May 2012
61 posts
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Us vs Them
To those of you surprised by the recent American interest in attacking Iran: don’t be. The writing’s been on the wall for a decade:
The antiwar conservatives aren’t satisfied merely to question the wisdom of an Iraq war. Questions are perfectly reasonable, indeed valuable. There is more than one way to wage the war on terror, and thoughtful people will naturally disagree about how best to do...
April 2012
142 posts
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“We are told the first target of America’s wrath will be the Taliban. But...”
– Pat Buchanan, September 28, 2001
Mighty prescient, no?
As I stated earlier today, I feel our reasons for entering Afghanistan were just. At bottom, we would have erred in allowing Al-Qaida to remain unchallenged by not taking out their hosts. We can not, however, pretend that war comes without...
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“From the very beginning of the War on Terror, there has been dissent, and as the...”
– David Frum presenting the thesis of George W. Bush’s policy vision: “You’re either with us, or against us.”
I’ll be writing a lengthy response tonight. How this escaped my attention for nine years is beyond me.
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Déjà vu
Over the next few weeks I’ll be doing some major catch up on my reading list. Despite the best of intentions, it seems every week a few new books arrive that appear to demand immediate perusal.
As a natural result, I’m now in progress (yet far from finished) with a slew of books.
Here they are:
“Dead Right” - David Frum
“The Righteous Mind” - Jonathan Haidt
...
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“It’s too easy, I think, for people like me to look at the EU as some awful...”
– Rod Dreher
I was led to Mr. Dreher by the ongoing debate between him and Andrew Sullivan relating to same sex marriage. I still disagree with Mr. Dreher on that subject, but on much of the rest, I feel like I’ve come home. Like very few other commentators in American politics, he carefully...
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The Limits of Empire
Yesterday I went on a bit of a rant regarding neoconservatism and its divorce from any conception of conservatism. At bottom, I argued, neocons more closely resemble international progressives than anything else with their utopian dreams and lack of skeptical restraint in making policy decisions.
Today’s post should bring this argument full circle as we examine the impact of such...
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Neoconservative = Progressive
There’s an old joke in Washington that neoconservatives are progressives who’ve given up on the welfare state. That joke came tragically true in this century’s first decade, and just when I’d dared to hope neoconservatives might venture into a lengthy exile from the circles of power, it appears they’re here to stay.
Therefore, you won’t be surprised to hear I...
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Try Again, National Review and WaPo
Ramesh Ponnuru isn’t thrilled with Michael Gerson’s analysis of the contemporary GOP:
Michael Gerson posits first a distinction and then a conflict between, on the one hand, the “Reform Conservatism” of Paul Ryan and a few conservative writers and, on the other, the “Rejectionist Conservatism” of… well, other than Ron Paul, it’s not entirely clear, but it appears to include a...
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“He would bring gravitas and seriousness to a campaign season that, so far, has...”
– Paul Miller, with whom I disagree on Afghanistan, making the case for Romney to select David Petraeus as his running mate. I have to say that I’m not terribly opposed to the idea. After all, can you imagine Petraeus staring down an Occupier who dares call him “General Betraeus?”
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“The only way our newspapers will go back to the ’70s and start giving us more...”
– Absolutely amen to that. As someone who loves to give his opinion on things, let me never be confused with a news reporter (at least in this role). Personally, I’m fine with the idea of a partisan press. It’s just that our press refuses to concede its biases. That’s more than a...
jakebutts asked: I had a conversation with a friend today regarding the political business cycle in American politics, in that politicians may adjust their policies during term in office according to what will most likely get them reelected (i.e., trading lower unemployment for more inflation, since unemployment typically plays a larger role during elections.) His point: electing an incumbent president like Obama...
doctorofnothing asked: What's it like to be Eurocentric in these Annatating Times...?
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Ask Away! →
I have a largely wrapped up academic schedule, books I need to finish but would rather put off and a cleared DVR. Therefore, I am accepting any and all questions.
Politics, life in middle America, lowbrow humor, desert island selections, you name it.
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Excuse Our Lack of Faith
Lest we not forget why President Obama warrants minimal trust:
The White House issued a veto threat Wednesday against the current version of CISPA as House Republicans prepared to take it to the floor.
Just as the House Rules Committee convened to weigh amendments to the measure, spearheaded by Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), the administration released a formal...
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“The problem facing humanity today—especially those taking to the streets in...”
– Guy who makes a living arguing against capitalism saying capitalism is the source of our woes. I shouldn’t even justify his absurdity by posting this. (via huskerred)
To clarify, I’m not ridiculing him for making money. That’s great in my book.
This is just me taking the time to post...
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“The problem facing humanity today—especially those taking to the streets in...”
– Guy who makes a living arguing against capitalism saying capitalism is the source of our woes. I shouldn’t even justify his absurdity by posting this.
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“The prosecution is a naked exercise in attempting to punish a loathsome man for...”
– Rich Lowry and National Review appear determined to get back on my good side. It almost feels like coming home to read intellectually consistent arguments and a forceful support for the best of our political traditions. One of these, the rule of law, is a pretty cool one.
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“The former two-term senator raked in an impressive $900,000 in the month after...”
– Politico calling Bob Kerrey’s fundraising practices into question.
I’m guessing my preferred candidate, Deb Fischer, keeps a bit more of her fundraising near home. Having met Sen. Kerrey, I find him a nice guy. But perhaps he’s been away from home a bit too long for his own good?
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Today in Awkward Editorials
Well, the Lincoln Journal Star has endorsed Jon Bruning in the Republican primary for Nebraska’s soon to be open Senate seat.
In a crowded Republican field that includes state Treasurer Don Stenberg, state Sen. Deb Fischer and businessman Pat Flynn, we think Bruning’s record and talents make him the best-qualified to be the GOP standard-bearer in the U.S. Senate race.
The...
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Some People Suck at Arguing →
Consider this me finally snapping when people say really stupid things.
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Argue Present Reality
I spent the better part of my morning engaging a fellow Nebraskan on his allegation that President Obama is an evil man. At bottom, I told my interlocutor, it’s best to preserve the label evil for instances of real evil instead of substituting it as the term for “I don’t like this person.” You see, there’s something to the idea of not crying wolf. At a certain point,...
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“Bloom has shown me the pointlessness of cynicism. He’s created the potential for...”
– From my last column for the Daily Nebraskan
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“One of the great dangers of such efforts to regulate political speech is that it...”
– This is the kind of fire I’ve missed from National Review, and they’re absolutely correct.
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“Calling a “truce” on social issues wouldn’t facilitate entitlement reform, it...”
– Daniel Larison taking apart the narrative that calling a truce on social issues would help the GOP this fall.
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That's All, Folks →
My last Daily Nebraskan column.
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“Next, the question of how we discuss women and work or gender and work is very...”
– The Political Notebook: I have three things to say about the Ann Romney/motherhood fracas…
I wrote up a lengthy post earlier about the Fraser article, yet somehow forgot to elucidate my thoughts on the private/public sphere problems in Fraser’s article. I would assume Torie is speaking...
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Critiquing a Critique of The Public Sphere
Per a request from my blogging friend Torie Rose Deghett, I took some time this afternoon to examine “Rethinking the Public Sphere: A Contribution to the Critique of Actually Existing Democracy,” by Nancy Fraser. While not terribly long, if you’re not used to the boredom induced by critical theory, it’s a long read.
[[MORE]]
Please consider the following a first draft....
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“Many critics view The Times as constitutionally unable to address the election...”
– Arthur Brisbane
Lump me in the category of “skeptical about the skeptics” when it comes to media bias. (Frankly, I’d prefer an openly biased media, but perhaps that’s just me.)
Let’s be real. It was absolutely a historic event that we elected Barack Obama to the White...
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NYT
Signing up for unlimited content from the Times to read a critical piece about the Times. Touche, “liberal media.”
“Tax deductions are regressive, because you have to have money to hide money. A...”
– National Review defending the principles behind the Paul Ryan plan, which I proudly endorse.
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Massive Corporation Using Government to Squeeze... →
Crony capitalism at its finest, ladies and gents.
Racial Inequity In Capital Punishment
A condemned killer’s trial was so tainted by the racially colored decisions of prosecutors that he should be removed from death row and serve a life sentence, a judge ruled Friday in a precedent-setting North Carolina decision.
Superior Court Judge Greg Weeks’ decision in the case of Marcus Robinson comes in the first test of a 2009 state law that allows death row prisoners and...
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laliberty replied to your quote: I think the reason so many people see a link…
Dude. Our move? lol “19th Century gold standard”? Straw man. bit.ly/HVB3PP bit.ly/z3tAz3 Or my tag: laliberty.tumblr.com/ta…
That’s what I was expecting. Glad to see you lurking, good sir.
“I think the reason so many people see a link between free markets and stable...”
– Your move, libertarians.
“The solution isn’t just political, but philosophical. In a truly capitalist...”
– This “Total Frat Move” writer is getting all philosophical.
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“Campaign-finance laws are a tricky business, because they put political...”
– National Review defending John Edwards. In totally unrelated news, pigs now fly.
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“Do you see it where you live? Where does this come from? Is it that people...”
– My advice to Dreher’s query is to avoid over-thinking this. As he quotes in an earlier part of his post, the correlation doesn’t appear to imply causation. Cities in the sult belt such as Houston and Phoenix arose in the car culture of the 1950s. That meant suburbs. Suburbs generally...
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“Romney’s National Security Spokesman Is Openly Gay
A fact that...”
– Something that to most of my generation is a non-factor.
I’d call that progress, wouldn’t you?
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Are You Sure About That?
kohenari:
““I strongly disagree with their decisions. Providing preferential treatment to illegals while increasing taxes on legal Nebraska citizens is misguided, misplaced and inappropriate.””
—
So says Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, in a prepared statement, after having two of his four vetoes overriden in the final day of the legislature’s session.
The governor predicted that the...
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“Anyone who believes Republicans are at war with women is basing his or her...”
– Benjamin Kantack 