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In 2015, two events highlighted the state of Western culture today: the premier of the film “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and the publication of the book Notes on the Death of Culture: Essays on Spectacle and Society , by Mario Vargas Llosa. Notes on the Death of Culture is a brilliant and challenging work that argues for the vital importance of high culture in human flourishing and the health of societies. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is a piece of junk that serves as a prime example of the cultural collapse Llosa describes in his autopsy.
With amazing lucidity, Llosa drives to the heart of a devastating problem in the West: the erosion of genuine culture. While culture can certainly encompass comic books, movies, and pop songs—I love all three—increasingly we have lost sight of, and appreciation for, the more complex and challenging works of art that can more deeply change us. Llosa cites books by T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Homer, and Nietzsche; works of art by Picasso, Rembrandt, and Seurat; and plays by Chekhov, O’Neill, Ibsen, and Brecht as examples of things that “enriched to an extraordinary degree my imagination, my desires and my sensibility.”
One thing all of these works have in common is the great effort involved in creating them and the effort it takes to consume them, at least if we are to truly understand them. Great works of culture should change who we are. They should also attempt to engage with complex cultural and spiritual issues. But with the democratization of culture, the digital revolution, and the elimination of middle and high brow culture in favor of pop culture, this is all too rare. Llosa argues: “Now we are all cultured in some way, even if we have never read a book, visited an art […]
They’re Trying to Shut Us Down
Over the last several months, I’ve lost count of how many times the powers-that-be have tried to shut us down. They’ve sent hackers at us, forcing us to take extreme measures on web security. They sent attorneys after us, but thankfully we’re not easily intimidated by baseless accusations or threats. They’ve even gone so far as to make physical threats. Those can actually be a bit worrisome but Remington has me covered.
For us to continue to deliver the truth that Americans need to read and hear, we ask you, our amazing audience, for financial assistance. We have a Giving Fuel page to help us pay the bills. It’s brand new so don’t be discouraged by the lack of donations there. It’s a funny reality that the fewer the donations that have been made, the less likely people are willing to donate to it. One would think this is counterintuitive, but sometimes people are skeptical because they think that perhaps there’s a reason others haven’t been donating. In our situation, we’re just getting started so please don’t be shy if you have the means to help.
Thank you and God bless!
JD Rucker