Tomorrow is the 13th anniversary of commenter FredHJr’s death
[NOTE: The following is a somewhat revised version of a post that has appeared previously on this blog.]
Unbelievable that it’s been thirteen years 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 thirteen 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.
Over the years there have been other commenters here who probably 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. So it’s hard to be specific. One commenter who comes to mind is “strcpy,” who announced that he was very ill and then disappeared shortly thereafter, about twelve 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. Same for parker.
There may be others, as well. I wouldn’t necessarily find out. Sometimes people just stop commenting here 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.
RIP 🙁
I understand you very well as in 12 years I have also lost some of my close friends to my YouTube blog. I really miss them..
one of the first persons who passed who I knew on another blog, was named peteruk, he was an acerbic very welll informed english fellow, I found out at the time of his passing, he had been a musician in his earlier career, his name was peter bocking he had worked with graham nash on occasion, so much so he was even noted in his most recent memoir, there were quite a few persons that I came to know as well as my own family even though I never met them,
I love the names or handles. strcpy is a C programming language function. parker could be a reference to Donald Westlake’s iconic novel character, which I didn’t know about until I stumbled across it a few times in different movies.
____
But once in office the venomous swarm of this network will burst out of the nest and devour the host [Pres. Obama].
I do agree with his idea of a network of alliances. I don’t think Obama got devoured. My guess is that Obama meant it when he said one of his guiding principles is “Don’t do stupid shit.” And he had capable people like Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod who agreed and helped.
On the other hand, with Biden there is nothing there to devour. That part of the network’s job was over with before it began.
I was not here when FredHJr was commenting but do appreciate your yearly commemoration of him. He seems to have been an unusually intelligent and perceptive person.
How time flys! I remember all those you mentioned: strcpy, Occam’s Beard, and FredHJr.
I was a regular reader of the half Comanche blogger David Yeagley. He wrote about Indian stuff, religion and the border, among other things. He has been dead for a number of years now.
And the Media Research Center writer for Newsbusters, Noel Sheppard, who died years ago, with whom I had corresponded on a brief level.
Never met any of those people in person, but read their writings and had interacted with some of them in the comments section and felt like I “ knew” them on some distant level.
It is indeed sad to see so many online commenters pass – There are also some blogs that are no more and I do miss them.
I was never one for paying attention to the TV talking heads; but, there is something special about ordinary folks who post blogs and comment. They are mostly more insightful and bring a “common man” view to what they have to say.
And, even though I only knew them through their online comments and posting I feel that I have been blessed to have known them.
P.S. 13 years!? holy cow does time fly!
A beautiful tribute, neo.
Mortality within the context of social media is a novel topic, but becoming less novel.
LinkedIn is the only social media I am on and I occasionally get reminders about upcoming birthdays and work anniversaries of people I knew who have passed. Even though it’s just a computer program reading dates it saddens me to think the computer algorithm is not honoring their deaths. I’ve thought about reaching out to their loved ones to notify them, so they can click the appropriate boxes in the users’ profiles to bring “closure,” but a part of me is curious to see how long it will continue.
RufusTFirefly:
LinkedIn also sends me notifications to congratulate a deceased cowoker for work aniverseries. She died in late 2019. The intertubes are forever, but I seriously doubt that LinkedIn can monitize the better place where Angela is now.
I am post-Fred and sorry I missed him. Historian, philosopher, clear thinker and great writer is my assessment, based solely on the few passages you posted. i wonder what his day job was. EDIT – Just dug through some of the other postings and my question was answered.
It is a beautiful tribute. Great thoughts, well expressed. I wish I had been active on the blog when he was.
T-Rex; Mike Plaiss:
Here is his obituary and a photo.
I was here for all those mentioned. I miss their commentary. And I’m grateful for all of you here now.
I never guessed, when I was home waiting for my second child to be born, that I would soon be privileged to be part of a community so thoughtful, interesting, and – dare I say it – interactive, in the still-young internet age.
Time flies, but the truths of human nature persevere. Fed understood the attractions of Marxism and power to humans better than most. Hed was a voice of experience warning of what is now transpiring. I didn’t want to believe it but can now see how truly visionary he was.
RIP FredHJr.
I’m sorry that I missed FredHJr as well, but I’ll say this: It says a lot about you Neo, that you would honor the people who have provided input to help make your blog as exceptional as it is. Your efforts are exceptional and much appreciated.
Also want to add my thanks for your annual commemoration of someone who, because he was once part of it (in the David Horowitz mold) understood clearly, cogently and intelligently the inner workings and hideous goals of the so-called “gloriously humane”—not-so-much termite-like rot as “ichneumon wasp”-type (echoing Wretchard)— destructiveness of Left-wing “project”; and was able to warn so articulately about its dire, inexorable, inevitable results, e.g.:
“…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 only thing missing here really is the assiduous “packaging” of such destruction as “HOPE”: as “for the people”, “massive improvement”, “achieving Nirvana”, “paradise on earth”….
As “TRANSFORMATION”…
(Think Ronald Reagan’s “thirteen most terrifying words” on steroids—pumped up to the ultimate horrific level…)
Remembering Fred, strcpy, and Occam’s Beard today. Thanks for the continuing memorial.
Speaking of Occam’s Beard, I just found this today via a DuckDuckGo search:
Sounds like he was a very prescient observer, especially for someone who has not lived under these commies (my presumption) Few of us realized that the Mau Mau’s would become ascendant in our society. Those of us that lived under commies saw it in academia and it’s scholars and knew it was spreading. We were often ridiculed-especially after the Wall fell because we knew that the failure of yet another communist country was not a deterrent to the (religious-really that is what it is) progressive left. As told to me by family members, as early as the mid-60’s the Dept of Education at the University of Miami was already a captured department. It started with the humanities, and now widespread and pretty complete in STEM schools too. I was listening to Razib Khan’s podcast where he interviews the editor of Quillette. He mentions (which I had heard about previously, but underlines it for me) how in stem programs there was intense pressure to sign various BLM pronouncements-and if an errant grad student didn’t want to sign it, the pressure from all essentially forced the person to do so (careful with those pronouns!)
Wow. Only 54. RIP. Thanks for remembering him. I can’t remember if I was here then. Since blog commenters tend to be older, I have seen some losses. One big one was at Ace of Spades. I attended Cathy Seipp’s funeral.
“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.”
True. County Attorneys who won’t enforce the law to the insane Green New Deal with mandated EVs.
I see that Fred was with the Jesuits for a time. No surprise.
I didn’t know Fred and now I miss him!
Thanks Neo for providing one of the most humane spots on the World wide web.
I see Fred passed before Benghazi and the hearings. He would have provided sharp analysis of Hillary Clinton sitting before Jim Jordan and lying through her teeth. Solzhenitsyn’s observation that Leftism is marinated in lies was evident in HC’s testimony on Benghazi and the White House blaming an obscure filmmaker for the terrorist attack.
Tina…”He mentions (which I had heard about previously, but underlines it for me) how in stem programs there was intense pressure to sign various BLM pronouncements-and if an errant grad student didn’t want to sign it, the pressure from all essentially forced the person to do so (careful with those pronouns!)”
Sell Your Soul or Lose Your Livelihood:
https://chicagoboyz.net/archives/63248.html
Some of his ideas echo those of Russell Kirk, author of The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot.
Did i say he was a musician
https://www.manchesterbeat.com/index.php/my-story/pete-bocking-a-tribute
@ david > “Sell Your Soul or Lose Your Livelihood:”
That was frightening — all of your and Neo’s posts referencing Haffner are.
I used to wonder just how the very enlightened, religious, sophisticated, progressive German state fell to the Nazis so quickly.
I don’t wonder anymore.
Once they get into control, no matter how it’s done — the fall is like Hemingway’s description of going bankrupt: gradually, then suddenly.
We seem to be on the “sudden” part of that cycle.
June 18, 2020 by David Foster
That last sentence references the “gradually” part of the cycle.
You didn’t have to do much to bring the older post up to date — looks like our reprieve only lasted four years.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get more INSANE….
“The Illinois Political Establishment’s Shameful Response To The Departure Of Ken Griffin And Citadel”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/illinois-political-establishments-shameful-response-departure-ken-griffin-and-citadel
‘US Will “Continue To Provide Seamless Access” To Abortion In Military: Defense Secretary’—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/us-will-continue-provide-seamless-access-abortion-military-defense-secretary
+ https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2022/06/26/lloyd-austin-needs-to-resign-as-secretary-of-defense-n478790
…and there’s dozens more articles of this nature (if not hundreds) on a whole variety of topics…
Though it DOES help to keep in mind that “Biden” is the perennial OPPOSITION, the perennial VIVA-LA-REVOLUCION party, the perennial ADOLESCENT that never stops playing with (Orwellian) matches and gasoline.
(And so, apparently, things can ALWAYS get more insane…until they simply can’t…AKA “The point beyond no return”?)
…as “electoral politics” continues apace…
“Biden sneaking amnesty through for a million illegal border-crossers”—
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/06/biden_sneaking_amnesty_through_for_as_many_as_a_million_illegal_border_crosser.html
File under: “Biden”eering…as expected.
Rufus and Om, you bring up a great point that I am wrestling with. I lost my wife of 41 years in May of 2021 and was confronted with how to inform her many online correspondents. I knew most of the close ones and could email them, but many have trickled in over the last year, and I had to inform them as they tried to reach her. I don’t monitor her email as closely as I once did and have closed most of her subscriptions, but I still check once a week or so.
When I go, there will be no one to inform anyone, so my online presence will just languish. This is becoming a bigger problem for online businesses as well. Now companies on the web that have to worry about bots also should start worrying about zombies. We need a living online will that will stipulate how long to wait with no interaction to pull the plug. I have many other ideas, but people should start thinking about this. (Urrk, I feel a LinkedIn post coming on.)
Frank:
Sorry for your loss.
By the way, the only reason I learned of Fred’s death was that I was on his email list and a relative had access to his email and informed people on it that he had died.
Here’s a book that might be of interest.
IIRC, Occam’s Beard was an emeritus Chemistry professor from UC-San Diego.
Yes, we miss them.
In going to the link that Neo provided for FredHJr’s obituary, I realize that he and my sister shared some stomping grounds, though sometimes at several decades apart. He attended high school in Ipswich, graduated from high school in Peabody, and graduated from UNH.
My sister attended UNH for 3 years, but after 5 years in the “real world,” got her degree from Northeastern. She worked for a company in Peabody for 2+ decades, and lived in Ipswich for 2 decades. The closest time frame would have been UNH, but even there they were separated by 5 years.
Small world, as they say.
May their memories be a blessing.
Thanks Neo for both your sympathy and your suggestion. I’ve added the book to my shopping cart. As to my wife, she’s in heaven having the fun her body wouldn’t allow her in life. She only hung on so long to not leave me alone. If I’m not good enough to get in when I go, I fully expect her to nag the Big Guy until he lets me in. We had a magical life together for over 40 years.