Next time you reflect on the universality of human heartache, reflect also on the life of William F. Buckley Jr. Here was a man who had everything one could desire: money, friendship, fame, wit, talent, distinction, a beautiful and devoted wife, an extraordinary son. Everything he touched turned to gold. Was he happy? Yes, absolutely, he was. As far as I … [Read More]

Tom raises an important point in this brief post.  As I have said countless times before, all democratic politics is identity politics, and identity politics should not be a phrase reserved for minority grievances.  To some degree, all mass politics is identitarian.  This can be a curse, but it is also unavoidable.  I suspect what troubles critics of “identity politics” is … [Read More]

In the ongoing debate over the merits of Reason, I have not really said anything, but I should say a few things.  The tendency that Justin and Thomas Woods critique so well is a habit that has negatively affected conservatism and libertarianism alike, which is the precious desire to demonstrate conformity with the norms of “respectable” opinion at the expense of … [Read More]

Not content with having lost hundreds of subscribers due to their priggish and intemperate attacks on Ron Paul for not measuring up to the Beltway’s strict standards of political correctness, the staff of Reason magazine is busy inspiring thousands more defections with their latest: David Weigel reprints in full a congratulatory message from Ron to the John Birch Society, and then, … [Read More]

The fifth anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War was marked by a deluge of retrospective commentary, much of it focused on the past: how we got into this conflict and how it has been conducted. Fine, it is always appropriate to assess lessons learned. But why and how we got into Iraq and what choices could have been … [Read More]

Last week at NRO, cub reporter Stephen Spruiell announced that he had found what might be “the most deceptive ad” of the 2008 race, a Barack Obama spot blaming free trade for job losses at the Delphi plant in Warren, Ohio. According to Spruiell, the ad was deceptive because “foreign competition did not drive the company to eliminate American jobs” and … [Read More]

Because of the numerous responses to my latest observations, followed by the firm statement of policy by Richard Spencer, I am offering this further comment about our past unpleasantness. Needless to say, I agree with Richard’s message that some system of registration is called for to keep the lunatics and trolls off our website. Otherwise the shameful responses John Zmirak and … [Read More]

The latest media chatter concerns whether a certain cover of Vogue is “racist” because it portrays model Giselle Bundchen alongside basketball player LeBron James in a pose that reminds some people of Fay Wray and King Kong. Or Jessica Lange and King Kong. Or Naomi Watts and King Kong. Or something. I suppose this is progress over the reaction that might … [Read More]

Sartre was a far greater fornicator than philosopher, but he did come up with the greatest truism of them all: “Hell is other people.” (The last line in one of his plays.) Mind you, a Greek savant has bettered him by proclaiming Hell is other people speaking on their mobiles inside an airplane. Yes, it has come down to this, or, … [Read More]

Before the Gravelanche, word began to circulate that another more promising major-party defector might seek the Libertarian presidential nomination: former Republican Congressman Bob Barr. Gravel may be a better showman and rapper but Barr stands a better chance of giving the grassroots movement started by Ron Paul a second act. In an interview with Antiwar Radio, Barr acknowledged there was a … [Read More]