For some reason, this is being praised all over the net

[fpb]

http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2009/06/26/athenians-and-visigoths-neil-postmans-graduation-speech/

The truth is that rarely have so many ugly and stupid misrepresentations ever been pressed into one short speech. Good thing the author is dead, or I would have had a thing or two to say to him. And to have this kind of crap praised by what is supposed to be a conservative Catholic magazine is enough to make my blood boil.

Comments

[eliskimo.livejournal.com]

Wow. Did he write it in the 50s? I totally grok your response.

[mentalguy.livejournal.com]

Sad in particular to see something like this praised simply because it flatters its audience.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

His version of history is ... interesting. I wish he'd gotten to the part where Xena and King Arthur teamed up to fight Napoleon and his Nazi Saxon hordes.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

If you don't write a fanfic on those themes, sir, I will come after you myself.

[fishlivejournal.livejournal.com]

that would be an awesome fanfic....


but the orginal article, who the blazes is praising it? Why?

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

YESSSSSSSSSS

[baduin.livejournal.com]

Visigoths lived in Germany? How strange. I thought that they lived at various times in Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgary, Turkey, Italy, France and Spain - but never in Germany.

Gross historical inaccuracies aside

[sanscouronne.livejournal.com]

No one would praise this if his little analogy were between the Athenians and the Huns (Atila's guys).
Then it would just be racist.

[jamesenge.livejournal.com]

I usually start something by Postman wanting to like it, but before long I'm scribbling angry notes in the margins. (This is pretty hard on my computer screen.)