“Erasmus dramatizes a well-established political position: that of the fool who claims license to criticize all and sundry without reprisal, since his madness defines him as not fully a person and therefore not a political being with political desires and ambitions. The Praise of Folly, therefore sketches the possibility of a position for the critic of the scene of political rivalry, a position not simply impartial between the rivals but also, by self-definition, off the stage of rivalry altogether.” WellsPersonsSelfPoliticalDesireStagePossibilityPositionFoolSceneAmbitionClaimsMadnessPraiseCriticsDefinitionsFollyCriticizeLicenseRivalsRivalryReprisalErasmus Author:J. M. Coetzee
“Art criticism everywhere is now at a low ebb, intellectually corrupt, swamped in meaningless jargon, distorted by political correctitudes, anxiously addressed only to other critics and their ilk.” ArtPoliticalLowsCriticismCriticsMeaninglessJargon Author:Brian Sewell
“Critics of the war plans (including myself) have pointed to the disastrous political results that must be expected: Iraq would break into three parts (Kurds in the north, Sunnis in the center, Shi'ites in the south), the Middle East would be exposed to the onslaught of Iranian fanaticism, pro-Western Arab regimes would collapse. Israel would be surrounded by aggressive Islamic fundamentalism, like the Crusader kingdom with the advent of Saladin.” WarWould BePoliticalThreeResultsBreakPlansMiddleSouthCriticsWesternIncludingIraqIsraelEastExpectedKingdomsIslamicAggressiveExposedRegimesMiddle EastCollapseFundamentalismFanaticismIranianAdventKurdsIslamic FundamentalismWar PlansSaladin Author:Uri Avnery