Reason, Rights, and Science Are What Made America Great

[DeLamar.J]

July Fourth Celebrates America's and the West's Core Values: Reason, Rights, and Science Are What Made America Great
by Edwin A. Locke (June 23, 2006)

Article website address: http://www.CapMag.com/article.asp?ID=4688

Why should we celebrate the Fourth of July? Because America -- as the greatest product of Western civilization -- is the greatest country in the world. But it cannot remain great unless we understand the causes of its greatness.

In this age of diversity-worship, it is considered axiomatic that all cultures and countries are equal. Western culture, it is declared, is in no way superior to that of any other, not even to tribes of cannibals. To deny the equality of all cultures, claim the intellectuals, is to be guilty of the most heinous of intellectual sins: "ethnocentrism." It is to flout the "sacred" (and false) principle of cultural relativism. I disagree with the relativists -- absolutely.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Right now America is the greatest....but look at history...things change.

My guess China will be the next biggest Nation to take over the spot..give or take a few generations....Aloha

 

[michaeledward]

When citizens are not aware of how their government functions, it is doomed for decline.

In a recent survey among college aged students, a significant percentage of students said that Newspapers must have government approval for the reports they publish. This can be seen in the reaction to the New York Times recent publication of the monitoring of SWIFT.

When our fellow citizens do not understand the First Amendment to the Constitution, how much future for the country can there be?

 

[hardheadjarhead]

The pasted article above had elements of what James Marone would call "The Puritan Jeremiad."

It minimizes intellectuals in suggesting they all embrace cultural relativism (something the article doesn't adequately define). It dances back and forth between conservative and liberal laments summed up in the final paragraph and defends none of them to any depth.

I doubt anyone on the political spectrum could substantially defend this piece. A Christian conservative would be attracted to its surface jingoism and "pro-life" stance, but then taken aback by its advocacy for technology and its damning of religious dogma. A liberal might find appeal in its support of reason and separation of church and state, but would find little else in it that is anything but threatening.

The line about replacing reason with skepticism is simply silly. Last I checked, skepticism was a tool of reason. Perhaps the author meant cynical skepticism...an argument could be made for that.

This piece reminded me of something a well-read senior in high school (at least my high school) might be able to crank out. Tackling a subject that could fill the pages of a book and summarizing it in one page...that's a bit much for the writer. I'd give it a "B" and note in the margin that the student needs to flesh out and defend his points.

Regards,


Steve