鉄侍 THE IRON SAMURAI

Zen & the Balance of Extremes

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Nabokov on Poshlost, Cliché, & Philistinism "Poshlost speaks in such concepts as 'America is no better than Russia' or 'We all share in Germany’s guilt'."

by Nick Horton

From an interview in the Paris Review. INTERVIEWER What is most characteristic of poshlust in contemporary writing? Are there temptations for you in the sin of poshlust? Have you ever fallen? NABOKOV “Poshlust,” or in a better transliteration poshlost, has many nuances, and evidently I have not described them clearly enough in my little book… [Read More]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: america, Nabokov, politics, writing

Nabokov on Being an American "I'm as American as April in Arizona."

by Nick Horton

From an interview with Vladimir Nabokov in the Paris Review. He was asked, “Do you feel American?” “Yes, I do. I am as American as April in Arizona. The flora, the fauna, the air of the western states, are my links with Asiatic and Arctic Russia. Of course, I owe too much to the Russian… [Read More]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: america, interviews, Nabokov, quotes

Academic Freedom & Integrity – Quote: Alan Bloom

by Nick Horton

One cannot say that we must defend academic freedom when there are grave doubts about the principles underlying academic freedom…. In order to find out why we have fallen on such hard times, we must recognize that the foundations of the university have become extremely doubtful to the highest intelligences. Our petty tribulations have great… [Read More]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Alan Bloom, america, Education, freedom

Lincoln & The Speech At Peoria: Slavery & The Roots Of War

by Nick Horton

“But if the negro is a man, is it not to that extent a total destruction of self-government to say that he too shall not govern himself? When the white man governs himself, that is self-government; but when he governs himself and also governs another man, that is more than self-government — that is despotism”… [Read More]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: america, jefferson, lincoln, slavery, speeches

Common Core: Why Americans Will Always Suck At Math

by Nick Horton

Remember when you were a kid and your Mom told you to clean your room. What did you do? You shoved all your toys (and other crap) under the bed, in a frantic explosion of “work” that took all of 5 seconds, and you called out, “Mom! I’m done!” You were proud of yourself. You… [Read More]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: america, Education, math

The Declining State Of The American Mind: Foo vs Bar

by Nick Horton

Sumo wrestling champions are rarely Japanese anymore. They hail from poorer places like Mongolia, Samoa, even Bulgaria where kids have a deeper incentive to train hard. Understandably, the Japanese don’t like what this says about the declining athleticism, drive, and motivation of their own youth. After all: what does it say about your national sport,… [Read More]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: america, coaching, Sumo

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