Thursday, January 15, 2009

Camille Paglia Day!

I have state on more than one occasion that Camille Paglia is "My favorite liberal" , and she just continues to edify my respect for her.
Honestly, is there a more intelligent and respectful thinker on the left? I think not. Paglia continues to astound me; I never thought I could understand, enjoy, and (GASP) at times agree with as ardent a liberal as Paglia...and yet, here I am. I appreciate her intellectual curiosity and honesty. Unlike many on the Left and Right, Paglia is willing to think for herself and chooses to disagree with liberal orthodoxy when logic and reality tell her to do so. There are maddeningly few pundits willing to do that.
I have clipped a few of my favorite lines out from her latest question and answer session.

* "...but Harry Reid is a cadaverous horse's ass of mammoth proportions. How in the world did that whiny, sniveling incompetent end up as Senate majority leader? Give him the hook!"
* The entire last paragraph of page one where she derides Katie Couric as the "stupidest person to ever interview her".
* "If there's anything that demonstrates the straying of the Democratic Party leadership from basic liberal principles, it's this blasted Fairness Doctrine -- which should be fiercely opposed by all defenders of free speech."
* "Liberals, who go all hushed and pious at Hays Code censorship in classic Hollywood, should lay off the lynch-mob mentality. Keep the feds out of radio!" * "Until I see stronger evidence, I will continue to believe that climate change is primarily driven by solar phenomena and that it is normal for the earth to pass through major cooling and warming phases."
* "But retrospective psychohistory is out these days, and the only game in town is pin the tail on the oppressor."
* " The American system of higher education has become an insane assembly line -- bankrupting families to process hapless students through an incoherent, haphazard and mediocre liberal arts curriculum."


I think what I most appreciate about Paglia is that she is always so respectful of those who disagree with her. To me her writing is like intellectual poetry. Her words are full and satisfying and each article is sumptuous to read ... almost like a meal of words.
If you haven't done so yet, I would suggest searching out more of Paglia's articles and taking the time to get to know this splendid writer. Keep an open mind, and remember that just because she is an ardent liberal does not mean she doesn't have important thoughts to add to our collective discourse.

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