The governance, or lack thereof, of the great republic.
What is patriotism now, and how do we get rid of it? And what do we put in its place, if anything? The word is politically incorrect, of course. Patria – pater – father. So where is Mom? Didn’t she help Dad turn the American wilderness into a cement desert, bright …
I don’t believe in any organized religion, and I’m against prescriptivism in general, so the Ten Commandments can go pound sand as far as I’m concerned. But here’s a decalogue I wish I’d taken less time to learn: I. Be careful about anyone who says they’re doing something “for your …
Whenever I write about politics, someone I know — often it’s a well-meaning friend of largely the same liberal temperament as myself — will scold me about being an idealist. We are, after all, discussing “the art of the possible”, and it does no good to refuse to face up …
If you need a sign of how far our country’s political system has fallen in the last three decades, you need look no further than the attempt to reclaim the Reagan legacy…by liberals. Reagan, a former Democrat, union boss (albeit one who used the position to snitch out commies), and advocate …
Every time an election rolls around, we are told by some high-minded pundit or another that it isn’t merely about choosing one party and its values, or about the issues at stake at any given time; it is about profound philosophical differences. I’m not sure why this observation is supposed …
A rat race is for rats. We’re not rats. We’re human beings. Reject the insidious pressures in society that would blunt your critical faculties to all that is happening around you, that would caution silence in the face of injustice lest you jeopardize your chances of promotion and self-advancement. This …
Jose Ortega y Gasset called the metaphor “the most fertile power possessed by mankind”. He compared its potential to reshape the world to that of magic, a divine implement somehow handed down to mere humanity. Indeed, one could argue that the metaphor is humanity; it combines two of our most unique …
The Fourth of July used to be one of my favorite holidays. Its location midway through the summer was a nice kick, and it was a good occasion for grilling before the money dried up and it got too hot to go outside. But beyond that, I had the idealist’s …
Derek Raymond didn’t just write about crime; he did something about it. Born to a wealthy London family and raised in the countryside near Kent, Raymond (born Robert Cook) showed a gift for downward mobility as soon as he left Eton: unable to stand the pressure of working for the …
Ladies and gentleman of the American public; friends, supporters, well-wishers, and all gathered members of the press: As the 2012 election draws ever closer, we find ourselves facing what may well be the most important decision of our lives — and perhaps the most important decision in the life our …
“Now look, baby, ‘union’ is spelled with five letters. It is not a four-letter-word.” (Dorothy Parker) For anyone who believes in progress, equality, or the idea that America’s greatness expresses itself in ways other than the accumulation of wealth and power by the bosses, last night’s recall vote in Wisconsin …
I cannot remember much, I cannot feel much. Maybe erasure is necessary. Maybe the human spirit defends itself as the body does, attacking infection, enveloping and destroying those malignancies that would otherwise consume us. (Tim O’Brien) On Veteran’s Day, we are told only to honor those who have served this …
There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. (Elie Wiesel) I’m not especially familiar with the work of Scott Kurtz. Cursory investigation reveals that his webcomic, PvP, is quite successful, though, which may explain why …
If you credit the arguments of those on the comfortable center of the divide between rich and poor, we are currently locked in a life-or-death struggle between radical Republicans and a thin blue line of heroic Democrats who alone champion the liberal values of civilization against the rapacious hordes of …
The bosses of our mass media — press, radio, film and television — have their aim of taking our minds off disaster. Thus, the distraction they offer demands the antidote of maximum concentration on disaster. (Ernst Fischer) Just a quick one tonight, inspired by Sony Pictures’ firing of Dan Harmon. …
