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Ten years ago, on July 4th, 2010, the Ramparts of Civilization blog came into being.   Ramparts was inspired by several internet blogs such as Power Line and Instapundit that were maintained by well read, thoughtful people with regular jobs who felt in their spare non-work  time they had something to say.   They proffered  a writing style that discussed compelling and entertaining topics of the day,  told succinctly and with lucidity  often absent from “professional writers”in mainstream media. Ramparts of Civilization hoped to emulate a little of their discourse, and strive to achieve at least a modicum of their quality.  Not for a minute did I consider the blog would remotely approach their longevity.

The blog internet at the time was a big, noisy, unstable platform for anyone with a few spare minutes and a desire to put forth an argument or a reflection.  Like many flashy, trendy restaurants, the great majority of blogs crashed against the reality of how much work is involved in sustaining a project once the initial enthusiasm wanes and the initial idea doesn’t seem so fresh.  What has saved the very best blogs is a foundation of  topics and considerations that don’t “time out”, preventing the stultifying propagation of the feared ‘writer’s block’  dooming the great majority of non-professional writers.  Additionally, enduring blog writing has to face the reality that often there are very few people selecting you out for what you might have to say in a universe of billions of words of content – it can get damn lonely trying to write quality only to please yourself – unless you are really interested in the subject matter.

Luckily, Ramparts of Civilization determined to have Western Civilization as its backdrop for conversation,  with the limitless interesting possibilities that several thousand years of creativity and evolved thinking offered.  One could look back at the first post and acknowledge that , the “vision” was the thing….

 

July 4th, 2010

Happy 4^th of July. Welcome to Ramparts of Civilization.

            It is altogether fitting that on the 234^th anniversary of the articulation of the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” that a blog defending and celebrating those immortal words finds birth and, hopefully, a long and fruitful existence.

            For some time I have felt a progressive dread that the clarity, beauty, and magnificence of the 2600 year journey of Western Civilization has been neglected by our current nature to the tenuous point of irrelevance.  All the hard learned lessons of the concept of individual freedom, creative expression, intellectual objectivity, and appreciation of the human spirit have been sublimated to a bland equivalence and desire to achieve a “soft landing” as a relic of history.

            Not so fast. On this blog, like minded individuals will man the ramparts and defend the concept of the Western Ideal, founded on the philosophy of the ancient Greeks, communicated through the ingenuity of the Roman engineer, unleashed through the miraculous words of a Nazarene carpenter, protected by the courage and literacy of the medieval monk, forged in the genius of the Renaissance,  released in the power of the Enlightenment, made available for all to participate by the miracle of the American Revolution, propagated through the Industrial Revolution, and defended by the brave warrior citizens when at times darkness threatened to descend and smother.

            And we will try to do this while having fun.

            I see this blog as the defender of the good and positive in history, politics, music, art, food, sport, science, technology and entertainment – and where my editorial expertise is lacking, through the musings and elaborations of those who know and love these cultural expressions more intimately than I.

            I look forward to learning, laughing, and illuminating.  To those owed so much who have defended before, and those who will pick up the lance, shield and standard, and defend ever after, welcome to the Ramparts.

Ten years later, some of the innocence but none of the passion of the vision has left these pages.  Although one could probably note similar reflections over previous decades, the past ten years in particular have seemingly brought about an especially organized and virulent assault on the notions of western civilization.  Reasoned thought and the creative impulse that have been the twin bedrocks of civilization, brought to full flower under the concept of individual liberty, have been  derisively thrown aside in favor of notions of communal guilt, victimization, and collective equality of outcome.  What Jefferson so beautifully framed as the pursuit of happiness has instead been treated by increasing numbers of so called  intellectuals as a tired, no longer pertinent quality to undergird modern life, in which the unique talents and achievements of some must not succeed at the expense of others and risk the collectives’ sense of esteem.  The accumulated contribution of individual forces to lift all boats and frankly make life more interesting and meaningful is being sacrificed at the altar of equal outcome.  Beyond the intense stupidity of promoting such actions, the transmission of power from those who create  to those who would determine outcome is the ultimate goal of our current “transformation” society overlords.

What other value proposition could we possibly see in the current trends of acquiescence in destruction of art, erosion of quality and demanding education for all who seek it, silencing of voices that provide contrary opinion, and demeaning of those who seek a meritocracy standard of ideas?

At ten years, Ramparts of Civilization has somehow fashioned a little place for itself with those who want to preserve the better angels of our nature, are willing to engage, and are not afraid of the past for what it tells us of our reason for being.  On these pages will be found, as long as the blog exists, a celebration and defense of the values and achievements of the many who have come before, and those who still against increasing reactionary pressure, shine.  For those of you who have sought this blog out for a little fortitude and reflection against the daily assaults of those who would seek to gaslight our past experiences and glories , welcome to your place at the Ramparts.

The light can only be extinguished, when there is no one left willing to keep the candle lit.

From this day to the ending of the world,  but we in it shall be remembered  – We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, be he ne’er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition.

And gentlemen in England now a-bed, shall think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s Day!

 Henry V , Shakespeare

On July 4th, 2010, Ramparts of Civilization was born.    As defined in the vision for the site, I hoped to do my small part in framing how much amazing goodness and accomplishment had found residence in the ongoing story of western civilization, at a time when the recognition and appreciation for such threads in our lives appeared to be progressively wanting:

“For some time I have felt a progressive dread that the clarity, beauty, and magnificence of the 2600 year journey of Western Civilization has been neglected by our current nature to the tenuous point of irrelevance.  All the hard learned lessons of the concept of individual freedom, creative expression, intellectual objectivity, and appreciation of the human spirit have been sublimated to a bland equivalence and desire to achieve a “soft landing” as a relic of history.

            Not so fast. On this blog, like minded individuals will man the ramparts and defend the concept of the Western Ideal, founded on the philosophy of the ancient Greeks, communicated through the ingenuity of the Roman engineer, unleashed through the miraculous words of a Nazarene carpenter, protected by the courage and literacy of the medieval monk, forged in the genius of the Renaissance,  released in the power of the Enlightenment, made available for all to participate by the miracle of the American Revolution, propagated through the Industrial Revolution, and defended by the brave warrior citizens when at times darkness threatened to descend and smother. ”                        btf     July 4th, 2010

I thought I would give it a go for a year or so, and see if I could satisfy my need for telling a good story.

And yet, here we are, with this tome, 500 essays later, easily a half million written words, and I keep thinking there is a story or two, or a version or perspective, that remains worthy of setting down to type.  At times, working late at night or on a weekend in between my myriad of other responsibilities I thought I was crazy to go on. Sometimes the writing, always performed in tabla rosa style without significant edit, was found seriously wanting. Other times I was quite pleased with the instantaneously inspired diction.  Most of all, It was the small cadre of loyal readers that would let me know they were still there and enjoyed the effort that kept me going.

It has been estimated that the average blog lasts a hundred days.  Ramparts can justifiably be proud that it is continuing to blog along with a lifespan now approxiamently 33 times beyond average – and is thereby self designated – well above average.  Analytics suggest that in the almost nine years since inception, over 40,000 unique visitors from 176 countries have immersed themselves in over 85000 page views (and of course have additionally innumerable bots).  Its briefly very inspiring until you realize a site like Drudge achieves that kind of traffic in less than three minutes. Still, a few people out there, every day, link up to read about the many subjects Ramparts has found compelling, and that is gratifying enough.  Though the pace of articles have slowed over the years due to innumerable time constraints, it has proven to be a place people have returned, patiently looking to see if there was something new they could spend a few minutes reviewing.  And that loyalty has been enough for me.

A look back over the five hundred reveals some essays locked in their time, and some that stand up well.

At 100, Ramparts in 2011 took a moment to celebrate the anniversary of the amazing American naval victory at Midway June 4th, 1942. America, reeling from the cataclysmic defeat at Pearl Harbor six months before and the subsequent humiliation in the Philippines, fashioned in the space of six minutes the destruction of four Japanese carriers, and with them, any hope of the Japanese expansionary vision to dominate the Pacific.  Brilliant and risky strategic maneuvers by the Admiral  Nimitz, careful intelligence obtained through the breaking of the Japanese naval code by the team lead by Naval Commander Joseph Rochefort, who gave Nimitz correct actionable intelligence from only 10% of interpretable code, and a tactical error by taskforce Admiral Nagumo to determine to refuel his attack planes without fully identifying the strength of the enemy against him lead to the complete carrier vulnerability for the 37 dive bombers of the American carrier Enterprise to feast upon the carriers covered with deck armaments and fuel. Four Japanese carriers lost, and with them the end of Admiral Yamamoto’s dream of a ring of impenetrable island forts to hold off the Americans.

The final defeat for Japan in an ever diminishing ocean against an ever stronger opponent was preordained from that moment.  The myth that totalitarian regimes produced men of steel while democracies produced soft, self interested soldiers was forever put to rest at Midway…”

At 200, Ramparts in 2012 put in perspective what was one of the great political spasms of American politics, the attempt to recall Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin and effort the overturning of a revolution by the citizenry to wrest back power from the establishment Deep State.  The stunning 2010 election of Walker and an even more revolutionary legislature was a massive tea party blow back to  intrenched interests that saw the election of Barrack Obama in 2008  as the zenith  achievement of the permanent state.  The wave was national, but the epic epicenter of the fight was the state of Wisconsin, a blue state in perpetual debt from an onerous public employee stranglehold on budgets.   The Wisconsin  reversal of the permanent state through Act 10 legislation was considered intolerable by the public unions and their democratic allies, and the full weight of national money and pressure fell upon the Wisconsin capital. Tens of thousands of daily protestors, multiple legislative recall elections,  an epic Wisconsin Supreme Court election converted into a national referenda, the leaving of the state of the democratic legislative caucus to attempt to block the legislative act created a year and half of national political drama.  Yet the stolid Walker and intrepid legislative warriors held firm throughout.  By April of 2012, the left saw only one way out, the cutting off of the head of the snake through the attempted recall of Governor Walker himself, attempting the first political successful recall of a sitting governor in American history:

“The battle is positioning for a titanic climax which will have profound effect the national question.  Can a nation democratically face up to its fiscal responsibilities when the electoral process is progressively owned by those who will most benefit from maintenance of their levers of power and an ever expanding population of entitled who are rewarded for their vote?”

At 300, Ramparts in 2013 looked at an embryonic private enterprise effort that could turn out to be President Barrack Obama’s proudest achievement, the conversion of the space industry of the United States from a governmental industrial complex to a competitive private entrepreneurial enterprise.  The President, less interested in any identified potential from private industry then the obvious reordering of budget priorities from the bloated governmental space enterprise to other bloated state enterprises, managed to put his trust in free enterprise for at least one area of American private initiative.  In his desire to remove the resources of the national government from huge expenditures for which he would discern  no social value, Obama opened up contracts to entrepreneurs like Elon Musk of SpaceX , that had no obvious capacity  or experience to take on the challenge.  In a otherwise oppressive style toward private initiative in other sectors such as private energy fracking initiatives  charter schools , or health savings accounts, Obama allowed this one sliver of initiative to shine through.  And how by 2013 it shone, with multiple companies taking on the challenge, multiple rocket innovations including the once incredible concept of reusability, and a new American industrial innovative dominance in a  21st century science:

“The president deserves credit for stumbling upon a prime example of how trusting the arena of ideas and the process of private market competition can lead to dramatic improvements in human development and life quality.  If he is not careful, he might just make America and economic leader in the current century as great as the last.  Were he only to have such stumbles in other areas of our moribund economy.  Reflecting upon the overarching principles of  human behavior versus utopian ideal, we once again turn to Winston Churchill for some prescient word – ‘Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot.  Others look upon it as a cow they can milk.  Not enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon.’

At 400, Ramparts in 2016 looked back at a founding father George Washington, on the occasion of his birthday.  A multiple Ramparts star, Washington was celebrated not for his military genius nor his eloquence, but the unique skill he showed with every challenge and every calamity to stand at the ramparts and rise above the chaos, securing the ultimate triumph:

“When it came time years later to select a chief executive that would form the initial government of the United States, the selection again turned to one man, the Virginian, George Washington.  He was selected not for any impassioned rhetorical brilliance or acknowledged philosophical depth, but again, because he was the single individual every competing interest group felt they could trust. He was selected for acknowledged ownership of the American Ideal through the worst of times, and his willingness as a man, to give up power when it was his to take.”

Now at 500, Ramparts looks to the past to continue to show us the future and help us reflect on the way forward.  In this world of ever more diminishing grasp of the core understandings that make life worthy and progress possible, there is still a role I think for this tiny little blog to provide its very tiny contribution to the conversation.  As my hero Winston Churchill would say, there’s reason to keep buggering on…

We are rapidly approaching the ninth year of this labor of love I call Ramparts of Civilization.  Since inception on July 4th, 2010, almost 500 individual treatises encompassing over 400,000 written words have filled the pages of this blog.  Topics have kept a diverse view of an interesting world. We watched the unfolding amazing rescue of Chilean miners through techniques of horizontal drilling we now recognize as the basis of modern fracking, to the introduction of private industry to the once government exclusive world of space travel.  We visited the heroic worlds of Washington at Trenton, Confederate regiments at Gettysburg, and the brave airmen of the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain.  We sought the roots of inspiration of great artists like Caravaggio and Winslow Homer, master composers such as Haydn, Debussy, and the immortal Beethoven.  We memorialized inspirational leaders in crisis  like Lincoln and Churchill,   We uncovered greatness in lesser known heroes of western civilization, like Norman Borlaug, Nikola Tesla,  and Roger Bannister.  And through it all, Ramparts kept pace with the characters, political challenges and strains applied to the foundational creeds of western civilization, and leapt to the defense of unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Over 37,000 viewers from 167 countries have sought out, and hopefully enjoyed, the stories of our mutual contributors, legacy and journey.

Its been fun and educational for me, and, if you’ll  have me, I think I’ll try to keep it all going a while longer.

To keep the experience fresh, a few changes are worthwhile and appropriate.  In keeping with the times, the blog theme has been changed in appearance and color, to bring a cleaner, more accessible look to the site.  Rather than having to scroll down for each individual posting, the essays will be more coalesced on the front page, with introductory paragraphs visible to hopefully entice a deeper dive, and a more diverse reading experience.  Some may miss the old Ramparts brand photo of Fort Union, New Mexico, one of the final stops of the Santa Fe Trail, but the contemplative and discerning figure of Abraham Lincoln highlights the increasing depth of focus of the site, consistent with readers who have been staying longer, and responding more.   The mobile site now Apps on your phone  as Winston Churchill, a patron saint of Ramparts, so you can take Ramparts with you for review on your phone, wherever you go. And one more subtle change.  The site’s banner, “Get Your Daily Ramparts”  has been changed to the more assertive “Come Defend the Ramparts”, as it has become increasingly apparent that the once universal values that girded civilization are under increasing attack and require a more inspired defense, that demands, and will require, the  active vigilance of each and every one of us.

I hope you will find the site still worth a portion of your time you reserve for the internet.  The ongoing vastness of interesting subjects, people, and events awaits us.  Through it all, we will keep the same vision that inspired the very first page of this blog 8 years ago, and stays like an eternal flame today.  Welcome again dear readers and commenters,  to the refreshed Ramparts of Civilization.

     July 4th is the 235th  birthday of that special experiment in liberty known as the United States of America. Kudos and Huzzahs to this great nation and all she stands for on this special day, of which more is to follow forthwith.  There is a more personal reason to celebrate for me , however, as this is the 1st anniversary of the birth of a small outpost defender of that freedom we hold dear, the first birthday of  Ramparts of Civilization. 

     Born on the 4th of July, 2010, as a unapologetic defender of the positive contributions and special characteristics that have defined western civilization development over the past 2600 years, Ramparts has tried to bring to light the special components of who we are , and the principles worth fighting for.  In a year of 190 essay posts, encompassing over 130,000 written words, we have tried to focus on the current, the controversial, the uplifting, the memorable, and the obscure.  I hope that if nothing else, Ramparts has allowed the reader a relatively painless and hopefully entertaining reminder of the interesting world around us, and a moment, however brief, of introspection.

      In the past year, Ramparts has reviewed artists such as Gerhartz, Homer, Renoir, and Michelangelo;  followed the harrowing and ultimately triumphant story of the Chilean miner rescue; delved into the flashpoints of battle such as Gettysburg, Battle of Britain, and Midway; returned to light such forgotten heroes  as Charles “the Hammer” Martel, Nikola Tesla, Norman Borlaug, and Christoffa Corumbo;  reminded us of the glories of musical genius found in Glenn Gould, Jacqueline Du’Pre, and Alica De Larrocha; asked us to look closer at civilization’s knights in Friedrich Hayek,  Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill; raised to consciousness defenders of the ramparts such as Mark Steyn, Bernard Lewis, and Daniel Hannan; pounded the critical economic factors of the developing debt crisis slowly strangulating western civilization and noted its impact on the evolving political revolution; and revelled in the beautiful musical creativity of stars such as Sinatra, Richard Rogers, Irving Berlin, and Allison Kraus.  These stories and so many more fill the vast repository of moments and accomplishments that define the western ideal.

     So begins another year of Ramparts of Civilization.  It will I’m sure be an interesting journey;  how can it not?  To those who have come along so far, I hope to see you become more involved in the coming year with your comments, to help me better understand your own view, and what you have liked and not liked about the site.  To the new visitors, welcome aboard,  please enjoy reading and thinking, unsheathe your rhetorical swords, and help join, with your fellow defenders, at the  Ramparts of Civilization.  

To all my fellow guardians of the ramparts, a brief hiatus is in order for the captain of the guard. I will be computer free for a few days, brewing up some new thoughts and sharpening my attention for the days ahead. Please take the time to peruse past favorites and stay in touch. Ramparts of Civilization will be back soon with all new adventures that make this world so damn interesting….see you soon!

     To the loyal defenders of the ramparts, a few days of retrenchment is in order before the next post.  Until then, please feel free to peruse and enjoy previous posts, and this brief wonderful reminder of a government over-invested in your life.  Daily Ramparts will return soon!

     At 700 am this morning I participated in one of the really arcane processes still existing, and felt that old special shiver down my spine. Standing in a line of a hundred, waiting for some octogenarian to find my name visually on a printed scroll of names, handed a piece of paper in which I entered a cardboard stand, took a pen and filled in the little circle in front of the representative of my choice, and put it in a ballot box- well, I’ll tell you, it doesn’t get any better than that. Thousands of people like me joined philosophical hands today in that all too underrated process of committing an act of democracy. It doesn’t matter so much about the choices, really, though this year the opponents stood in especially stark contrast. It is more the individual act of leaving your mark and determining ,in a very specific step, the direction of the country for the next two years.

     One wonders if the Greeks of Athens, inventing Demokratia in the 5th century BC felt the same tingle. It took more than an ID card even then, with only a small portion of the populous able to register as citizens and initiate the act of democracy, literally “rule by the governed”. Did they feel the same pride of ownership of their vote, their capacity to effect change in their leaders and in the leaders’ philosophies? I suspect so. We are very jaded in modern society in our “inability ” to influence events, but this is really a facade covering our laziness and lack of organizational discipline. A “tea party” this year formed out of thin air, and in the space of one year has managed to stop a political movement in its tracks and potentially assist in the birth of another, proving for all to see, that changing political directions, like losing weight, is simply a matter of enthusiasm and sustained discipline.

     Not matter how the election of 2010 turns out, I will be greatful for playing a very small, but pivotal part of it, the part of participation in my country’s future. The world over, that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing…

     After a very energetic effort of 45 postings in 50 days I am recharging my batteries away from all computers for a few days. I appreciate all the readers who have come on board and hope to provide soon new insights to digest and contemplate very soon , when I turn the darn machine back on.  Until then, please visit the site, enjoy the previous posts, and feel free to comment.  Your support for Ramparts is inspirational to me, and very much appreciated.