Today is the 10th anniversary of FredHJr’s death
[NOTE: The following is a slightly revised version of a post that has appeared previously on this blog.]
Unbelievable that it’s been an entire decade since commenter FredHJr died suddenly and tragically. As time passes, the number of readers here who don’t remember Fred must necessarily increase, so for those of you who don’t know who FredHJr was, please see this and this, as well as these.
Fred’s death was extremely tragic for his family. But it was tragic for this blog, too, because he was an invaluable and irreplaceable member of our community, a “changer” who knew a lot about the Left, and a keen observer of politics, history, religion, culture—of life itself. I still think about him often, wondering what he’d have to say about everything that’s happened in these last ten years.
Every year on the anniversary, I offer some excerpts from his many comments here.
This comment is from October 18, 2008, just a few weeks before Obama was elected president for the first time:
It’s the Marxist/Leninist ethics of expediency. No regrets. Whatever it takes to discredit anything the other side does and excuse the sins of your own side.
…this reveals a lot about who is about to take power and how they will wield it against the rest of us. They get away with it and many will not at all be troubled by it because they are shaped by the post-modernism, cultural Marxism that they imbibed during their formative and educational experience. If we as a people cannot name this accurately and expunge its corrosive influence over our lives, then down into the wages of perdition and disaster we go.
The comment is from October 28, 2008. The election was getting close:
Obama is part of a nexus of interests. What the American dopes who will put him in office are getting is a NETWORK of alliances and interests, running the gamut from Finance (Soros) to academia to media to law. Thus far, in order to appeal to the Middle Muddle he has been packaged as a moderate or centrist. But once in office the venomous swarm of this network will burst out of the nest and devour the host. You wait and see. And I’m not eager for the moment to say “I told you so.” I really would it be the case that it never happens at all.
This was a comment of Fred’s from the very beginning of the Obama presidency, but I think it’s worth mulling over today:
For me, Western Civilization is an incredibly complex work that has eclectically and also seamlessly borrowed the excellence and the virtues of Athens, Jerusalem, Rome, and the Enlightenment. The High Middle Ages and the Renaissance also made important contributions. In its totality it is a meritocracy and a liberation of humanity that has resulted in ever greater learning and material prosperity and health for most of the people who live under it. It is not an unblemished history. Yet in its totality it gleams with advancement when juxtaposed against civilizations which enslave humanity.
I think the beginning of the end of our civilization began with the French Revolution and The Terror. It was the beginning of the elaboration of totalitarian thought and throughout the 19th century this kept on finding newer permutations of elegant, intellectual terror. The 20th century was the culmination of the barbarity of totalitarianism.
These are chosen somewhat randomly, but so very much of what I looked at that Fred had written was on target.
RIP Fred, and may your family be comforted in their grief. We miss you.
There have been other commenters here who may have died, and I would like to mention them too, but for no one else did I actually get official word of that person’s death. One commenter who comes to mind is “strcpy,” who announced that he was very ill and then disappeared shortly thereafter, about nine years ago. I wrote him an email but never heard back, and I fear he’s gone. But I don’t know for sure. Another prolific commenter who disappeared many years ago was Occam’s Beard. I was never able to contact him after that, and so I fear something tragic may have happened.
There may be others, as well. I wouldn’t necessarily find out. Sometimes people just stop commenting because they get busy or they get tired or they get turned off. But it stands to reason some of them will have died. So I’ll take this opportunity to say RIP for all of them, whoever they may be.
Neo,
You do both Fred and us, your readers, a justifiable service by memorializing him each year. Thank you.
If you have not ever done so, consider informing his widow of your annual memorial posts. I think it would provide her and his family some comfort knowing that he was respected in this cyber community for his insight.
And yes, it’s difficult to Believe that ten years have passed so quickly.
Can’t believe a decade has passed…
🙁
Very hard to believe it’s been 10 years. I remember his comments as perceptive and well worth reading. RIP FredHJr.
I remember FredHJr and Occam’s Beard; while I’m not a frequent poster I’ve lurked here for many a year, long before Obama’s election in 2008. I think I may have come here from the old Dr. Sanity blog, or perhaps
In addition to FredHJr, I think of Steven Den Beste of USS Clueless fame – people I’ve never met, but whose words made me think and whose thoughts will be missed, even if I’ve never actually met them.
Yes, Occam’s Beard, another commenter who is sorely missed as is Dr. Sanity’s blog.
I was not, alas, reading your site when he was around, but love that you remember him year after year. Knowing nothing else of him, this makes me wonder and be interested in him. A great testimony, Thank you.
He’s still watching over things, although he has become the ultimate lurker due to the Veil. His higher self is the only one able to authorize any descent now.
Crikey! it seems like that was just yesterday. Time, and our perception of it, can be a very odd thing.
“If we as a people cannot name this accurately and expunge its corrosive influence over our lives, then down into the wages of perdition and disaster we go.”
I’m going to have to look at some old commentary here and there, and try to place this comment of his in context.
Grant, that in academia, postmodernism in English and philosophy departments had been an issue for decades, and had received media attention. Grant that “cultural Marxism” was not exactly a new term and that cynical leftists had been on display for years during the Clinton administration.
Still, 10 years back he seems to have been somewhat ahead of the curve in clearly formulating the problem, when many others on blogs were still struggling to find the right descriptive language, and important and accessible books on the topics were still to be written.
It is a little more than 12 years since Cathy Seipp died.
I knew her and attended her funeral. She had a blog that quite a few followed and even went to lunch a few times. Hard to believe it is 12 years. Through her I met Andrew Breitbart, another flame quenched who kept the darkness away. I also met Patterico who has developed a near fatal case of TDS and we are not friends any more.
I remember FredHJr, Cathy Siepp, and Aoccam’s Beard fondly. That was back when blogging was fairly new–I had one myself–and the field was wild, undisciplined, raw, and exciting!
I miss those days. (I’m glad you’re still here, Neo!)
FredHJr knew what the Marxists were about.
Ten years. Tempus fugit! Here’s to FredHJr. He was a good man. We learned much from him. RIP
FredHJr’s comments could be written today almost word for word.
I recall a few posts by strcpy. (A C programming language reference.) The others were before my arrival.
For those who are interested in Fred’s Western Civilization commentary, I’d recommend Rodney Stark’s “How the West Won: The neglected story of the triumph of modernity.” Very opinionated. War, religion, and the origins of the university are featured prominently.
I used to be an answerer on Yahoo! Answers for a while. It was entertaining, but after a time, I thought to myself, “Why am I doing this?” and stopped. That may have been related to some schmucks who were fishing for solutions to their homework or take-home exam problems.
Thank you for honoring him and keeping his memory alive, Neo.
T:
Yes, I do keep Fred’s widow informed whenever I have a post on him. She appreciates it that so many people still remember him so fondly.
Gringo:
FredHJr had been a Marxist—or sort of tried to be a Marxist—in college, but after a year or two he abandoned that notion because (if I’m remembering this correctly) he had realized from some of his other studies that Marxism could never be realized because it was at war with human nature. But he had read widely in Marxist literature and knew a lot about it.
It is a past decade of stinking thinking, selfishness and cowardice, which led to a failure to unite against a too-common and too collective a stalwart leftist foe. FredHJr saw the leftist evil and called it what it was and is.
On the other side:
Think about McCain, a pretty cowardly candidate when in the clutches (who once served as a POW in ‘Nam, as if that were relevant), slinking away from the Great Recession in 2008 and leaving the field to Barack Hussein.
Think of Romney, who should have had Barack Hussein on the ropes in their 2nd debate, but cringed. Because black. The same Barack who celebrated Ramadan in the White House, to no criticism. Because Islam.
Think of the poor performance by Paul Ryan et al. The Ryan who built a wall around his house while refusing the entire country a southern wall. The least-qualified Speaker ever.
Think of Bush, taking off his shoes to visit (!) a mosque. To visit and so to curry the applause which did not appear. Think of his failure to back his AG, to his cowering non-response to the storm that resulted from terminating a handful of US Attorneys, though Clinton had precedentially fired ALL on his entry to office.
So many missed opportunities to live by principles. Including honesty and valor. Valor in the face of the Democratic enemy.
I applaud Trump, whose political word is pretty much his bond. Pretty remarkable. Does he get the GOP support he should get? Nope.
PC is an infectious, brain-destroying disease.
God speed FredJHr!!! You have achieved what most of us could only hope for……that people (and strangers would remember you fondly). Miss him and his insights!!!
Being a changer myself, I have lurked here almost from the beginning. RIP, FredHJr.
And, thank you, Neo, for providing this oasis for us.
Somewhere among your “to whom it may concern” papers, leave your nom and ask your loved ones to let Neo know you have gone on to better worlds.
I am hoping for the opportunity to watch the director’s cut movie, and learn what really happened in some of those stories that obsess us here, and which we will probably never see fully unveiled in this life.
On the other hand, at that point, we probably won’t care any more.
Thinking about it, it seems like just a few years ago. Then again, I can believe ten years have passed. So much has happened: Obama became President, was (incredibly) re-elected despite job he did, and somehow we survived. Now Trump…and unless you believe every word from MSM & Democrats, US is more than surviving. Def. some cringeworthy comments from time to time, but if you, like I, have learned to ignore the Twitter, turn down the volume on TV at times (and laugh at his jokes–he can be funny) and focus on policy, not too many complaints. Would be interesting to hear FredHJr’s comments, espec. on economy because, if I remember correctly, that was his background. I’ve been much quieter (commenting) than when FredHJr was a regular on the blog. But it’s great to see that a) so many readers still have conversations WITH one another on this blog and b) so many who have been following Neo have done so long enough to remember FredHJr. and his engaging commentary. And the shock we all felt when he had the accident, and the void he left.. I actually still think of him regularly. And Neo-, hats off for keeping us coming back year after year entertaining us, engaging us, informing us and stimulating thought that has made us “regulars.” (I’ve been much quieter than in yrs. past, sometimes having to catch up reading a day or two late, but still here & appreciating). What’s really hard to believe is how long I’ve been following Neo and enjoying so much from politics to Jello art (remember?), dance, music oldies & “earworms,” best jellybeans for Easter and inspiring discussion. Neo’s many hats (lawyer, dancer, psychologist) a variety of points of view, and I still look forward to going to the blog daily to get my “fix.”
Another missing person I fondly remember is cf bleachers from wretchard’s Belmont Club. Just disappeared.
RIP.
CSimon:
Good to hear from you again!
Thank you for doing this each year, Neo. I remember FredHJr, and I’d love to know what he would have to say about the 10 years he’s missed, and has been missed in.
Cathy Seipp was a rare jewel, as was FredHJr and many others gone before.
We must try to remember to treasure each other.
Good commenters are important to a good small blog. Big blogs, like Instapundit, have too many. Tiny blogs not enough. 5-50 comments seem a good amount. I recall FredHJr, and others. One blog I recall is the leftist Norman Geras, who often had good questionnaire response interviews with other bloggers.
Another Iraq blogger was Michael Totten, who is on the blogroll but just now I see:
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org has expired and is pending renewal or deletion
It’s so hard to do a good blog, and Neo, you do a great job.
And I so strongly appreciate your search for both truth, as in true facts and honest predictions about the future, as well as Truth about human beings. The current Democrat willingness to abandon truth in order to win power is a willingness to destroy Christian-Capitalist (i.e. Western) Civilization.