No one can accuse Mandolyna Theodoracopulos of not being provocative, and I read her recent post “Jon and Kate Plus Hate” with interest.  I entirely agree with her criticisms of in vitro fertilization, and indeed would go well beyond them: Just because science allows us to do something does not mean that we should, and one does not have to accept … [Read More]

  The unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovo Albanian government on Feb. 17, followed closely by the Bush administration’s enthusiastic endorsement of the breakaway state, has been roundly criticized on this site and others. While much of the criticism has focused on the disturbing precedent that Kosovo independence sets—parts of the American Southwest will, by mid-century, have an equal … [Read More]

At long last, we arrive at the end of the line, having examined first race and then nationalism.  I’d like to thank once again all those who have taken part in these discussions, which have, for the most part, been quite civil, even in the midst of strong disagreements (with a few notable exceptions). In this final part of my series, … [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 furor raised over John Zmirak’s eminently sensible posts “The VDare Monologues” (84 comments, as I write this) and “Rejecting Racialism” (57 comments) has convinced me that the time has come to do something that the former editor of this site, F.J. Sarto, frequently asked me to do, and that is to weigh in on these questions from a Catholic standpoint.  … [Read More]

From the moment that The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs first appeared, I’ve been a fan.  With his skewering of Silicon Valley culture and his incisive, yet still humorous critiques of tech journalism, “Fake Steve” quickly developed an audience that went far beyond Mac users.  Speculation about the identity of “Fake Steve” made the pages of the Wall Street Journal, the … [Read More]

In the comments to my post “All Your Thoughts Are Belong To Us,” “MS” (an appropriate pseudonym) remarked, “I’ll never understand why liberals like Apple so much.  As if it’s the computer of the anti-establishment.”  To which I replied, jokingly, that “I agree.  Clearly, the Mac is the computer for intelligent conservatives.”  (You can tell that it’s at least partly a … [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]

Just minutes from now (10:50 A.M. CST, January 22, 2008, as I write this), Norma McCorvey, better known by the name “Jane Roe,” is expected to endorse the only fully pro-life candidate in the race for the presidency in 2008: Ron Paul. Most readers of this website probably know that McCorvey never actually had an abortion, but instead put the child … [Read More]

I’ve never understood the libertarian fascination with Microsoft, a company which, in practice, violates everything libertarians claim they believe in theory.  Microsoft triumphed not by offering a superior product at lower prices, but through a series of (admittedly business-savvy) backroom deals that allowed them to get their foot in the door at both IBM and Apple.  Virtually every Microsoft success since … [Read More]