Sibling Rivalry

Radical Civility

2006-02-19T21:13:00.000-05:00

Cats Are Democrats, Dogs Are Republicans

2005-02-13T11:43:00.000-05:00

Getting Beyond the Stereotypes

2005-02-09T01:50:00.000-05:00

Today Sibling Rivalry reprints portions of two recent commentaries by Charles Colson, famous as the Nixon White House henchman who, a quarter century ago, found Christianity and then founded a ministry known as Prison Fellowship. (See The New Civil War and PEAD.)

The idea for reprinting Colson's work comes from Red Bro--still evidently figuring out the system. There's some kind of cheap shot there, but a) I don't know what it is; and b) here at Sibling Rivalry we don't go in for cheap shots. Much. Maybe the "Ann Coulter's beauty secret" thing.

Colson is one of the most respected figures within evangelical Chrisian circles, but because he models a spirit of respectful engagement with his political opponents rather than the scorched earth attitude that characterizes the stereotypic evangelical voice, the pundits seldom invite him to appear on their shows. Too bad. Political dialogue also matters in a republic, and never more urgently than now. Whether you're on the left or right, Colson provides an example of how to conduct it.

PEAD

2005-02-09T01:47:00.000-05:00

PEAD
What I Learned

BreakPoint with Charles Colson

February 7, 2005

I’ve been through withdrawal—no, not drugs or alcohol. My addiction was PEAD, that is, pre-election anxiety disorder. I became a junkie, hooked on cable network news-talk.

Through the campaign, after dinner when I was home, I parked myself in front of the tube (something I normally warn against) and surfed the cable talk shows, hungry for the latest tidbit about the Bush-Kerry contest. And I wasn’t above shouting at the TV as the Kerry supporters battled the Bush supporters.

I was not alone. The ratings show that millions of Americans did the same thing.

What do we do after the election? I guess I had gotten so used to it, I stayed glued to the evening cable-talk shows. Then one night in mid-December, I had two blinding revelations.

Full article

The New Civil War

2005-02-09T01:43:00.000-05:00

Christians Must be Driven by the Common Good

By Charles Colson with Anne Morse

January 24, 2004

Among sophisticates on Manhattan's Upper East Side and in Georgetown salons, President Bush's victory last November brought much wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of (fashionable) garments. Disgruntled "blue" voters threatened to move overseas to escape the "jihadists" and "mullahs" now running—and ruining—America.

In a column entitled "Two Nations Under God," The New York Times's Thomas Friedman said he woke up the morning after the election "deeply troubled" because "they [Bush and company] favor a whole different kind of America from me." Amen, echoed Tina Brown in The Washington Post: "New Yorkers don't want to live in a republic of fear."

As these liberal laments demonstrate, what we witnessed in this election is a continuing deepening of hostilities between "red" and "blue" states—Retros and Metros. Historian Gertrude Himmelfarb described this phenomenon as two cultures existing within one nation. She believes these two can coexist peacefully; I wonder. Americans are engaged in a civil war carried on by other means; as with the first Civil War, fundamental issues divide us.

How did we get into this mess?

Full article

Red Bro's First Post: A Reply to "Page 132"

2005-02-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Red Bro (who has elected, BTW, to use that as his nom de guerre) has submitted his first post to Sibling Rivalry. He's still learning the technical aspects of Blogger, so he sent it to me via email. I post it on his behalf:

In response to Page 132, Red Bro writes:

I think it is a crock of crap. My church, which is conservative and evangelical, recently took a special offering to help the victims of the tsunami. With about 700 in attendence at both services, the church raised almost $10k. I guess it is OK when we follow Biblical principles to help the helpless , but not OK when we apply the same Bible to inform us of what is right and wrong. You cannot take Scripture seriously and ignore the undergirding moral principles. That these more closely resemble the ideals of the Republican party is a lick on the Democrats. Morality has always been the province of the church, even the most ardent materialist acknowledges this. Calling moral views "political" attempts to place them in the sphere of human control with individual choice determining right and wrong. This is anathema to the devout Jew, Muslim or Christian. I remain a Christian first and am only a Republican as long as the party reflects my viewpoint, not the other way around.

The Art of Blog: For the Would-Be Blognoscenti

2005-02-02T04:10:00.000-05:00

The Metaphysics of Blogging

There Is Nothing Outside the Blog
Blog Overkill: The Danger of Hyping a Good Thing into the Ground
Blogs, Bandwidth and Banjos
Warning: Blogs Can Be Infectious
New Kids on the Blog
Random Reality Bites

How to Blog

Everything You Wanted To Know About Blogging But Were Afraid to Ask
47 Tips from the World's Best Bloggers

Don't Fear the Blog: A Guide for Academics

Academics Give Lessons on Blogs
The Historian and the Internet (syllabus)
How People Learn
Virtual Panel Participation

Essays by Academics Who Blog

Burke's Home for Imaginary Friends - Timothy Burke, Swarthmore College
Word and Flesh - Ralph E. Luker

Blogging the Book

The Long Tail: A Public Diary on the Way to a Book
Thomas P.M. Barnett's WebLog (Draft material for a book)
Break of Day in the Trenches (PhD dissertation)
The Red Couch

I Talk Back To Kos

2005-01-31T13:17:00.000-05:00

Just posted this on Kos: "The Vietnam analogy is tendentious

because we know the outcome in Vietnam, and the dominant view among historians is that it couldn't realistically have gone down another way.

The better analogy is to the Reconstruction South in 1868. That's the year that so-called Radical Reconstruction kicked in, the new Southern state constitutions went into effect, and African Americans got to vote for the first time. That, like the elections yesterday, was also heartening. "It is the hardest thing in the world to keep a negro away from the polls," noted one white Southerner ruefully. "That is the one thing he will do, to vote."

Well, we know how Reconstruction turned out too. But the chance for a different outcome was better, especially at an early stage like 1868, though major riots and political violence already had shown that change in the old order would meet lethal resistance.

A stronger federal gov't commitment to the new state governments in the South could have made a difference. So could a tougher stance by those state governments toward the KKK and other white conservatives that. Point is, the outcome in 1868 was still up for grabs. Just so in Iraq."

Pessimism, or Realism, or Both: Kos on the Iraq Election

2005-01-31T11:42:00.000-05:00

You had to be impressed with yesterday's election in Iraq. It takes guts to vote when doing so could literally cost your life, and the fact that 8 million Iraqis displayed such guts is a heartening sign. But there's a line between being heartened and being sentimental. Kos, for his part, sure ain't sentimental in today's Daily Kos:

The administration, press, and wingnut blogosphere is all atwitter over the "successful" Iraqi elections. But the fact that 8 million Iraqis voted is not the measure of success. Just like catching Saddam wasn't, or occupying Baghdad, or transfering "sovereignty". Those events are miletones toward the ultimate outcome, but unpredictive whether that outcome is victory or defeat.

He goes on to invoke the inevitable parallel with Vietnam.

Red Bro, Please Check This Out

2005-01-31T11:22:00.001-05:00

Guess I'll be calling you something besides Red Bro soon, but in any event: I've already been talking to some Republicans. A question from me begat this post and the 32 comments (and counting) it's generated.

Your thoughts?

Ann Coulter's Beauty Secret

2005-01-31T11:22:00.000-05:00

Scott C. reports, "When best-selling author Ann Coulter arrived at Charles Coughlin College in Lynchville, Illinois, Ceci Lawrence was shocked." She looked so different from her photos," the 22-year old co-ed marveled." She had these long, bony fingers, and her skin was all stretched and thin like rice paper, and I remember thinking during her speech: she looks like a talking kite." It was then that Ceci and several of her sorority sisters resolved to do something for their distinguished visitor."

Red Bro Cometh!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-01-31T11:04:00.000-05:00

Got an email from Red Bro this a.m. Turns out he's been swamped with work and further, I've been sending the SR posts to an email account he no longer uses regularly. But he thinks this'll be fun and he's deciding what nom de guerre suits him. Probably it'll be something other than Red Bro. After all, I chose Lame Bro, not Blue Bro.

Blue Bro comes uncomfortably close to a phrase with, shall we say, painful overtones.

Thanks, Red Bro. This means a lot to me, to the nation, and indeed, to the world.

Yesterday in Iraq

2005-01-31T01:35:00.000-05:00

Insignificant Microbe

2005-01-31T01:30:00.000-05:00

SR is still insignificant. Civil Warriors by contrast is a flippery fish, and War Historian has 25 links and is well through the slithering reptile stage.

But Still No Red Bro

2005-01-31T01:24:00.000-05:00

On the other hand, I have begun to engage in a few political exchanges with the multitudinous Republicans who infest blogdom. Actually most have been pretty cool. And it's fascinating to be part of a community that on the whole cares so much about politics. Feels novel, and good. Plus, I kinda like being out of the academic "echo chamber" of mostly left-leaning views. Sure, I happen to agree with most of it, but it's pretty dull to be around just people with whom you agree.

And the Hits Keep Coming

2005-01-31T01:20:00.000-05:00

I've also been added to the main History News Network blogroll and have been asked to join HNN's flagship group blog, Cleopatria. Lastly I've decided to try blogging as a way to tackle my book for OUP. So this evening I created Bitter Jubilee. I know several people who are doing books and dissertations by this process. I think it holds promise. I sure hope so.

Life is Otherwise Fine

2005-01-31T01:17:00.000-05:00

Good, productive day. War Historian gets more and more visitors and more attention. Sharon Howard of Early Modern Notes was nice enough to tell the historical blog community:

And a bit more blog community

1. Go visit Mark Grimley’s fine blog, War Historian. Do not be put off by that ‘military historian’ tag. This guy is cool. Take these examples: why he blogs; comparing Abe Lincoln to Bismarck; and some thoughts about relationships between war and society.

2. Mark has also persuaded Laura not only to join him from time to time at War Historian, but also to start her own shiny new blog, Classical Archaeologist. And he’s rounded up some of his graduate students to set up a group blog on the American civil war, Civil Warriors.

Day Five: The Howl of Anguish

2005-01-29T22:52:00.000-05:00

Red Broooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Insult? No, Evolution! (But It's Just a Theory)

2005-01-29T08:23:00.000-05:00

Cross-post from War Historian:

Woke up this a.m. to discover that TTLB calls War Historian a Slithering Reptile in the Blogosphere Ecosystem. Yeah, and your mother wears combat boots! No, wait, er, ah--thanks!

Wow. Just a day as a Crawly Amphibian. Nineteen unique in-bound links. Somehow I don't feel quite so angst-ridden.

Guess I'll slither onward.

Day Four: Hearing the Crickets

2005-01-28T13:29:00.000-05:00

No sign of Red Bro. At all. No email, phone call, nothing, nada, zip. I guess I could contact him but in effect I already do: a copy of every post is emailed to him.

The invitation to become a member is still marked as pending, so it's possible he's away on business or something.

Cheerp cheerp cheerp

Amphibious Landing

2005-01-28T01:17:00.000-05:00

Cross-post from War Historian:

My grasp of HTML is still pretty crude (if you don't believe me, look under the hood of the archive page). Consequently I don't know where in my template I should place the string of code sent me by The Truth Laid Bear to advertise my status in the blogosphere ecosystem.

So I have to say it outright: Today I am, well, if not a man, then at least a Crawly Amphibian, with twelve unique inbound links. Whatever that means.

Current rank in the ecosystem: #6153. [Out of #18,992 blogs that have linked to TTLB and asked to be ranked. Dead last, by the way, is a blog entitled, with fine irony (or as a joke, since it's a nice looking site that has never posted even once) The God Machine.]

Next stop: Slithering Reptiles, the least of which currently have just one more unique link (i.e., 13) under their belts. Or wherever they keep them.

After that, Flappy Birds (at least 26 unique links), Adorable Little Rodents (at least 41), Marauding Marsupials (at least 72), Large Mammals (at least 137; Cliopatria, the highest being to have thus far blessed me with a link, is near the midpoint of this level: #420 as of this writing, with 241 unique links).

Then come Playful Primates (at least 522 unique links), Mortal Humans (973), and Higher Beings like Instapundit (3924) , Power Line, and Daily Kos (2307) , with the least of those, the Drudge Report, coming in at a mere 1,564 unique links.

I actually have a point in introducing this hierarchy. I think I've figured out a way to use the blogosphere to illustrate what I mean when I use the term postcolonial military history. But for today, it's enough that a crawly amphibian should leave the sea, place his stubbly legs on the beach, and get ready to--what?

Crawl, I guess.

****

Meanwhile, at this end: still an Insignificant Microbe.

Update, 1:45 p.m.: very Insignificant indeed. Sibling Rivalry is currently # 19075 in the TTLB ecosystem. Thanks to my linking to God Machine, it's #14677 and a Crunchy Crustacean.

In fact, SR (as it's known among the blognoscenti) is five from the very bottom, #19080.

Page 132

2005-01-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

Went hunting through the "Insignificant Microbes" to find someone worth putting the touch on.

I think I've found a candidate:

Name:Expat in the UK
Location:London, United Kingdom

As an evangelical Christian living overseas I am tired of watching my faith being used a political tool. I believe that Evangelical Christians should keep true to the Word of God and the Gospel. I have watched as the Evangelical Christian movement, rather than loving the unloveable like Jesus, have become like the Pharisees: concern for outward appearances and "righteous" action, but failure to live out God's love for the people of this world. I wish to explore the many problems with mixing religion and politics.

OK, buddy. You're on. And boy can we commiserate! I got my own stories to tell on that score.

Here's the profile of Expat in the U.K. He explains the meaning of Page 132, the supremely obscure name of his blog, in his second post. Here's how it starts out:

After my introduction, it is probably necessary to explain why I've titled my blog, "Page 132". It references a page in a fabulous book about Christian spirituality, "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller. On page 132, Donald Miller has a profound realization, "I felt like, by going to this particular church, I was a pawn for the Republicans. Meanwhile, the Republicans did not give a crap about the causes of Christ."

Expat booms, "I couldn't have said it better myself!"

Well, Red Bro, what thinkest thou?

Waiting for Red Bro

2005-01-27T07:14:00.000-05:00

Hmm.

Invited my brother, Red Bro, to check out this blog site a couple of days ago. Still nothing. Probably he's just busy. He does have a life: wife, five kids, two dogs.

So what to do while I'm waiting for Red Bro? Mostly I've been checking out the blogosphere. I'm pretty new at this. Blogdom often seems like a vast sea of links, where you drop in on conversations long already in progress. It's more than a little tough to really wrap your arms around it. It's evolving so fast I don't think anyone really has a handle on it.

Fortunately, some people blog about the blogosphere. The Truth Laid Bear, for instance, has organized a blogosphere ecosystem based on the number of links to a given site. Thus there are:

"higher beings" (top 10) like Instapundit, Power Line, and Daily Kos;

"mortal humans" (11-30) like Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish and Blogs for Bush;

"playful primates," (31-100) which is where The Truth Laid Bear fits in, also Informed Comment, kept by Juan Cole, a professor of history at the University of Michigan;

"large mammals" (101-1039): Conservative Eyes is near the top of that list, as is Baghdad Burning. Further down is LS Blogs (apparently a blog directory and place for blog tools and resources); Cliopatria (currently no. 456) which thus far is the most advanced "being" to recognize my "day blog", War Historian; and at no. 1000, Countercolumn: All Your Bias Are Belong to Us, which focuses on the war in Iraq.

Then come "marauding marsupials" (1040-1988), the least of which has 72 links; "adorable rodents," (1989-2932), the least of which has 41 links. It goes all the way down to "insignificant microbe," sites that have yet to receive a link. Imagine: if I linked to any one of them, it would instantly get promoted probably hundreds of ranks; the wonder is why they don't systematically link to one another. Guess they want to do it the honest way.

According to Technorati, War Historian currently has 10 unique links to it, which makes it a "crawly amphibian." It will have to pass through the "slithering reptiles" and "flappy birds" stages to make it to warm-blooded status. On the other hand, it's already past the fish stage, and has apparently grown some stubbly little legs.

Sigh. Sibling Rivalry can only dream of stubbly little legs.

Red Bro, where are you?

Ready to Rumble?

2005-01-24T19:22:00.000-05:00

Hi bro,

Remember how back in 1997 you suggested we collaborate on a book about republicanism, current affairs, and the need for serious but civil public exchange?

Neither do I.

I remember you said something like it, though, and we've been emailing each other news articles and op/ed pieces ever since.

A book was really never in the cards. But a blog? That's quite feasible.

What I have in mind is basically a "filter" blog. We look for juicy news items to talk about--items on things we care about ourselves about or think the other one would care about. We post them here with a short commentary. Then we discuss. And let others add comments. And see where we get.

I doubt we'll get as far as these guys, who made international news with The Sixty-first Minute.

But they started small, too. And come to think of it, so did I when I embarked on my first blog. It's still pretty modest, but things are looking up.

Anyway, I'd like to try this. Let me know what you think.