Now that I have completed work on the eleventh edition of the textbook ABOUT PHILOSOPHY, perhaps I can turn my attention more fully to blogging. We are now in the last week of the dog days of Summer. We have had the absurdity of the Glenn Beck religious revival [on which the best commentary, not surprisingly, is that of Christopher Hitchens, on Slate.com], and the disastrous poll news showing the widest generic Republican-Democratic voter gap ever recorded, which suggests that the Republicans will in fact capture the House in November. The New York Mosque - Community Center hysteria seems to have died down slightly. Which leaves us looking at a truly ugly moment in American history.
I have been a faithful supporter of President Obama despite the disaster of his Afghanistan policy and many other things besides. he has one last chance to redeem himself in the present situation, it seems to me. It may well be that the White House politicos have sized up the situation and decided that it is pointless to mount an all-out political campaign until Labor Day has passed. If Obama comes out in full fighting mode after labor Day, and spends two solid months campaigning, then my faith will be restored. But if he continues in the present feckless mode, I am afraid we are in for a very bad, very ugly, time. I thought I would have the pleasure of seeing American turn to the left in my declining years, but that may be a forlorn hope.
I shall do my best to find rays of sunshine in the gloom, as befits my optimistic nature. And I shall certainly report in full on my forthcoming trip to South Africa.
Thank you for bearing with me.
