There’s a German film called Run Lola Run, which explores the radically different ways things would have gone if some seemingly inconsequential happenstance had been nigh-indiscernibly different. And there’s an American Christmas classic called It’s a Wonderful Life, in which… Read More ›
Month: July 2021
Guest Post by Pamela Lindsay: A Crash Course in Rhetoric.
Apropos Paul’s post Of Decolonisation and Marranos , re: the perlocutionary force of language. The extent to which language controls thought is a hotly debated topic. John McWhorter, for one, argues language doesn’t control thought as much as some believe. … Read More ›
THE PERSONAL ECONOMICS OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
The notions of truth and reconciliation – from post-Apartheid South Africa to post-genocide Rwanda to post-residential schools here in Canada – have always been an oxymoron. The idea is that first we elicit a confession of wrongdoing. Next the victim… Read More ›
CULTURAL GENOCIDE
Culture is the language you speak, the gods you worship, the food you eat, the behaviours that make you cringe, the sounds your ears recognise as pleasant and discordant. It’s where you shit, and what you do with your shit… Read More ›
GENOCIDE 101
(Note: This is the first in a series of two entries. The second will be on the meaning, if any, of cultural genocide.) Genocide is not a success term. If it were there wouldn’t be any victims left to complain… Read More ›
BREAKING NEWS IN CANADA
Some species eat their own young. So do some political parties. The Republicans in the U.S., and the Greens in Canada, are both currently engaged in devouring themselves. It’s too early to predict what will be left of the former…. Read More ›
OF DECOLONISATION AND MARRANOS
Here’s are three quick lessons, in political philosophy, in the philosophy of mind, and in the philosophy of language respectively. 1) Political behaviour is behaviour. 2) He who controls thought controls behaviour. And 3) he who controls language controls thought. … Read More ›
FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE SOCIALISTS (2017/03/17)
Martin Niemoller (1892-1984) spoke these words in 1946. In an interview many years later he confessed with regret that he hadn’t thought to write it down. So it’s not surprising that versions of it have since proliferated. Nevertheless, as good… Read More ›
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
There’s probably nothing more indicative of the war between the Woke and the Pushbackers than the battle over trans athletes being allowed to compete in women’s sports. I’ve taken the side of the Pushbackers, but suppose it turns out we’re… Read More ›
THE POLITICS OF RACE AND AGE
I’m told there are several species of mice. I probably could learn the difference between them, but I won’t. I won’t because the only thing about mice that I care about – and this applies to all mice regardless of… Read More ›
Paulosophical Vimplications 