With reports circulating of its imminent demise, The New York Times announced in January that it had found a white knight. Sort of. For the knight in question, who already owns 6 percent of the sinking Times and was investing $250 million in notes carrying 14 percent interest, was Carlos Slim. Reputedly the richest man in the world, taking the title … [Read More]

Whether due to the dramatic failure of last year’s attempt at comprehensive reform or to the essential similarity of the two candidates’ positions, the issue of illegal immigration has so far kept a fairly low profile in the presidential campaign.  Given McCain’s heterodoxy, this may be a blessing.  In the absence of a federal solution, state and local governments have begun … [Read More]

Promoted to the Wall Street Journal editorial board just three years ago, the young journalist Jason Riley has sought to prove his bona fides, and then some, by publishing a new book whose title reads like a parody of the standard Journal position on immigration—Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders. Like most of the immigrationists at the Journal, Riley … [Read More]

As we continue this series on race, nationalism, and patriotism, I’d like to note that the discussion on Part I: Race has been more subdued and thoughtful than similar discussions, and I’d like to thank those who have taken part in it. In this second part, I rely quite heavily on the writings of the Hungarian-American (and Catholic) historian John Lukacs, … [Read More]

The desirability of open borders has become such a given in polite conversation that even some supporters of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul have criticized him for suggesting greater restrictions.  That makes this statement by a government official today seem all the more surprising: “It is the responsibility of [the other country] to ensure that the border operates properly, according to … [Read More]

It’s good to see that there’s at least one candidate seeking the Republican nomination who believes in a sensible immigration policy: Yet another reason (as if we needed one) to be excited about the candidacy of Ron Paul.  An immigration policy that treats the external threat posed by the applicant’s country of origin as reason to deny entry to the United … [Read More]

What’s the most popular boys’ name in Britain?  If you guessed “Jack,” you’d be right.  That’s a pretty common British name—in fact, it’s been the most popular boys’ name for 13 years now. What about the second most popular?  Well, that depends.  If we treat each variant spelling of a name as a separate name, then the second most popular boys’ … [Read More]

On Wednesday, November 28, Derrick Shareef pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Chicago on federal charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.  I’ve discussed the Shareef case before on this website, most notably here, here, and here. In the past, I’ve suggested the Shareef case was only the tip of the iceberg, and that those who thought … [Read More]

I interrupt my friendly criticism of Mr. LaTulippe’s article to bring you the breaking news: Pat Robertson Backs Giuliani’s Bid Robertson’s remarks on why he would be willing to endorse a man who stands for everything Robertson claims to stand against are revealing: Robertson said he was willing to overlook Giulani’s pro-abortion rights stance because he takes him at his word … [Read More]

Steven LaTulippe’s article today, “Let’s Sit Out World War IV,” has much to recommend it, and I doubt that anyone associated with Taki’s Top Drawer is likely to disagree with LaTulippe’s call for the United States to take advantage of the fact that we are “not forced by geography into a conflict with Dar-al Islam.”  Yes, withdrawing from the Middle East … [Read More]