. There should have been a maturity rating given before subjecting unsuspecting parents and young children to this bizarrely sexualized content.
Not everyone has children. I object to censorship like this. On the other hand, from what I have seen of the Paris opening day, there is a distinct lack of taste or culture. I think children should be informed about sex. It makes them less susceptible to predators.
The Olympics is not the proper venue for teaching children about sex…by anyone. Providing a maturity rating, such as we do for other forms of entertainment, is not censorship…it’s a heads up that demonstrates respect for others. As the author points out, there was obviously zero tolerance and respect shown toward the majority of people around the world. The Olympics is supposedly a global event to encourage unity and respect for all cultures and nations in the world. Whoever produced this not only failed to achieve that goal, they actually went so far as to probably offend most people in the world today. The West is tone deaf…and that’s the kindest comment I can come up with.
As Reinhold Niebuhr said, it's all about maintaining unity within diversity. It takes intelligence to do it ; otherwise the community literally disintegrates. The usual response of a less intelligent society is to impose uniformity.
It is the root cause of the tragedy of Ukraine.
As for post-Christian Western/Central Europe, we have simultaneously discarded the religious tradition that unified us morally, while arrogantly assuming we could integrate countless millions of immigrants who subscribe to quite different values.
The Gleichschaltung you describe is our "solution" to the problem. It highlights the contradiction between tolerance and freedom, and between sentimentality and true, principled, love.
There's a time and place for everything even whatever the f that was. But IMO the Olympics opening ceremony was definitely not the time and place for whatever the f that was. But the Olympics has become hopelessly politicized ie. Belarus and Russia banned and even potential athletes from those country competing under neutral flags being forced to submit to an ideological purity test on their attitude to the war in Ukraine to compete. Meanwhile Israel is free to both compete and commit genocide and I don't remember US and UK athletes etc being barred because of the illegal invasion of Iraq based on a lie. We are through the looking glass and the view is trash. C'est la vie.
Very well put
That said im enjoying the Rugby Sevens today
As Alex C. put it, the scene in Paris was ClownWorld.
RE 'universalism' and 'liberalism':
The 'universalism' that Glenn objects to is objectionable, but it is not the universalism of Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, Alexis de Tocqueville and the other best figures of conservative liberalism.
Glenn, too, favors a universalism, one that is context-sensitive and suitably humbled to the human limits of knowledge.
"Of Universal Benevolence," Adam Smith in THE THEORY OF MORAL SENTIMENTS:
"The administration of the great system of the universe,...the care of the universal happiness of all rational and sensible beings, is the business of God, and not of man. To man is allotted a much humbler department, but one much more suitable to the weakness of his powers, and to the narrowness of his comprehension — the care of his own happiness, of that of his family, his friends, his country..."
I object to the concept of a god or any other superstition. I am a lifelong atheist and so were my parents. They spared us the mind pollution of religion and I thank them for it. So Adam Smith can jump.
Hi Carolyn,
I'm an agnostic. I think that proper ethics is patterned after benevolent monotheism.
/Dan Klein
I believe this performance was calculated to sucker everyone into outrage, denouncement, and discussion- all as a distraction. Glenn, if you are spending time writing about this nonsense that will soon be forgotten, you are not instead spending time writing about the genocide, the war in Ukraine, the intrigues in North Africa, the Caucasus, or east Asia, the collapse of the Empire, or the fact that there is no bread to go along with this ridiculous circus. They didn't just get you, they got a large portion of the planet with this.
Mission has been accomplished, from what I can see.
I'll add- Fascist Neoliberalism has a long history of elevating corrupted members of otherwise marginalized minority groups in order to sow division, as well as use as a distraction from their own exploitation of these same marginalized minority groups. None of this shit is ever what it seems, and it is always done for a calculated reason.
Who in right mind, could find it attractive? Olympics opening turned into the pride parade. AGAIN.
Homophobia is supremely UNattractive, and I say that as a heterosexual.
Keep your bedroom habits to YOURSELF.
Finding Pride events distasteful and tedious has SFA to do with homophobia
Or simply finds such "events" as you said it yourself, distasteful and tedious.
Pierre Trudeau, "The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation."
Nobody is interested in what's going on in other bedrooms. Nobody wants the "bedroom business" shoved in their faces, much less broadcasted. Deal with it.
I could have never imagined that the opening ceremony of The Olympics would be unsuitable for families with children. I wonder how many families found themselves quickly changing the channel after being ambushed by whoever dreamed up and approved this salacious display supposedly in support of worldwide unity. Seriously. There should have been a maturity rating given before subjecting unsuspecting parents and young children to this bizarrely sexualized content.
Not everyone has children. I object to censorship like this. On the other hand, from what I have seen of the Paris opening day, there is a distinct lack of taste or culture. I think children should be informed about sex. It makes them less susceptible to predators.
The Olympics is not the proper venue for teaching children about sex…by anyone. Providing a maturity rating, such as we do for other forms of entertainment, is not censorship…it’s a heads up that demonstrates respect for others. As the author points out, there was obviously zero tolerance and respect shown toward the majority of people around the world. The Olympics is supposedly a global event to encourage unity and respect for all cultures and nations in the world. Whoever produced this not only failed to achieve that goal, they actually went so far as to probably offend most people in the world today. The West is tone deaf…and that’s the kindest comment I can come up with.
And I wonder about the personal lives of the people who ‘created’ this monstrosity
I don’t
A healthy attitude. Perhaps I did not express myself as well as I might have.
Within the Paris Olympics Circus of Decadence and Absent Values:, it is the highest honour to be absent.
I think this is a symptom of the current western "progressist" politics. Same as Ukraine and the EU measures "to save the planet".
I don't see any progress.
Cultural decadence
Why, the tableaux wasn’t the Last Supper at all! It was merely a tableau of a drunken orgy, featuring Dionysius himself! Pardonnez-moi.
As Reinhold Niebuhr said, it's all about maintaining unity within diversity. It takes intelligence to do it ; otherwise the community literally disintegrates. The usual response of a less intelligent society is to impose uniformity.
It is the root cause of the tragedy of Ukraine.
As for post-Christian Western/Central Europe, we have simultaneously discarded the religious tradition that unified us morally, while arrogantly assuming we could integrate countless millions of immigrants who subscribe to quite different values.
The Gleichschaltung you describe is our "solution" to the problem. It highlights the contradiction between tolerance and freedom, and between sentimentality and true, principled, love.
Can you invite John Gray to a discussion about the progressists?