• About
  • Books
  • Contact
  • Education Resources

PERRIN LOVETT

~ Fiction, Freedom, and The West

PERRIN LOVETT

Tag Archives: Rhetoric

On the Importance of Thinking

22 Monday Jun 2020

Posted by perrinlovett in Other Columns

≈ Comments Off on On the Importance of Thinking

Tags

Dialectic, education, evil, lies, Rhetoric, schools, Vox Day

The hellish and failed public schools sometimes spout drivel about the importance of teaching critical thinking skills. They never deliver and, in fact, move hell and earth to prevent intelligent discourse. Vox Day and a reader have articulated (very well) why that is: a passage from The Ethics of Rhetoric by Richard Weaver:

Examples of this kind of contrivance occur on every hand in the impassioned language of journalism and political pleading. In the world of affairs which these seek to influence, the many are kept in a state of pupillage so that they will be most docile to their “lovers.” The techniques of the base lover, especially as exemplified in modern journalism, would make a long catalogue, but in general it is accurate to say that he seeks to keep the understanding in a passive state by never permitting an honest examination of the alternatives. Nothing is more feared by him than a true dialectic, for this not only endangers his favored alternative, but also gives the “beloved”…some training in intellectual independence.

What he does therefore is dress up one alternative in all the cheap finery of immediate hopes and fears, knowing that if he can thus prevent a masculine exercise of imagination and will he can have his way. By discussing only one side of an issue, by mentioning cause without consequence or consequence without cause, acts without agents or agents without agency, he often successfully blocks definition and cause-and-effect reasoning. In this way his choices are arrayed in such meretricious images that one can quickly infer the juvenile mind which they would attract. Of course the base rhetorician today, with his vastly augmented power of propagation, has means of deluding which no ancient rhetor in forum or marketplace could have imagined.

Reading the subtext closely, one finds that Weaver is describing mental rape, in the case of the schools, of children. Vox is dead-on accurate when he says a competent mind must be trained in both rhetoric and dialectic so that one may see and defeat the lies. No government administrator wants and most teachers do not want that as they see it as both an affront to their precious authority over the “beloveds” and a direct challenge to the narrative their masters have scripted for them to deliver.

How does it work in practice? An example: A likely CIA front company runs a reading tutorial program that practically ensures reading is not learned. It is geared towards middle and high school students. One of their recent lessons was on the great sodomite hero Harvey Milk. That’s how the demon-possessed freak is presented – as a hero. They end with Milk’s execution, a grand tragedy as they see it. They expect the kids to go along. This sort of evil is pushed at all levels, including the elementary. What they purposefully omit is that Milk was a child rapist and that many of his victims went on to become child rapists or commit suicide or to do both. A discerning mind might rebel and ask questions, which would defeat the point of the indoctrination.

This is also the reason why it has become next to impossible to carry on a conversation with the average person. Beyond their declining innate mental faculties, they are untrained in the art of thinking.

It’s not “homeschool or die,” it’s homeschool or watch civilization die.

Caesar Gets Zilch

13 Monday May 2019

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, Other Columns

≈ Comments Off on Caesar Gets Zilch

Tags

Bible, Christianity, government, Jesus Christ, Rhetoric, taxes

Sayeth the Lord. Jeffery Barr explains away any confusion about what Jesus said to the Rabbinate in re allegiance (and taxes).

…

The Catholic Church considers Herself the authoritative interpreter of Sacred Scripture. The 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church “is a statement of the Church’s faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition, and the Church’s Magisterium.”

The 1994 Catechism instructs the faithful that it is morally obligatory to pay one’s taxes for the common good. (What the definition of the “common good” is may be left for a different debate.) The 1994 Catechism also quotes and cites the Tribute Episode. But the 1994 Catechism does NOT use the Tribute Episode to support the proposition that it is morally obligatory to pay taxes. Instead, the 1994 Catechism refers the Tribute Episode only to justify acts of civil disobedience. It quotes St. Matthew’s version to teach that a Christian must refuse to obey political authority when that political authority makes a demand contrary to the demands of the moral order, the fundamental rights of persons, or the teachings of the Gospel. Similarly, the 1994 Catechism also cites to St. Mark’s version to instruct that a person “should not submit his personal freedom in an absolute manner to any earthly power, but only to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Caesar is not u2018the Lord.‘” Thus, according to the 1994 Catechism, the Tribute Episode stands for the proposition that a Christian owes his allegiance to God and to the things of God alone. If the Tribute Episode unequivocally supported the proposition that it is morally obligatory to pay taxes, the 1994 Catechism would not hesitate to cite to it for that position. That the 1994 Catechism does not interpret the Tribute Episode as a justification for the payment of taxes suggests that such an interpretation is not an authoritative reading of the passage. In short, even the Catholic Church does not understand the Tribute Episode to mean that Jesus endorsed paying Caesar’s taxes.

V. CONCLUSION

St. John’s Gospel recounts the scene of a woman caught in adultery, brought before Jesus by the Pharisees so that they might “test” Him “so that they could have some charge to bring against Him.” When asked, “u2018Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say,’” Jesus appears trapped by only two answers: the strict, legally-correct answer of the Pharisees, or the mercifully-right, morally-correct, but technically-illegal answer undermining Jesus’ authority as a Rabbi. Notably, Jesus never does overtly respond to the question posed to Him; instead of answering, “Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.” When pressed by His inquisitors, He finally answers, “u2018Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,’” and, of course, the shamed Pharisees all leave one by one. Jesus then refuses to condemn the woman.

The scene of the woman caught in adultery and the Tribute Episode are similar. In both, Jesus is faced with a hostile question challenging His credibility as a Rabbi. In each, the hostile question has two answers: one answer which the audience knows is morally correct, but politically incorrect, and the other answer which the audience knows is wrong, but politically correct. In the scene of the woman caught in adultery, no one roots for Jesus to say, “Stone her!” Everyone wants to see Jesus extend the woman mercy. Likewise, in the Tribute Episode, no one hopes Jesus answers, “Pay tribute to the pagan, Roman oppressors!” The Tribute Episode, like the scene of the woman caught in adultery, has a “right” answer – it is not licit to pay the tribute. But Jesus cannot give this “right” answer without running afoul of the Roman government. Instead, in both Gospel accounts, Jesus gives a quick-witted, but ultimately ambiguous, response which exposes the hypocrisy of His interrogators rather than overtly answers the underlying question posed by them. Nevertheless, in each instance, the audience can infer the right answer embedded in Jesus’ response.

Read the whole thing and what brought him to this sound, extraordinarily well-researched conclusion. Taxation is more than theft, it’s slavery. Show me the money!

Lessons from Twitter

16 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, News and Notes

≈ Comments Off on Lessons from Twitter

Tags

fear, politics, Rhetoric, Trump, Twitter

WaPo’s Charles Lane bemoans the increasing fear factor in and around political/societal discussions.

The report by More in Common, a new nonprofit dedicated to understanding and healing political polarization in the United States and Europe, is based on a nationwide survey of nearly 8,000 people conducted this past December and January.

It found that between 51 and 66 percent of Americans agree there is “pressure to think a certain way about” each of the aforementioned topics, with immigration seen as the least sensitive and Islam the most.

As Congress abdicates its role, columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. says voters must take up the role of checking President Trump. (Adriana Usero/The Washington Post)

Meanwhile, 68 percent report that “it is acceptable for me to express what I think” about race, or Islam, only among “people who are like me.” On immigration, 73 percent feel that way; on gay, lesbian and gender issues, the figure is 70 percent.

This is understandable considering the SJW swarms and the increasingly violent behavior of the radical left. The op-ed is okay: some general pandering to the history of speech policing, etc. And, they just can’t help but add a dose of irony – there’s a link to something about checking Trump’s autocratic, blah, blah, blah. It’s ironic because Trump is the one steady figure demonstrating how to just dispense with the fear and say it anyway.

He usually says it by Tweeting it. Like this one:

President Trump on Tuesday called adult-film star Stormy Daniels “Horseface” and threatened to “go after” her after he won a court victory over his alleged mistress.

“’Federal Judge throws out Stormy Danials [sic] lawsuit versus Trump. Trump is entitled to full legal fees.’ @FoxNews Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas. She will confirm the letter she signed! She knows nothing about me, a total con!’ he tweeted.

BAM!

One will note that Trump keeps doing this kind of thing and it all keeps working for him. This will too.

The lesson is: 1) live in fear and self-censor and watch the causes for self-censor multiple, or; 2) Just say it, win, and laugh while the nuts cry.

Ancient Lessons for Modern Snowflakes

28 Tuesday Aug 2018

Posted by perrinlovett in Other Columns

≈ Comments Off on Ancient Lessons for Modern Snowflakes

Tags

Cicero, Rhetoric, Trump

Cicero would certainly be banned by the Tech Cabal.

More than 2,000 years ago, the famous Roman politician Marcus Tullius Cicero once accused his enemy Clodius of incest with his brothers and sisters.

But far from being shocking to people living at the time, this type of insult was just a part of normal everyday life, according to one prominent historian.

Professor Dr Martin Jehne of the Technische Universität Dresden says modern insults are nothing compared to those flung around ancient Rome.

According to the historian’s findings, Romans could be even more cruel than the trolls of today and would often stoop to sexual slurs to insult their opponents.

Professor Jehne said withstanding and overcoming insults can ultimately have a politically stabilising effect in society, with those who exchanged vile taunts often working together in the near future.

Recall, if you can, the recent insults hurled back and forth between Trump and Kim and the ensuing peace plan (still a work in progress). Greater minds still get it. The art of the insult. Still works sometimes. Calm the Tweets.

READERS: My departure from the mainstream socials has freed me dramatically. But it has also produced a noticeable drop in traffic. Quality verses quantity, I suppose. Still, try to help by continuing to spread the word. Bring me the intelligent and the inquisitive! Thanks. P

Catalonia Illustration : Dialectic vs. Rhetoric in Political Argument

28 Saturday Oct 2017

Posted by perrinlovett in Legal/Political Columns, Other Columns

≈ Comments Off on Catalonia Illustration : Dialectic vs. Rhetoric in Political Argument

Tags

Catalonia, Dialectic, Rhetoric

It works like this:

Democracy Discussed:

Dialectic

Pro: The people have decided. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Self-determination. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Freedom. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Natural rights. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Et cetera. Blah, blah, blah.

Con: The law! Muh Constitution. ORDERED Liberty. The poor King… Blah, blah…

Rhetoric

nintchdbpict000361671486

The Sun/Reuters.

Both are effective but one kicks, eh?

Perrin Lovett

perrinlovett@gmail.com

FREE Ebook!

The Substitute – my first novel

Buy Now at Amazon. $19.95 Paperback.

Expect the fiction…

TPC COMPENDIUM – TBA

The best of my TPC columns, so far. Available when edited (someday).

The Happy Little Cigar Book

Buy From Amazon! The perfect coffee table book!

Perrin On Politics

FREE E-book! Download now~

Freedom Roasters Coffee

Right-Minded Social Media For Normal People

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • June 2012

The Freedom Prepper Video Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAICKIIvQQs

Have a Cup!

Perrin’s Columns for The Piedmont Chronicles

Perrin’s Articles at FREEDOM PREPPER

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy