Tuesday, May 20, 2025

‘A Taste of Riches’

 

Rich and gleaming,

Wealth unseemly,

Wales from Grace is falling.

 

Saxons raiding,

Many slaying,

Britons now bewailing.

 

Modern cities

Awfully gaudy –

Leprous sores are spreading.

 

***

 

Wise and holy Gildas,

Resting quietly in Rhuys,

The pure sea breezes blowing

Gently on the shores of Brittany

 . . .

The rest is at https://www.newenglishreview.org/articles/a-taste-of-riches/.

More about St Gildas is available here:

https://orthochristian.com/90338.html

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!

Friday, May 16, 2025

‘A Fundamental Misunderstanding of the Federal Constitution’

 

Folks on the Right are irate over President Biden’s proposals to reshape the federal Supreme Court:

 

On Monday, July 29th, President Joe Biden proposed a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It would impose term limits on the justices and force them to abide by an “ethics code.” This sounds innocuous, doesn’t it? Well, it is anything but. It is the first salvo of an unabashed attempt by the Democratic Party to fundamentally alter the balance of power between the three branches of the United States government (The European Conservative).

 

Stepman noted that the court is one institution that Democrats and other leftists have yet to establish control over, and interestingly, it wasn't a problem until the court "shifted to the right." "It's a fairly ironclad rule in American politics that any institution the Left doesn't control it will ultimately seek to destroy. So it goes with the modern Supreme Court," he said. The court, in fact, now "represents a potential roadblock to their absolute power over American government." So they are demanding to remove justices with whom they disagree, and install some of their own ideological compatriots (WND).

Their analysis is correct as far as it goes, yet they are overlooking the key point about the federal constitution itself:  It was written precisely to concentrate as much power as possible in the federal government.  The separation of powers was simply a neat ploy to divert attention away from that goal of the nationalists/centralizers, to calm the fears of the localists who were fearful of throwing out the Articles of Confederation.  The historian Merrill Jensen offers some insights that are often ignored in political discussions today:

 

Politically the dominating fact of the Confederation Period was the struggle between two groups of leaders to shape the character of the state and central governments.  The revolutionary constitutions of the states placed final power in the legislatures and made the executive and judicial branches subservient to them.  The members of the colonial aristocracy who became Patriots, and new men who gained economic power during the Revolution deplored this fact, but they were unable to alter the state constitutions during the 1780’s.  Meanwhile they tried persistently to strengthen the central government.  These men were the nationalists of the 1780’s.

 

On the other hand the men who were the true federalists believed that the greatest gain of the Revolution was the independence of the several states and the creation of a central government subservient to them.  The leaders of this group . . . were Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, George Clinton, . . . and a host of less well known but no less important men in each of the States.  Most of these men believed, as a result of their experience with Great Britain before 1776 and of their reading of history, that the states could be best governed without the intervention of a powerful central government.  . . . the best of them agreed that the central government needed more power, but they wanted that power given so as not to alter the basic character of the Articles of Confederation.  Here is where they were in fundamental disagreement with the nationalists who wanted to remove the central government from the control of the state legislatures.

 

The nationalist leaders . . . were men like Robert Morris, John Jay, Gouverneur Morris, . . . George Washington, James Madison, and many lesser men.  Most of these men were by temperament or economic interest believers in executive and judicial rather than legislative control of state and central governments, in the rigorous collection of taxes, and, as creditors, in the strict payment of the public and private debts.  They declared that national honor and prestige could be maintained only by a powerful central government.  . . .  The nationalists frankly disliked the political heritage of the Revolution.  They deplored the fact there was no check upon the actions of majorities in state legislatures; that there was no central government to which minorities could appeal from the decisions of such majorities, as they had done before the Revolution.

 

 . . . Outside the Convention [of 1787 in Philadelphia that drafted the current federal constitution—W.G.] General Knox was saying that a “mad democracy sweeps away every moral trait from the human character” and that the Convention would “clip the wings of a mad democracy” (The New Nation: A History of the United States during the Confederation 1781-1789, Northeastern University Press, Boston, Mass., 1981, pgs. 424-5, 426).

We are living with the repercussions of this debate still today.  When the Red States of the South and beyond pass laws in their State legislatures to ban puberty blockers for kids, limit access for children to social media, define marriage as between one man and one woman, teach the Biblical account of creation in public schools, etc., the nationalists pronounce this an ‘excess of democracy’ whose wings must be clipped by the federal government, often by the same Supreme Court conservatives are attempting to defend at this present moment.

Conservatives/Revivalists are not wrong in wanting to maintain the integrity of the judiciary, but instead of intense and myopic focus on the federal courts, they need to broaden their view to include the State judiciaries as well.  There they will find some overlooked tools to keep big government centralizers, whether Republicans or Democrats, from dominating politically.  We will get to that momentarily.

First, however, it must be noted that arguing over separation of powers within the federal government at this point is simply arguing over who will be the main director of the despotism the States live under, the seeds of which, sown in the Philadelphia constitution, came to full fruition when Lincoln launched his war of conquest against the Southern States, which transformed a voluntary union into an involuntary empire.  The distinguished Southern historian Dr Clyde Wilson of South Carolina describes very well the conditions that folks have experienced under those opposite systems:

 . . .

The rest is at https://thehayride.com/2024/08/garlington-a-fundamental-misunderstanding-of-the-federal-constitution/.

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

‘Dereliction of Duty at the Louisiana Legislature’

 

(Things are not much different in 2025 as in 2024--W.G.)

There is a lot of instability in the world today, and the US are experiencing their share of it as well:  a presidential candidate facing assassination, inflation roaring, the economy faltering, wars flaring.  This being the case, one would expect the political leadership in Louisiana to do everything possible to shield our State from the threatening disorders.  And to their credit, they did some good things in the last session to that end.  Affirming gold and silver as legal tender will offer some protection against a weakening dollar; legislation making illegal immigration a State crime should help with physical safety; the pro-Ten Commandments and anti-trans legislation will help us spiritually; etc.

But inexplicably, they are doing the opposite vis-à-vis one of the most vital spheres of State life.  Instead of making a bit of sacrifice by holding one more special session in 2024 to get Louisiana’s economy on a secure footing, they are folding their hands, propping up their feet, and waiting until next year while the world burns all around us and while Louisiana’s people suffer unnecessarily.  Both chambers are complicit (via KATC):


“Since adjourning in June, talks have continued with Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson and others to discuss what comprehensive tax reform would look like in Louisiana,” said President Cameron Henry. “We’ve made a lot of progress, but it’s a very complicated issue that requires continued discussion. The public deserves time to see our plans and understand the implications for their families and their businesses. We want to get this right.”

 

“The House is committed to tackling tax reform and plans to meet in the interim as often as it can on a number of issues including insurance, transportation, and several others to keep a spotlight on the needs of the state and develop solutions that can be brought forward next session,” said Speaker DeVillier. “We have a group of legislators this term who know we have to think differently if we’re going to make Louisiana more competitive and prosperous, and we are committed to reaching that goal in due time.”

‘In due time.’  That’s a gut-punch to the plainfolk throughout Louisiana who are struggling right now and will probably be struggling even more in early 2025 while Mr DeVillier, Mr Henry, et al., bump their gums in their calm, stress-free discussion groups.

It is not as though solutions and plans don’t already exist.  The Pelican Institute, Paul Hurd, and others have put forward plans on tax reform.  It would be a simple matter for the Legislature to analyze and adopt one of them.  But they stubbornly refuse to do so.

Good shepherds they are not:  ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.  . . .  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep’ (St John’s Gospel 10:11, 13).

The contrast with real self-sacrifice for others couldn’t be more depressing.  To remind everyone, including Louisiana’s legislators, what it looks like, we turn to an unsung, heroic missionary of the Orthodox Church to the Native Americans in Alaska in the 19th century, St Jacob Netsvetov:


The new assignment for the newly-ordained Father Jacob would also prove to be quite a challenge. The Atka “parish” comprised a territory stretching for nearly 2,000 miles and included Amchitka, Attu, Copper, Bering and Kurile Islands. But this did not deter the godly young priest, for when he was clothed in the garments of the Priesthood, he was found to be “clad with zeal as a cloak’ (Is. 59:17), and so he threw himself wholly into his sacred ministry. His deep love for God and for his flock was evident in everything that he did. Both in Atka and in the distant villages and settlements which he visited, Father Jacob offered himself as a “living sacrifice” (Rom 12:1). Having “no worry about his life” (Mt. 6:25 ff), the holy one endured manifold tortures of cold, wet, wind, illness, hunger and exhaustion, for to him life was Christ (Phil 1:21).

Where, we wonder, is the zeal of our legislators to make themselves ‘living sacrifices’ for the sake of bettering the lives of Louisianans?

His labors were diverse, and he was always active in serving others:

 . . .

The rest is at https://thehayride.com/2024/07/garlington-dereliction-of-duty-at-the-louisiana-legislature/.

--

Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!

Friday, May 9, 2025

‘A Preview of Judging Athena’

 

By Perrin Lovett

I knew the answer, of course, but a man sometimes likes a second opinion. And, in a world first, I think I got a completely succinct, unbiased, and accurate answer from an AI bot. I asked Brave’s browser if it is considered crass to write a review of one’s own book. The machine quickly told me, “Yes.” I knew it was right because the yes didn’t have any extra fingers. And because it is crass, as everyone already knows. So instead of being an oaf, I’ll just tell you a few quick things about my new romance novel and provide a short preview section. Judging Athena is available from Green Altar Books and Amazon (there are substantial previews linked at both sites, by the way). Why not buy ten or twenty copies?!

In addition to being a wonderful, innocent love story of the kind the literary world has seemingly forgotten, the book provides a healthy dose of Christian apologetics aimed at fostering romantic connections between men and women and the joint salvation found in the small church of the family home. There’s also copious treatment of general salvation along with a variant of extreme rarity. Here’s my “what makes this book stand out” statement from an (unsuccessful) literary agent query:

The tide is turning. Outside the West, the majority of humanity is already hard at work dispensing with the overt lies, destruction, and satanism of the Enlightenment. Even within the West, the pendulum is beginning to swing back towards tradition and sanity. The day of all things, including literature, that are anti-God, anti-human, and anti-family is ending now. Judging Athena, with its innocent, Godly narrative, provides a pleasant, positive alternative to the rank filth heaped upon mankind for much of the past century. While a novel and fantastical example, it is also a stern example of several combined Biblical and Patriarchal themes designed by God to bless men, women, children, societies, and nations, all with a constant and reverent eye toward achieving the glory of salvation in Heaven. The book is also fun and refreshing. Good and decent people want good, decent fiction.

Furthermore, the explicated or championed return to tradition and family life is exactly what is desperately needed to keep places like America, Russia, and France French, Russian, and American. After all, ideology and culture are downstream from identity, and identity comes from people. People come from families. You know, moms, dads, and children? We’ve got work to do, friends, but like the book, it will be fun and rewarding. For what it’s worth, also know ye that the little book features such treasures as a philology riddle, a few very light instances of action, a modicum of space travel (way faster than Warp Drive), roses by the bushel, a funeral for a spider, and more. There’s also a creative (and licensed) inclusion of part of this lovely tune by the lovely Sima Itayim!

By the way, if you happen to be a member of AALA, I’m honestly looking for marketing, foreign translation, and potential film rights assistance. Pause for the cause???

Next time, I think I shall return to the geopolitical with an eye on America’s new place in the global pecking order. My working title for that is “Breaking Ranks”. You’ll know it when… Blabbity, blabbity, blah. Here’s the first short, sweet chapter of Judging Athena. Enjoy, and as always, Deo vindice

One – Made of Finest Nickel

The temperature slowly descended as the oppressive gray of twilight gave way to another early New England night. The young man sheltered beneath the lofty portico, between sturdy stone columns afore the entrance of the impressive structure. He looked some distance down the long, dark sidewalk and across the street, back towards the parking lot and his car. The distant lamp was well-placed and provided nearly ample lighting, though, of course, the time and the weather failed to fully cooperate. At just a tad after six o’clock, the afternoon, or the evening, held a darkness better suited to a damp midnight. It was, after all, if he had reasoned, the middle of November. And the chill threatened to give way to hard cold, a stern preview of the approaching winter. Not the first snowflake had he yet glimpsed that fall, but that afternoon, or since he’d left work some thirty or so minutes earlier, a healthy if depressing sleet had presented itself in force. Even where he stood, the rise, fall, and whip of the wind brought more tinkles of slush to his face and coat. The resulting sensation, along with a semi-long squint of a look at his older Honda Civic, brought recent words back to his mind.

‘Yeah, you’re gonna need it sooner or later. Maybe sooner than later,’ the mechanic had told him. ‘For you, I can get a new radiator in there for, lemme just say, give or take, about seven-fifty. Could do it in one day. If they got the parts, of course.’

‘Seven-fifty,’ he’d quoted back somewhat hazily to the kindly man.

‘Give or take.’

‘With the— If I needed any related tuning or if something else needed replacing, would I be safer budgeting a flat thousand?’

‘You know your car, young feller,’ the mechanic said. ‘Heater core, worn tires, et cetera. Eventually, it’ll be more like a couple grand. But, yeah, a thousand would make it easy for now. And just so you know, I think she’s got a few more miles and maybe months left in her. I do know money is tight. Just keep an eye on the gauge and the reservoir level until you’re ready. I’ll be here, so lemme know.’

‘Thank you very much.’

‘And back to the flakes,’ the mechanic said, ‘nobody claims they like ‘em, but in a case like this, I say just sprinkle as needed and trust the good Lord to get you through.’

They both laughed at the time. Back under the awning, the young man suddenly wondered if he had any flakes left in that little jar. He simply couldn’t remember. He needed to budget—even more than he usually did—but the poor man’s antifreeze fix was pretty cheap. He looked and squinted again now that the wind had died just a bit. From his vantage point, he didn’t see any steam coming from under the hood. That was well. He didn’t have a thousand dollars or even the suggested seven-fifty. The situation made the Lord’s trust mandatory and, accordingly, something else to be grateful for. Turning to go through the large, heavy doors, he thought a little more about his finances.

Once inside both sets of doors, he stopped just inside the little entry alcove before the main landing and rotunda. After shaking slush from his hair and water-resistant medium-weight jacket, he momentarily took out his phone. In a jiffy, he’d punched up his meager checking account. Based on what he needed to set aside for rent and the basics until the next payday, he simply didn’t have the money for major repairs. Not just yet. He said a quick trustful prayer about it all and then turned off his analytical mind; he had a different kind of necessity to purchase, one that wasn’t about him, and, thus, to his mind, far more important. With a sigh of determination, he pocketed the phone and walked deeper into the main hall.

Fully surrounded by its environment, he was reminded how much he enjoyed the Gallery. In addition to so much visual detail and subdued excitement, it had the pleasant smell of a good museum or library, and the temperature and humidity were always perfect. But on that evening, and at that hour, he felt like he was all alone there. He saw no one else and he couldn’t make out the first voice or footfall. Regardless, he walked on toward fulfilling his little mission. Just before taking his next step, he thought, perhaps prophetically, certainly fortuitously, to pop a breath mint into his mouth. A turn to his right and he saw the main reception desk. No one was there. Walking just past it and turning again to his right, he found the gift shop. Still observing no one about, he slowly walked inside.

It was as he remembered it: well-lit, modern, comfortable, and full of interesting merchandise, though he understood more than a few of the wares were a little pricey. He was just beginning to earnestly look around, wondering exactly what he wanted and how much it would set him back, when he thought he heard sweet, soft music playing. As if in a dream, he tried to listen to the melody. Suddenly, he realized the song had lyrics. Or were they plain spoken words? Something suggested they were. In fact, he almost thought some enchanting voice was speaking to him, saying, ‘Just a moment, and I’ll be there.’

And just like that, someone was there. He saw her coming from the corner of his eye. ‘Hello,’ she said, approaching him with a smile. ‘My sincerest apologies if I’ve kept you waiting.’

He just looked in the direction of the voice and froze, staring in disbelief. The sound of her speech was enough to bend time; it was clear, concise English, but it bore the supple hint of an accent he simply could not place. Given enough time, he might have reluctantly, unimaginatively decided it could have been a French accent. But the temporal temporarily evaded him. If her voice slowed perception, then the sight and beholding of her brought time and space to a complete standstill. Before him was, as best he could describe her, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Or even dreamed of seeing. In fact, he instantly decided he was looking at the most beautiful woman in all the world, maybe of all time.

He discerned a nearly supernatural being, one of impossible, definitional, and divine beauty made or forced to be painfully visible, almost palpable, visceral. She was tall for a woman, about his height. He wasn’t sure if she was wearing heels. If so, then she might have overtopped him by half an inch. Her proportions were simply perfect as displayed by way of proffer through the elegant gray dress or skirt suit she wore. She had the longest, silkiest, blackest hair imaginable. Piercing eyes shined forth from an angelic face without flaw. Her irises flickered like lightning, though he was unsure of their exact color, at one imperceptible millisecond appearing blue, then gray, then hazel, and then some alluring, undefinable combination. If she wore any makeup, it was minimalistic. Her face and body defied any sign of age; if he had to guess, if his life depended on it, he would have said she was a little older than him, perhaps in her late twenties. She was a young woman in her utter prime, the ideal specimen. And somehow he felt as much as saw a glow about her. She was smiling, friendly, honestly, and kindly with rich red lips as she slowly advanced towards him. Before her wafted a smell sweeter than any flower, a scent that, even as it demanded attention or even adoration, almost physically pushed him away like the strong breeze at the edge of a hurricane. Helpless and deprived of his clear senses, he took a step backward. He felt his pulse begin to race. The rapid beat felt so good, if the feeling did cause him additional slight confusion, possibly alarm, something between fear and glee. Yet, truth be told, it was probably much closer to pure glee.

 . . .

The rest is at https://perrinlovett.me/2025/05/04/special-sunday-preview-of-judging-athena/.

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!