We can’t shy away from recognizing ugliness in all its forms whether it be in actions, ideas, or appearance. And we can’t be afraid to call it out wherever it is. I’m always reminded of the observation that leftists and feminists put no effort into their personal appearance or intentionally make themselves ugly. They have to. Because their belief in the collective is paramount. If you believe in the collective, then any effort to improve yourself or even your appearance reveals that the individual can make a difference. So they focus on being the opposite anything that is beautiful. I think there’s a lot of truth in that.
This I suppose is what Isaiah was talking about when he said, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." That about sums up our topsey-turvey world. Perilous times...
Great column but I believe Klavan the younger already knows the answer to his questions at the end of the article. Revelation still occurs, unless you are going to discount the great and inspired thinkers who have continued to reveal the Truth through their writings and lives. We call them Saints, and I know that many, including Aquinas, are respected by Spencer. Perhaps all; I do not know. Hardly matters, as there are many other actions that I believe are divinely inspired and truly revelatory. How can one account for the transcendent beauty of the Renaissance, the truth revealed by truly great art? Jordan Peterson and others have remarked that truly great art reveals far more than mere words can. I believe such art to be inspired as well. Did great artists also depict ugliness, depravity and so on? Absolutely. Anything created by God can be perverted (see Supper, Last and Olympics, Paris 2024). That does not negate the great, glorious and beautiful. Remember that Satan and his minions can only pervert, not create.
Catholic tradition and teaching holds that we learn God’s revelation through scripture and Tradition. St. Paul and others wrote in their letters, and Jesus stated, “there is much more I want to tell you but you cannot bear it now”. Paul also promised additional teaching is forthcoming. I believe fully that the Spirit, sent down on Pentecost, is with us each day, and reaches out to each of us. Some are touched so profoundly that they live truly inspired lives and are living examples to the rest of us. We have been blessed to be alive and breathing the same air as many great saints of our own time, most notably St. Theresa of Calcutta and Pope St. John Paul II. There are many others. We need to be open to their lives and teachings. That little whispering, barely more than a murmur, is there. It will reach us if we allow it and listen for it.
Like you have been trying to teach us, the only way to save the tree
Is by grafting in young and healthy branches. This takes time patience,and care. Above all, it means looking to the Master of the vineyard who loves it even more than us and is willing to
gve it as much time, patience, and care as it takes. The work we need to be about is working with the Master and maybe not looking forward to when the whole vineyard is only good for burning? You have convinced me there is still good fruit to come and for that, I thank you.
Of course the irony is that Trotsky was one of the first to die at the hands of Stalin, so that lack of reverence for spark of God in the human person came home to roost pretty quickly. It’s a bummer when you are the recipient of your own brutal machinations.
I apologize for an error in this message. Trotsky wasn’t killed until 1940. And Stalin took over as the Supreme leader in 1924. So he managed to stick around longer than I remembered. (I wasn’t around in 1924 or 1940, just to make that clear 🤪)
Wow. You have a way with words, Mr. Klavan. These startling, yet somewhat obvious truths, stated in a non-obvious way, are a delight to read. Thank you.
"But Trotsky’s original brand of old-fashioned Russian Marxism, unlike the grade-school crayon version we call “woke,” can actually help clarify some things. Namely, it can help us see why truly radical movements always end up smeared in ugliness and filth. They have to."
"They Didn't Do It The Right Way, They didn't Do It The Wrong Way, They Did It The Only Way."
Trotsky escaped USSR and was living in Mexico when he was assassinated by a USSR agent with an ice axe to the head in 1940. Quite a bit longer than many of his other original corevolutionaries.
We can’t shy away from recognizing ugliness in all its forms whether it be in actions, ideas, or appearance. And we can’t be afraid to call it out wherever it is. I’m always reminded of the observation that leftists and feminists put no effort into their personal appearance or intentionally make themselves ugly. They have to. Because their belief in the collective is paramount. If you believe in the collective, then any effort to improve yourself or even your appearance reveals that the individual can make a difference. So they focus on being the opposite anything that is beautiful. I think there’s a lot of truth in that.
To answer your final question: yes. New fruit that may be expressed as new wine. Just don't expect it to do well in old, brittle wineskins.
This I suppose is what Isaiah was talking about when he said, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." That about sums up our topsey-turvey world. Perilous times...
Great column but I believe Klavan the younger already knows the answer to his questions at the end of the article. Revelation still occurs, unless you are going to discount the great and inspired thinkers who have continued to reveal the Truth through their writings and lives. We call them Saints, and I know that many, including Aquinas, are respected by Spencer. Perhaps all; I do not know. Hardly matters, as there are many other actions that I believe are divinely inspired and truly revelatory. How can one account for the transcendent beauty of the Renaissance, the truth revealed by truly great art? Jordan Peterson and others have remarked that truly great art reveals far more than mere words can. I believe such art to be inspired as well. Did great artists also depict ugliness, depravity and so on? Absolutely. Anything created by God can be perverted (see Supper, Last and Olympics, Paris 2024). That does not negate the great, glorious and beautiful. Remember that Satan and his minions can only pervert, not create.
Catholic tradition and teaching holds that we learn God’s revelation through scripture and Tradition. St. Paul and others wrote in their letters, and Jesus stated, “there is much more I want to tell you but you cannot bear it now”. Paul also promised additional teaching is forthcoming. I believe fully that the Spirit, sent down on Pentecost, is with us each day, and reaches out to each of us. Some are touched so profoundly that they live truly inspired lives and are living examples to the rest of us. We have been blessed to be alive and breathing the same air as many great saints of our own time, most notably St. Theresa of Calcutta and Pope St. John Paul II. There are many others. We need to be open to their lives and teachings. That little whispering, barely more than a murmur, is there. It will reach us if we allow it and listen for it.
Like you have been trying to teach us, the only way to save the tree
Is by grafting in young and healthy branches. This takes time patience,and care. Above all, it means looking to the Master of the vineyard who loves it even more than us and is willing to
gve it as much time, patience, and care as it takes. The work we need to be about is working with the Master and maybe not looking forward to when the whole vineyard is only good for burning? You have convinced me there is still good fruit to come and for that, I thank you.
Of course the irony is that Trotsky was one of the first to die at the hands of Stalin, so that lack of reverence for spark of God in the human person came home to roost pretty quickly. It’s a bummer when you are the recipient of your own brutal machinations.
I apologize for an error in this message. Trotsky wasn’t killed until 1940. And Stalin took over as the Supreme leader in 1924. So he managed to stick around longer than I remembered. (I wasn’t around in 1924 or 1940, just to make that clear 🤪)
Wow. You have a way with words, Mr. Klavan. These startling, yet somewhat obvious truths, stated in a non-obvious way, are a delight to read. Thank you.
Psalm 149:4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
"But Trotsky’s original brand of old-fashioned Russian Marxism, unlike the grade-school crayon version we call “woke,” can actually help clarify some things. Namely, it can help us see why truly radical movements always end up smeared in ugliness and filth. They have to."
"They Didn't Do It The Right Way, They didn't Do It The Wrong Way, They Did It The Only Way."
Bill Whittle "Empire Of Terror
Trotsky escaped USSR and was living in Mexico when he was assassinated by a USSR agent with an ice axe to the head in 1940. Quite a bit longer than many of his other original corevolutionaries.