{"id":44602,"date":"2022-01-25T10:18:06","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T18:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clairewolfe.com\/blog\/?p=44602"},"modified":"2022-01-25T12:26:56","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T20:26:56","slug":"things-i-believe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clairewolfe.com\/blog\/2022\/01\/25\/things-i-believe\/","title":{"rendered":"Things I believe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not comprehensive. Just random morning thoughts about things that matter, things that are at the heart of many other things. I would love to hear your version.<\/em><\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

I believe:<\/p>\n

That compromise can be a useful tool, but never<\/em> for matters of principle.<\/p>\n

That we should not become like our enemies.<\/p>\n

I believe in freedom.<\/p>\n

That the individual is the building block of freedom. But that other<\/em> individuals share the world with us in equality of natural rights and we proud individuals had best darned well not forget it.<\/p>\n

That dogs are the crown of creation.<\/p>\n

That totalitarianism can’t last, and at the right time will fall with the slightest shove.<\/p>\n

I believe the right time is impossible to know until it’s upon us. And maybe not even then. But once it happens, we owe our best mama-bear efforts.<\/p>\n

That, beyond the basics, education should be for those who love to learn or who learn because they want to do<\/em>. School should not be a holding pen for superannuated children.<\/p>\n

That nobody is looking out for us. We are on our own.<\/p>\n

I believe in diversity. Diversity of ideas and (consenting adult) life choices, above all.<\/p>\n

That after a shaky start in life, I have become among the most fortunate of women.<\/p>\n

That for most of humanity, and deep in our genes, male is male and female is female. If you fit some other mold or no mold at all, more power to you. Enjoy your life, gain respect, live in safety, but do not demand that the world pay you homage.<\/p>\n

That we all have different paths to freedom and we should never assume that everyone<\/em> will, or should, follow our own.<\/p>\n

That anybody who advocates utter annihilation of their (or even “our”) enemies is<\/em> an enemy. Also a damnfool for not recognizing the part their death wishes have played in history. This is true of both “left” and “right” — both turning scarily in that direction now.<\/p>\n

I believe many of us have finally reached our long-speculated-upon line in the sand. Our would-be rulers are fools for not knowing that.<\/p>\n

That those who separate themselves from the political world and go their own way for the purpose of preserving or (eventually) rebuilding culture<\/em> are as important, and maybe more important, in the long run that those who think only in terms of battle.<\/p>\n

That the people who think of battle are important. And their time may come. But those guys can easily lose perspective. And just as easily become the new boss who looks just like the old boss.<\/p>\n

That battle will come upon us all, but it won’t look like anybody expects. Nor will it yield any definitive results.<\/p>\n

That sometimes discretion looks like cowardice or inaction when it may be far from either.<\/p>\n

I believe in beauty and will live and die a blue-collar aesthete, no matter how ugly the world gets or how many vital issues draw my attention.<\/p>\n

That “We Built this City” isn’t as terrible a song as everybody likes to pretend it is and that it makes me smile and want to dance every time I hear it.<\/p>\n

That the best movie soundtrack ever is from Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs.” And the second-best is the one Mikis Theodorakis wrote for the 1968 movie “Z” even though he was in prison for being a communist<\/del> defending his art against authoritarians who censored and banned it at the time.<\/p>\n

That the best movie comedy ever is “Galaxyquest,” followed by “Love, Actually,” “Zombieland,” “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” and “Ghostbusters.” (The first Ghostbusters. Not the rest of them, please.) “Revenge of the Nerds III” ranks higher than I like to admit.<\/p>\n

Artists don’t have to be nice people (but I like it better when they are).<\/p>\n

That it’s more important to be a good, growing, kind human being than to be “great” in public achievements. (However, if niceness is the standard of judgment, then Keanu Reeves is the greatest actor in Hollywood.)<\/p>\n

That even if freedom doesn’t prevail, it will arise.<\/p>\n

That you can censor the signal. You can’t stop the signal. (True whether you’re a Facebook or Fox exec, or Nicolai Ceaucescu.)<\/p>\n

That all the electronics in the world won’t eliminate physical books.<\/p>\n

That love won’t conquer all, even if we could agree on a definition for that slippery word. But when you find — or create! — the real thing it goes a long way toward making the rest endurable.<\/p>\n

That Trixie the Tailless Wonder dog is being a complete PITA right now and keeping me from thinking deeply. I believe that playing fetch with Trixie may be the best thing I can do today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not comprehensive. Just random morning thoughts about things that matter, things that are at the heart of many other things. I would love to hear your version. —– I believe: That compromise can be a useful tool, but never for matters of principle. That we should not become like our enemies. I believe in freedom. That the individual is the building block of freedom. But that other individuals share the world with us in equality of natural rights and we proud individuals had best darned well not forget it. That dogs are the crown of creation. That totalitarianism can’t last,…<\/p>\n

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