GOPry
Apparently my effort to break down and explain Mr. Barford's polemic vs. Wayne Sayles was noticed:
Wayne Rides out to Confront the Enemies of the Loony Fringe
...
UPDATE
Whoah.... talk about lack of distance! Dealer Dave ("The Loony Fringe" Ancient Coins February 03, 2015) apparently has not spotted the list of abbreviations in this bog's left sidebar... and provides his own. He knows of only one 'non-idiot numismatist' and states that anti-intellectualism is US Constitutionally guaranteed and "there is nothing "imagined" about"... Imagined Oppressions. In a word another ACCG contribution to the debate which is redolent of "Idiot America" in all its GOPry.
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COMMENTARY
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Mr. Barford refers to his cyber-archaeology venture as "this bog" in what can only be described as a classic Freudian slip. So far as his list of abbreviations is concerned, the terms of reference are so far from being neutral (or reasonable) that a more balanced perspective seemed essential.
> He knows of only one 'non-idiot numismatist' and states that anti-intellectualism is US Constitutionally guaranteed ...
I know of a great many numismatists who are not idiots. Mr. Barford uses "idiot" as a jargon term defining those who do not agree with the far-left wing perspective he shares with Charles P. Pierce. My remarks regarding Barford's "anti-intellectualism" were:
"anti-intellectualism: a perspective emphasizing fundamental human values, and the rights of individuals, such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the right to own and enjoy private property etc." Mr. Barford clearly agrees that this is indeed what he meant, since he says that I state that "anti-intellectualism is US Constitutionally guaranteed ..."
He is, however misinformed as to the origin of these words. "... all men are created equal ... endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights ... among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" are the words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. "... freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to own and enjoy private property ..." are included in the Bill of Rights, and also in the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948. They mean, in plain English, that individuals have fundamental human rights which are more important than "the archaeological record" and "preservation of cultural heritage." Mr. Barford's words mean, in plain English, that his views regarding the importance of "the archaeological record" and "preservation of cultural heritage" are "intellectualism" and that opposing them is "anti-intellectualism." Mr. Barford's concept of "intellectualism" may be regarded as having much in common with what was once described as "dialectical materialism."
If this be anti-intellectualism, if having the basic common sense to realize that the world does not revolve around archaeology and its parochial concerns is "GOPry," make the most of it.
Mr. Barford describes himself in his "bog" as a "British archaeologist living and working in Warsaw, Poland." He is secretive about the details of how he came to live in Poland, however (as best I have been able to determine) he relocated there in the late 1980s, where he became a university lecturer and later Inspector of Monuments under the Communist regime. In these blog posts:
classicalcoins.blogspot.com/2013/09/mr-barfords-provenance.html
classicalcoins.blogspot.com/2010/12/unprovenanced-archaeologist.html
I attempted as best I could to reconstruct what might have occurred (which was resented by Mr. Barford), however he has never publicly explained what actually happened. Suffice it to say that during this very critical time in his life (between 1981 and 1993) Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush were the Presidents of the United States, and two events materially affecting Mr. Barford took place: the collapse of European Communism and the 1991 Gulf War, which culminated in the 2003 "Iraqi Freedom" sequel under George W. Bush. The former ended the governmental employment Mr. Barford had enjoyed in Poland, and the latter was regarded by many left-wing observers as an archaeological disaster.
Perhaps this explains why "GOPry" is a curse word in his archaeocentric vocabulary.
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Wayne Rides out to Confront the Enemies of the Loony Fringe
...
UPDATE
Whoah.... talk about lack of distance! Dealer Dave ("The Loony Fringe" Ancient Coins February 03, 2015) apparently has not spotted the list of abbreviations in this bog's left sidebar... and provides his own. He knows of only one 'non-idiot numismatist' and states that anti-intellectualism is US Constitutionally guaranteed and "there is nothing "imagined" about"... Imagined Oppressions. In a word another ACCG contribution to the debate which is redolent of "Idiot America" in all its GOPry.
***************
COMMENTARY
***************
Mr. Barford refers to his cyber-archaeology venture as "this bog" in what can only be described as a classic Freudian slip. So far as his list of abbreviations is concerned, the terms of reference are so far from being neutral (or reasonable) that a more balanced perspective seemed essential.
> He knows of only one 'non-idiot numismatist' and states that anti-intellectualism is US Constitutionally guaranteed ...
I know of a great many numismatists who are not idiots. Mr. Barford uses "idiot" as a jargon term defining those who do not agree with the far-left wing perspective he shares with Charles P. Pierce. My remarks regarding Barford's "anti-intellectualism" were:
"anti-intellectualism: a perspective emphasizing fundamental human values, and the rights of individuals, such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the right to own and enjoy private property etc." Mr. Barford clearly agrees that this is indeed what he meant, since he says that I state that "anti-intellectualism is US Constitutionally guaranteed ..."
He is, however misinformed as to the origin of these words. "... all men are created equal ... endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights ... among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" are the words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. "... freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to own and enjoy private property ..." are included in the Bill of Rights, and also in the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948. They mean, in plain English, that individuals have fundamental human rights which are more important than "the archaeological record" and "preservation of cultural heritage." Mr. Barford's words mean, in plain English, that his views regarding the importance of "the archaeological record" and "preservation of cultural heritage" are "intellectualism" and that opposing them is "anti-intellectualism." Mr. Barford's concept of "intellectualism" may be regarded as having much in common with what was once described as "dialectical materialism."
If this be anti-intellectualism, if having the basic common sense to realize that the world does not revolve around archaeology and its parochial concerns is "GOPry," make the most of it.
Mr. Barford describes himself in his "bog" as a "British archaeologist living and working in Warsaw, Poland." He is secretive about the details of how he came to live in Poland, however (as best I have been able to determine) he relocated there in the late 1980s, where he became a university lecturer and later Inspector of Monuments under the Communist regime. In these blog posts:
classicalcoins.blogspot.com/2013/09/mr-barfords-provenance.html
classicalcoins.blogspot.com/2010/12/unprovenanced-archaeologist.html
I attempted as best I could to reconstruct what might have occurred (which was resented by Mr. Barford), however he has never publicly explained what actually happened. Suffice it to say that during this very critical time in his life (between 1981 and 1993) Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush were the Presidents of the United States, and two events materially affecting Mr. Barford took place: the collapse of European Communism and the 1991 Gulf War, which culminated in the 2003 "Iraqi Freedom" sequel under George W. Bush. The former ended the governmental employment Mr. Barford had enjoyed in Poland, and the latter was regarded by many left-wing observers as an archaeological disaster.
Perhaps this explains why "GOPry" is a curse word in his archaeocentric vocabulary.
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posted by Dave Welsh at 7:29 PM
2 Comments:
And, of course we should now realize through the kind elucidation of Mr. Barford, Thomas Jefferson was an "anti-intellectual" who lacked the credentials to spew his political propaganda about human rights. I'd say the coiney's are in good company and I don't think Thomas Jefferson was a GOPry kind of guy. Isn't that a classic paradox? Maybe Paul Barford is more of a GOPry kind of guy than those he taunts?
It appears that Mr. Barford does not want to disclose what "kind of guy" he rally is, either by providing a curriculum vitae or its equivalent, or by disclosing his political affiliation. He is of course within his rights to maintain such a reserve.
We, on the other hand, are also within our rights to comment regarding what he has to say in his "bog" and what his statements seem to imply regarding his political and social views.
It appears to be quite clear that Mr. Barford regards "intellectualism" as being very much more socially respectable than "anti-intellectualism."
Without any intention of engaging in propaganda, I have attempted to infer what Mr. Barford really means by these terms. He has not yet revealed anything that contradicts my view that "intellectualism" is his term for dialectical materialism, and that "anti-intellectualism" is a Jeffersonian emphasis on individuality and human rights.
While I can't envision Barford sharing any philosophical or political perspective with Reagan or either Bush, it is certainly reasonable to think that his concept of "GOPry" could be so far distorted that it may well include the sort of anti-individual oppression you have in mind.
Jefferson's political perspective was oriented toward minimizing constraints upon the rights of individuals by governmental actions. The "Democratic Republican" party of Jefferson and Madison was the ancestor of today's Democratic party.
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