Reading this back over I realize I didn't connect an important further set of dots. A third explanation for empire was the cold war. We built a wall of allies and friendly governments to withstand what the establishment believed was an immediate threat. That policy initiative interfaced with the other two. But I still hold to the idea that it was our "evangelical" mindset that has done the most damage. No one can do more harm than the person trying to do good, it has been said. And that is at least partly true.
So much here, some I agree with, a lot that I do not. Will try to spend some time this weekend looking at your past few posts and constructing some thoughts.
See if you can put the thoughts together so I can post them on this site. I have tried to reflect some ideas with which I also disagree, because I think they have merit and deserve serious consideration. The issue I have the most trouble with is the relevance of past understanding and scholarship. I just don't know how far events have changed the picture and whether or not past assessments of the world are currently useful. There are so excellent minds reading these blogs (you included) and I value their responses. If we could put them all on the same stage, we would have a powerful panel. Safely, I think, we can say that at this moment "the good guys" need to talk with each other, because the world of action and ideas (the real world) is changing at a faster rate than at any time in my life.
Reading this back over I realize I didn't connect an important further set of dots. A third explanation for empire was the cold war. We built a wall of allies and friendly governments to withstand what the establishment believed was an immediate threat. That policy initiative interfaced with the other two. But I still hold to the idea that it was our "evangelical" mindset that has done the most damage. No one can do more harm than the person trying to do good, it has been said. And that is at least partly true.
So much here, some I agree with, a lot that I do not. Will try to spend some time this weekend looking at your past few posts and constructing some thoughts.
See if you can put the thoughts together so I can post them on this site. I have tried to reflect some ideas with which I also disagree, because I think they have merit and deserve serious consideration. The issue I have the most trouble with is the relevance of past understanding and scholarship. I just don't know how far events have changed the picture and whether or not past assessments of the world are currently useful. There are so excellent minds reading these blogs (you included) and I value their responses. If we could put them all on the same stage, we would have a powerful panel. Safely, I think, we can say that at this moment "the good guys" need to talk with each other, because the world of action and ideas (the real world) is changing at a faster rate than at any time in my life.