Latest Posts
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Against Intellectual Instrumentalism
Next time you see talking-head "experts" on the cable news shows, keep this in mind: The Master said: "A noble-minded man is not an implement." (Alternative translation: "A gentleman is not a pot.") Analects, 2.12 … Continue reading
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A Favorite Passage
We set out like ingenious machines declaring "yes this" and "no that." Or we hold fast like oath-bound warriors defending victory. We can say that to fade away day by day is to die like autumn into winter. But we’re… Continue reading
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A Quick Post from Beijing
Turns out I can access Typepad in China. Here I am, sitting in the business center of the Grand Hotel in Beijing, typing away at the blog. I know that some of what I have written over the… Continue reading
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How many meetings have you been in where something like this happened?
To wear yourself out illuminating the unity of all things without realizing that they’re the same – this is called "three in the morning." Why "three in the morning?" There was once a monkey trainer who said at feeding time,… Continue reading
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Taoist altruism
Sincere words are never beautifuland beautiful words never sincere.The noble are never eloquent and the eloquent never noble.The knowing are never learnedand the learned never knowing. A sage never hoards: the more you do for others the more plenty is… Continue reading
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Absence/Presence
If all goes well this post will appear while I am gone. Neat, huh? I thought it would be nice to reflect upon the notion of "presence" in my absence. More seriously, the relation of presence and absence… Continue reading
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Going to China
Blogging will be intermittent for the next two weeks. My wife and daughter and I are going on a two week tour of China. It should be fun. For me, it will take me back to Beijing and… Continue reading
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The Wages of Inhumanity
Zarqawi is dead. Good riddance. I have little to add to the wall-to-wall coverage, except to say he was profoundly inhumane and, for that, his death is a relief. For incisive analysis, see my friend the Aardvark. Continue reading
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Victory Uber Alles
Max Boot trots out a tired old "ends justify the means" argument as he casts about for some way to salvage the war he has supported from the start: …What matters most to most folks back home is… Continue reading
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Haditha and Sun Tzu
Blogger Sun Bin makes the connection today between the deteriorating US military position in Iraq, as exemplified by the Haditha massacre, and the classical Chinese strategist Sun Tzu. He argues that the breakdown in discipline on the part… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 