On the National Review today, a rabbi argues that the loss of a traditional (he uses the frame work of a Judeo-Chrisian) value system can help to ease the passage to a government that has more and more influence over the way in which we live our lives. I often posit that lack of politeness is the first step on the road to a crumbling empire. Rabbi Lapin here makes an interesting commentary to this.



Politeness (not behaving obscenely in public, etc) is just an expression of a more fundamental worldview or value system. That can be Humanism, a strong Christian upbringing, whatever. But it's vitally important to have that value system, in more ways than one (as Lapin suggests).

Not so much a rant, and not so much funny, but interesting I thought.