Noemie Emery has come to much the same conclusions as I have about the dangers of the drive for Republican Party purity: The conservative movement is a collection of theorists that self-selects for conformity. The Republican party is the vehicle … Continue reading →
I’m going to start out by saying something that will shock a few people, I suppose: I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of the Republican Party. Not only that, but I doubt I ever will … Continue reading →
The weather at the tea party I went to yesterday was lovely, the sky blue and a little chill. The surprisingly large crowd was extremely varied, from young to old and everything in between, their mood buoyant and assertive. I … Continue reading →
Here’s an article on the history of taxes in America. Summary: early on there were few, and the federal taxes that were levied were temporary and used to raise money to fight wars. But since the beginning of the twentieth … Continue reading →
Yesterday Daniel Hannan was just a backbench member of the European Parliament from South East England, probably known only to his constituents, some Conservative fans, and some Labor enemies. Today—although this may just be his obligatory Warholesque fifteen minutes of … Continue reading →
I didn’t make that line up. It’s an idea voiced by Daniel Henninger in this WSJ article. Henninger believes the disconnect between the majority of Democrats in Congress and the private sector has become profound, leading not only to the … Continue reading →
It’s no secret that I’ve been critical of Barack Obama for much of his candidacy, and even more so during his presidency. But I honestly believe that, even back in my liberal Democrat days, I would not have drunk the … Continue reading →
A few days ago a commenter here offered a link to this page of Lenin quotes. Some of them seem pretty apropos in light of recent developments, and so I offer them to you for your contemplation [I’ve emphasized some … Continue reading →
Sometimes a seemingly random word or two can be very instructive, if you want to know what a person really thinks. That is the reason I (and so many others) paid quite a bit of attention to a couple of … Continue reading →
I’ve been wanting to write about other things besides Obama. Truly, I have. But I keep coming back to that topic because it seems vital to get it right—and now, before things slide out of control. Speaking of sliding out … Continue reading →
Bipartisanship—what’s not to like? It’s a goal Obama talked about quite a bit while on the campaign trail, as did McCain. Obama is not unique in having paid lip service to bipartisanship when it was of benefit to him during … Continue reading →
Leon Wieseltier of The New Republic is happy about recent political developments. Very happy. After decades of wandering in the Republican desert (and he includes the Clinton years as a craven accommodation to Republicans), the good guys (liberals) are finally … Continue reading →