Note for the Fourth of July
The twentieth century was one in which limits on state power were removed in order to let the intellectuals run with the ball, and they screwed everything up and turned the century into an abattoir. …
799 years ago today
No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or …
798 years ago today
No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or …
Brilliant geostrategic summary
How Geography Explains the United States - By Aaron David Miller | Foreign Policy: "Canadians, Mexicans, and fish. That trio of neighbors has given the United States an unprecedented degree of …
AGW panic ending with a whimper
I shall look forward to the future progress of this with considerable interest; many people from across the spectrum have taken notice of the Economist piece. AGW panic ending with a whimper - Eric S. …
Moral Tastebuds and Culture War
Jonathan Haidt’s theory of moral foundations is one of the most interesting approaches to the ongoing social strife that I can remember. Here’s a basic explanation; read the whole article for an …
The Great Experiment - NY Times
Anybody can form a perfect Norway, a nation of five million people. But there is no country on earth with our size, our racial diversity, our mix of religions that is close to bringing most of its …
David Brooks - Rules for Craftsmen
The governing craftsman has to be able to know how many votes each side possesses. He has to avoid the narcissistic question: What do I want? He has to ask instead: Given this correlation of forces, …
Paper of record or church bulletin of the left?
This is one of the wonderful things about a mainstream press. It can help promote civil discourse, rational thinking and an improved society (I thought this recent debate led by a New York Times …
The Democratic Virtues of John Roberts - Ross Douthat
I have all sorts of problems with the health care bill, and I found the constitutional case against the individual mandate relatively compelling. But the solution to faulty legislation is usually …
Jonathan Haidt: He Knows Why We Fight - WSJ.com
Nobody who engages in political argument, and who isn’t a moron, hasn’t had to recognize the fact that decent, honest, intelligent people can come to opposite conclusions on public issues. Jonathan …
Marc Thiessen: Obama’s betrayal of progressive Catholics carries a price
The fact is President Obama betrayed progressive Catholics who stuck their necks out for him. So very true, and the test of an honest progressive Catholic (e.g., Michael Sean Winters) vs. a partisan …
Political "Science" and Its Forecasting Failures | Rightly Understood |Big Think
Generally, political science does its best work when it begins with the perspectives of the statesman (or political leader) and the citizen and then goes on to refine and enlarge what’s seen about …
Of Flying Cars and the Declining Rate of Profit
Where, in short, are the flying cars? Where are the force fields, tractor beams, teleportation pods, antigravity sleds, tricorders, immortality drugs, colonies on Mars, and all the other …
The Real Equality Problem: No One Actually Wants It
Good parents try to provide the best they can for their kids. Good employees try to advance as far as they can at work. Good athletes try to become the go-to player for their teams. Good entrepreneurs …
The Fourth Revolution (New Criterion)
The United States has been shaped by three far-reaching political revolutions: Thomas Jefferson’s “revolution of 1800,” the Civil War, and the New Deal. Each of these upheavals concluded with lasting …
Notes on Poll-Watching
Essential tips for reading the deluge of polls that we’ll experience between now and November; general wisdom for every strain of partisan, completely independent of political views, from Nate Silver …
The Milquetoast Radicals
David Brooks is so on-point about the fundamental frivolity and illusion of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The Milquetoast Radicals
Political theory of Gilligan's Island
Here On The Island - by Lewis Napper - A Scholarly Critique of the Style, Symbolism and Sociopolitical Relevance of Gilligan’s Island Every so often, my love of pop culture is vindicated as with …