Which comes first, democracy or security? It’s a trick question, like the one about the chicken and egg. The truth is they must come simultaneously. And ay, there’s (as Hamlet would say) the rub, because in chaotic third-world nations—Pakistan comes … Continue reading →
My first thought late last night on hearing the news of Chavez’s defeat in yesterday’s referendum was, “Great (and surprising)!” My second thought was a more cynical one: “How bad must the defeat really have been for Chavez to announce … Continue reading →
I’ve been reading a collection of essays in the book The Survival of Culture by Hilton Kramer and Roger Kimball. In a piece entitled “Burke and Political Liberty,” by Martin Greenberg, the author is discussing the French Revolution and its … Continue reading →
In the many posts I’ve written attempting to explain the basic neocon attitude towards the spread of democracy-(see this and this) I’ve tried to be careful to use the term “liberal democracy” to describe what is advocated. Why? Because democracy … Continue reading →
Today is the Fourth of July, our Independence Day. Although the focus is on fireworks and barbecues—a tradition I intend to perpetuate this evening—deep down, this particular holiday is really about American history. John Adams, one of our founding fathers, … Continue reading →
Ron Rosenbaum has written his reflections on the mixed legacy of Boris Yeltsin, who died last Monday. Rosenbaum focuses on the hope those times represented, when the once-mighty Soviet Union withered away and died and was replaced by a fledgling … Continue reading →
Where, oh where, are those moderate Muslims we all yearn for? Here. Although, to tell the truth, there’s nothing so very “moderate” about these particular moderates; they are radical as far as Islam is concerned. And they are among the … Continue reading →
Castro’s not really dead, although most likely dying, despite his TV cameo appearance. Chavez’s star, however, is in the ascendance, and expanding fast. He’s the new Castro, with a bigger field to play on than Castro ever had: Venezuela. Chavez … Continue reading →
[Part I here.] By early 1943, the time of the Rosenstrasse Protest, the Final Solution were well underway. The Nazis had been very careful about their policy of extermination of the Jews; one can view the entire operation as a … Continue reading →
Nonviolent resistance to totalitarian governments can be very difficult because of Draconian retaliation against such efforts and the resulting climate of fear among the populace, as well as the constant propaganda designed to reduce dissent to a minimum. But not … Continue reading →
[NOTE: I ran out of time today for Part II of the Cronkite piece. My plan is to have it appear tomorrow. In the meantime…] There are several banned trolls whose comments I ordinarily delete here as a matter of … Continue reading →
I haven’t said anything much so far about Hugo Chavez, who recently won the Venezuelan election handily. Take a look at what Fausta’s written about it for some perspective. It’s a sorry tale but not an unfamiliar one: demagoguery, Leftism, … Continue reading →