On wokeness and the arts; what it means to be an American; ‘the authoritarian temptation’; a new Van Gogh painting; and more
Big news in the dance world (which means it barely registers in the general world): “Ballet dropped as audition requirement at top UK dance school in diversity drive.” Uh-oh. (For the article, go here.) A school official is quoted as saying that ballet is “built around particular white, European ideas,” etc.
Look: There are legitimate reasons to drop ballet as an audition requirement, and the school in question is not ditching ballet, as a field of study. The above-cited article makes these things clear. But there is cause for concern, as wokeness continues its march through the arts.
I will quote a wise woman, my mother: “Canceling ballet is like canceling life.” Yes. Trying to look on the bright side, and avoid alarmism, I said, “We’re talking about one school in England.” My mother replied, “Yes, but this kind of thing is contagious.”
True, true. Stop the spread (so to speak).
• Walking in D.C. the other day, I passed a Japanese-American memorial and was particularly struck by this:
Is America a matter of blood? Or of ideas? Of “hearts and minds,” as it says on the memorial? I vote the latter, of course. In the recent past, this was accepted by virtually all Americans. It was part of our self-understanding. Lately, however, the blood-and-soilers have made serious inroads, it seems to me.
When I was discussing this a couple of days ago, John J. Pitney, the political scientist at Claremont McKenna, brought up the late Peter Schramm, another political scientist. Peter was born in Hungary in 1946 and taught at Ashland University, in Ohio. Wonderful, invaluable guy.
The Schramms escaped Hungary during the uprising in 1956. Preparing the boy for what they were about to do, Peter’s father explained, “We were born Americans, but in the wrong place.”
I heard Peter relate this story to audiences — conservative audiences — many times. They loved it. Today, however, many on the right want to be Hungary.
Peter also said, many times, “My mission in life is to teach native-born Americans about the distinctive glories of their country.”
We could use a host of Peter Schramms, now and always.
• In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro is worried about reelection in the fall, and he is acting accordingly. What is he doing? Well, this headline, over this article, will clue you in: “Bolsonaro Calls Ambassadors to Cast Doubt on Electoral System.” Uh-huh. He is crying “Rigged!” in advance. He’s pulling a Trump.
• Last year, CPAC held a meeting in Brazil, under the wing of Bolsonaro. (CPAC is the American organization whose name stands for “Conservative Political Action Conference.”) This year, they held a meeting in Hungary, under the wing of Viktor Orbán. That indicates the trend of things.
I think of Charles Krauthammer, and a piece he wrote before he could write no more. He wrote it in the summer of 2017: “The Authoritarian Temptation.” He adapted the title from Jean-François Revel, who titled his 1976 book “The Totalitarian Temptation.” “The slide back away from liberal democracy is well underway,” Krauthammer wrote. He cited Hungary, among other countries.
Here is Dr. K.:
In what would have been unimaginable 25 years ago, mature Western democracies are experiencing a surge of ethno-nationalism, a blood-and-soil patriotism tinged with xenophobia, a weariness with parliamentary dysfunction and an attraction — still only an attraction, not yet a commitment — to strongman rule.
He continues,
Its most conspicuous symptom is a curious and growing affinity for Vladimir Putin, Czar of all the Russias. Remarkably, this tendency is most pronounced on the right. The reversal is head-snapping.
For many of us: true. Head-snapping.
As we could use a host of Peter Schramms, we could use a host of Charles Krauthammers, now and always.
• The thing about a dictatorship — well, there are many things about a dictatorship, but one of them is: A dictatorship is such a bully. That’s what they do: dictate; bully. They bully the poor bastards under them, and they try to bully everyone else, too.
Here’s a headline: “China says it will take ‘forceful measures’ if Pelosi visits Taiwan.” The article quotes a Chinese foreign-ministry spokesman, who says, “If the United States insists on going ahead, China will have to take firm and forceful measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Oh, for heaven’s sake. The elephant of China seems scared to death of the mouse of Taiwan. “Eek, a mouse!” And how dare an American politician visit the mouse.
The dictatorship in Beijing is a curse upon the world, and a curse upon the Chinese. And the Uyghurs, and the Tibetans, and . . .
• Did Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and others pretend to be handcuffed when they were arrested at an abortion-rights rally? There is a dispute about this. For an article, go here.
In any case, I was reminded of something related. See whether you agree with me. You know how protesters will tape their mouths shut, pretending to be silenced? This always bothered me: because many people, in unfree societies, really are silenced, or brutalized if they do speak out.
• An article from the Indianapolis Star: “‘Saving countless lives.’ Armed bystander praised for intervening in Greenwood mall shooting.” Yes. This is something that must be taken account of, in the gun debate. When someone starts shooting, with intent to kill, intent to murder — you want someone to stop him. How do you stop him? Well, probably with another gun. And you don’t always have time to wait for a badge.
There are many things to say about guns — far too many for a column such as mine — but one of those things is the following: A gun is an instrument. It can be used to murder. It can be used to prevent murder.
This is an elementary truth, which should not need to be stated. But I think it does need to be stated.
• Dan Wetzel, of Yahoo Sports, has written an excellent — a very sharp — column about Jim Harbaugh, the former NFL quarterback who is now the coach of the University of Michigan Wolverines. Jim is one of my oldest friends. (We met in the fifth grade, I believe.) The main point of Wetzel’s column is: Jim’s going to be who he is, whether people like it or not.
Recently, he spoke out against abortion, as he has in the past. (He certainly did in this podcast with me.) Many people cheered. Others booed. He has also been robust in defense of Colin Kaepernick, the controversial quarterback who is currently not playing. Many cheer Jim’s defense of Kaepernick. Others boo.
And Jim is Jim — Harbs is Harbs — regardless. I like him that way.
• This is stunning news: a new Van Gogh painting. I mean, a newly discovered one. And it is a self-portrait. What a marvelous discovery. May they keep coming, Van Gogh paintings . . .
• This is not so hot: “Beloved monarch butterflies now listed as endangered.” Dang, when did that happen? It sneaked up on me. May this problem be reversed. I remember the late Jeff Hart, a longtime NR senior editor, speaking up for environmentalism, or conservation, you could say: “Who wants to live in a world without zebras or elephants? I don’t.”
I realize that everything is in flux, always — everything mortal, that is. But I don’t want to live in a world without monarch butterflies, if it can be helped . . .
• Over the years — over the generations — many people have noted the relationship between conservatism and conservation. They are almost the same word.
• There is a man who stands outside a store near me. He’s a beggar. The most cheerful, happy beggar you’ve ever seen. And very nice. He has a kind word for everybody. He’s a little nuts, as you might imagine. Or a lot nuts. But there is so much to admire.
I’ve known him — or “known” him — for years. We exchange a few words, and I give him something.
The other night, I said, “I love your spirit. I wish I could bottle it. Do you have any advice for the rest of us?” He thought for a second and said, “Be humble.”
• Here is a restaurant with a funny name — funny to me, at least: “Naanwise.” Naan, as you know, is a type of bread.
A long, long time ago, some friends and I walked into an Indian restaurant in Ann Arbor, and the hostess said, “Smoking or non-?”
That dates my story. I think I had better explain to the young. The hostess’s question meant, “Would you like to sit in the smoking section or the non-smoking section?” (I realize, by the way, that “hostess” is an antique word.)
Anyway, she said, “Smoking or non-?” And I said, “You mean, you can’t have bread in the smoking section?”
Yeah, I know, I’m a real comedian.
• Golfers tend to be philosophers. Tour players, instructors, amateurs, writers, fans — there are all sorts of philosophies, from all sorts of people. I love what Rory McIlroy, the great Northern Irishman, said last week. It is the simplest, and the most beautiful, and the truest golf philosophy — or “philosophy” — I have ever heard:
“Just play good golf and keep hitting good shots and hit a good shot and hit another good shot after that and just try to hit good golf shots until you run out of holes.”
Hit ’em straight, y’all, and have a nice weekend.
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