???Stark Raver wrote: That is interesting. I am the opposite of you, I agree with Card's politics and completely understand why Donaldson is the way he is. The simple answer is that many leftists are the opposite of what they claim. In short, it seems that Donaldson is intollerant.
I cant ignore this one - Hitler only gave lip service to socialism .. yes he headed the the National Socialist party in Germany - socialism was in the title .. but Hitlers interest was really in the nationalist aspect of the party. Hitler was very happy to get into bed with industrialists and whoever would be able to consolodate his power.Stark Raver wrote: Paven, have you forgotten, Hitler was a socialist. He was a leftist.
As a young man Hitler toyed with a number of political philisophies .. he joined the National Socialist party which was very left leaning but Hitler was not dedicated to any political philisophy that was not his own. When push came to shove he destroyed and persecuted those National Socialist members who took their left leaning too seriously. He had no dedication to socialist or left leaning policies. After Hitler came to power Ernst Rohm who took the socialist aspect of National Socialist policy seriously .. was removed. He was arrested for being a homosexual as a pretext for removing him. Hitler knew Rohm was a homosexual for years before his removal (execution without trial) - but when he and his immediate followers (SA -first uniformed Nazis) became an obstacle to his nationalist pursuit with his own special leanings Rohm was removed.
any dictatorship will want to bring all things under the control of the central government .. socialist dictatorship or facist dictatorship .. this is fundamental character of a dictatorship .. The political leaning of the dictator has less relevance in a comparison to contemporary political examples.Stark Raver wrote: He didn't stand for the preservation of the Weimer Republic or a return to monarchy. I doubt very seriously Rush would have been a favorite of a socialist. Hitler was also a fascist. It strikes me as funny that people forget fascists seek to bring all things under government control, once again the opposite of Limbaugh. I am a ditto head, and was before I even heard of Limbaugh.
As a christian .. I dont believe all men as inherently evil or sinful .. I believe all men are inherently good. But being a human in mortality I deal with temptation that may lead me away from my inherent goodness. The choices I make in my life determine whether I am heading in a direction of bettering myself or worsening my self and thereby affecting my salvation in the world to come. (which I also believe in)Stark Raver wrote:
Most jews, christians, and I would presume muslims, understand that all men are sinful. Doesn't TC even say that only the guilty have power and can be saved. I disagree because I believe Christ was innocent and He surely has power.
I think there is less likelihood that a pursuit of the arts, literature, music etc .. can be compared to materialistic pursuits for more bigger, better and more expensive houses, luxury vehicles, yachts, etc .. the latest and the best (on the benchmarking continuum) - blaah blaahStark Raver wrote:
I find one thing funny though, lefty artists like to rail against materialism yet their very livelyhood comes from materialsm. .
F-Scott Fitzgerald .. (author of the Great Gatzby) was very critical of the nuevo-riche .. collectors of art .. who represent the antithesis of artistic cultural pursuit .. he accused them of knowing nothing about the artwork they owned .. their interest only in displaying it.
I guess the point is that the desire for material things not be raised above the desires for literature, music or their own humanity.
The fact that Donaldson has made money from his books is not in issue .. its what we do with our money that determines our priorities ..
And on that Donaldson doesn not nor has ever written pap or fluff .. to sell and make money .. he writes artistically .. his work does not appeal to the mainstream .. and if you recall he had to go to very many publishers to get TCTC published .. and to do it he had to go offshore .. and found a publisher in the UK willing to give the chrons a shot.
The rest is history ..

If Donaldson was all about the money .. he would have sold out years ago .. and become the Mills & Boon of the day (pap and fluff making money and upholding core materialistic values).