Christopher’s Comments (group member since Nov 10, 2018)

Christopher’s comments from the The Pelicans’ Nest group.

Maybe we can read something along the lines of “The Servile State” next. Nearly 100 years old but quite prescient nonetheless.

I also have the hard copy. There is the whole section at the end. I am sorry you were disappointed.

If we can get a conversation going from chapter to chapter (we are now on chapter 1 this month) it can be much more productive. The links in the further reading section in the back of the book bring a lot more to the table as do the articles with links provided throughout the book notes as well.

Okay my fellow dignitarians, we finished the intro and we are delving into chapter one. What are your thoughts so far?

So, my friends, how has out book, “Non-Negotiable” been for you thus far? What are you taking away from it? Have you read any of the extra material? Has anything in particular struck you?

Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is refered to in the introduction of our current book, and further in as well. The sentiments, wisdom and call to courage by Rev. King is well worth our reflection. Please read or listen to it here and share your thoughts in connection with our book so far.

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/ki...

We are, after all, the AMERICAN Solidarity Party. What do you see as some of our unique traits as Americans which can help us to continue our struggle for human rights and dignity? Here is Washington’s inaugural address from 1789, cited in the introduction of our book, “Non-Negotiables.”


https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/ame...

Our current relativistic and subjectivistic culture is destroying a knowledge of objective truth and objective morality. We must understand that subjective truth, or what each person believes inside their mind as being the truth, is only correct inasmuch as that subjective truth is in line with objective truth. In other words, many people’s “truth” is actually error. We must study to understand better the objective truth and morality. We must work to align our subjective truth to the objective Truth. Here is a general audience concerning truth by Pope Francis.

http://www.vatican.va/content/frances...

As we are reading “Non-Negotiable” there are a great number of articles and further reading in the notes on the pages and a chapter by chapter “further reading” section in the back of the book with links to documents, articles, essays and speeches. I am linking here to “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” How can we reflect on this document with the eyes of our vision for the American Solidarity Party?

https://www.un.org/en/universal-decla...

Shane wrote: "I'm already capturing some of Medaille and Robert Coles in the intro. I'm excited to read this."

I think it would be good to go through Medaille’s book slowly like this book!

Now that we are in the introduction, we will have many extra articles, documents and maybe even books to read on the side and add to the discussion!

The four essays that comprise the book are as follows;
1. The Roots of Honor
2. The Veins of Wealth
3. Qui Judicatis Terram
4. Ad Valorem

I will grab my copy and tell you the names of the essays as soon as I can.

That was probably a quarter of it. It was 4 essays, or articles. That were written as continuing periodicals.

No. Previously, another of the group admins had added the book, and I did not realize it. I thought I changed versions yesterday, but I guess it did not work. But we are reading the Ruskin one. I would like to get ahold of the one by MG.

“‘But,’ it is answered, ‘they cannot receive education.’ Why not? That is precisely the point that issue. Charitable persons suppose the worst fault of the rich is to refuse the people meat; and the people cry for their meat, kept back by fraud, to the Lord of Multitudes. Alas! It is not me of which the refusal is cruelest, Or to which the claim is validest. The life is more than the meet. The rich not only refuse food to the poor; they refuse wisdom; they refuse virtues; they refuse salvation. Ye Sheep without Shepherd, it is not the pasture that has been shut from you, but the Presence. Meat! Perhaps you’re right to that may be pleadable; but other rights have to be pleaded first. Claim your crumbs from the table, if you will; but claim them as children, not as dogs; claim your right to be fed, but claim the more loudly your right to be holy, perfect, and pure. ”

“Unto This Last”, John Ruskin Pp. 91-92

“In all buying, consider, first, what condition of existence you cause in the producers of what you buy; secondly, whether the some you have paid is just to the producer, and into proportion lodged in his hands...”


“Unto This Last”, John Ruskin p. 97

Bummer. I am also ignorant on such things. I have been having a hard time as I have been offshore so much. The boat wifi is horrible, and it takes a long time for pages to load in order to create it. This app doesn’t allow me to do the admin stuff, I have to use a browser... I may ask the engineer if I can plug my computer into the router later to make one...

Please let us know what his replies are.

I do not think anyhing of that sort is implausible. In fact, it is even probable that such a thing will happen. I just do not see it as being a Christian theocracy so much as an ideological (utipian) or Islamic theocracy.

As I have now had enough years to study a lot of history, I really understand governmental/national fluidity much better, and no longer see things in a solid state.

Heck, the entire world has transformed since I was a child. I had a tiny black and white TV, phones had a chord. There was no internet and cable tv was pretty much nee and nobody we knew had it.