And, speaking of friends— Here’s a bumper sticker seen yesterday on a parked car in my very liberal town: Someone’s idea, no doubt, of humor, based on the slogan “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” But it doesn’t seem all … Continue reading →
I’ve written many times before about conflict with old friends and relatives over post-9/11 politics. I know I’m not alone; many here and elsewhere have similar stories to tell, and some have shared them with me, both on this blog … Continue reading →
I almost didn’t write Part II of “Why this war is so hated.” The reason is that Part I, yesterday, was actually an attempt on my part to imagine some of the best and most reasonable arguments that could be … Continue reading →
There are certain themes I keep coming back to, and one has to do with the mindset of liberals and those on the left (different, but at times related). It may seem to be an obsession of sorts, but I … Continue reading →
I’ve been a bit puzzled as to why neocons have been accused so often of being motivated by fear in taking the policy positions they do (see this, for example). When I’ve written here about the evolution of my own … Continue reading →
Gerard Van der Leun has called our attention to a children’s book that has to be seen to be believed. Actually, scratch that; this book cannot be believed, even after being seen. Take a look. Take a long look. Then … Continue reading →
Via The Anchoress, I read Peggy Noonan’s column from today’s Wall Street Journal. Noonan thinks Bush’s State of the Union speech was okay, but mainly a rehash of past positions. If you agree with Bush, you agreed with the speech; … Continue reading →
A thoughtful reader sent me a link to a NY Times article that may explain a lot. It’s entitled “A shocker: partisan thought is unconscious.” A shocker? Hardly; not to this crowd. But interesting nonetheless. Here’s an excerpt: Liberals and … Continue reading →
Having studied the stories of so many political “changers” (most recently, Kanan Makiya), it strikes me how similar the paths to such change often seem to be. Oh, the details vary, of course–different countries of birth, different turning points. But … Continue reading →
As so often happens, I want to take up a question posed in the comments section of a previous thread. Reader “kcom” expressed puzzlement at the lack of condemnation of Saddam’s regime from the left and their failure to see … Continue reading →
[The first part of this series on literary leftists can be found here. The third part can be found here.] The Spanish Civil War was famous for many things, including attracting the participation of some of the most well-known literary … Continue reading →
This comment on a previous thread intrigued me (the first question, that is—although the second was a bit intriguing, also). The query posed: back when I was a liberal Democrat, if I’d met a group composed mostly of conservatives, and … Continue reading →