Caliban's Curse

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The Iconoclast

‹‹ Video of would-be bomber fleeing in a burkha

Hair today... ››

Tuesday, 20 February 2007

Caliban's Curse

"Murat Aydemir....."

Caliban's words keep coming back:

“You taught me language; and my profit on’t is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you for learning me your language!”

Like so many, not to the manner born. But to the current academic manner born. The stamina, the essential stupidity, the ability to swallow it all, and then to dutifully regurgitate it. One more nightmarish book, one more doctorated dope, expectorated by the system.

And sweet young students, who know so little of their own country's language and literature, growing up surrounded by boom boxes and other audio-visual gewgaws, yet still perhaps able, if taught correctly, to have an interest in the right use of words kindled or rekindled, are faced with tens of thousands of such murat-aydemirs.

Calibans rule, and more than one Prospero must be sitting in grim and defiant exile.

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Posted on 02/20/2007 9:48 AM by Hugh Fitzgerald

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Comments

20 Feb 2007

Mary Jackson

the ability to swallow it all

Curse or blessing?

20 Feb 2007

Reactionry

Alderdash

Hats* off to Mary for the link to the following words:

"Love-thirty, love-forty, oh! weakness of joy,
The speed of a swallow, the grace of a boy,
With carefullest carelessness, gaily you won,
I am weak from your loveliness, Joan Hunter Dunn."

But one(or a certain Bridgekeeper) might ask if the "speed" refers to elapsed time only, or, if time over distance, "The speed of an unladen European or an African swallow?" And if the swallow is Laden, given the rumours that Osama did not have a member in good-standing, is it possible that one factor which serves as a glue for terrorist networks is something commonly referred to elsewhere as "small unit cohesion"?

*Why, a fireman's hat, of course.

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