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]

As the executive editor of Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture, it is my honor to welcome our latest monthly columnist, a man who is already familiar to the readers of Taki’s Top Drawer: Taki Theodoracopulos.  Starting with the January 2008 issue, which should be on newsstands by now and arriving in the mailboxes of subscribers, Taki will pen a hard-hitting … [Read More]

Benazir Bhutto may have been ruthless, conniving, and a “puppet of Pakistan’s military and security services,” as Leon Hadar argues in the January 2008 issue of Chronicles, but make no mistake: Her assassination today will do nothing to bring peace and stability to Pakistan.  The suicide attack that killed her along with at least 20 others will be widely seen, on … [Read More]

As the venerable Chicago radio newsman and commentator Paul Harvey would say, “Here is a strange . . . “ According to the time stamp in the e-mail headers, I received a “Press Advisory” last night, at 11:50 P.M. CST.  The headline of the advisory reads: “Student’s Civil Disobedience and Arrest at Rockefeller Center: Demonstration against the war in Iraq.” Yet … [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]

So, despite the fervent assurances of true believers in the comments on my posts and Justin’s posts that the Sinclair Lewis quotation was part of a brilliant strategic plan designed to grab free headlines, open the eyes of the American people to the dangers of “Christianism,” and “get props from the Left,” Congressman Paul told Jan Mickelson of WHO Radio in … [Read More]

Oh, Justin, Justin, Justin.  My friend, I know that you’re too intelligent to be taken in by the likes of Bill Donohue.  The same Bill Donohue who said “Yeah, I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but don’t become a salesman. Don’t hawk it like that on the street” has made his living at the Catholic League for … [Read More]

I support Ron Paul, and I intend to vote for him in the Illinois primary.  But I had a little different reaction from Justin’s when I watched the clip of the congressman commenting on the Huckster’s Christmas ad.  My friend and colleague Aaron Wolf is right: “That was not a wise comment by Ron Paul.” In fact, the congressman seems tired … [Read More]

Did Mike Huckabee know what he was doing when he asked an interviewer, “Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?”  If not, then perhaps the Huckster was right when he claimed earlier this month that his rise in the polls was at least partly the result of “divine providence,” because he was certainly quite lucky to stir up … [Read More]

Considering certain recent discussions on this website, readers might find the release today of Pope Benedict XVI’s second encyclical, Spe salvi, of some interest. In particular, the Holy Father stresses that Christianity is not a religion of political revolution: “Christianity did not bring a message of social revolution like that of the ill-fated Spartacus, whose struggle led to so much bloodshed. … [Read More]