Note

I just realized that I was getting comments, but they were being sent to an old and now defunct email address. I've updated it and should see when people comment from now on.

I appreciate the comments, its always nice to know that I'm not just shouting into the void here.

I'm currently trying to sort out my thoughts on the recent spate of right wing "we're out of power so lets have a revolution" writings. I can see how some people would draw a direct paralell between those and my writings here, but what I hope to address directly is the fact that they ask the same questions that I do, but come up with totally different answers using totally different lines of reasoning.

My central value has always been the preservation of civilization (and yes, I am motivated in this by selfish as well as altrusitic reasons: I like toilet paper, indoor plumbing, and video games). My conclusions when pondering the use of force as a political tool is that it is incredibly dangerous and has in almost all cases backfired. The trick, as always, is trying to sort out why it worked in the American and French revolutions, and failed in so many others.

I suspect it has a lot to do with the enlightenment.

I know this is, in retrospect, a rather content free post, so here's an archive link to an old article I wrote for the student paper at my University, Give the French a Break.