Apparently our political candidates are not being careful with their personal pronouns. This should not be too surprising, as they have other things to occupy the forefront of their minds, but the Wall Street Journal has a nice article on grammar in politics and the changing trends in American . . . . Continue Reading »
Yes, Ryan, you’re right that David Brooks’ column in the New York Times today was a fine one. I just wish that he had named Ward Connerly, not Ward Churchill, for his example of opponents to identity politics. Ward Connerly is the former regent for the University of California who . . . . Continue Reading »
David Brooks has a sharp column in the New York Times today. Here’s a taste: Both Clinton and Obama have eagerly donned the mantle of identity politics. A Clinton victory wouldn’t just be a victory for one woman, it would be a victory for little girls everywhere. An Obama victory would . . . . Continue Reading »
Some weeks ago I came across an article in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) on the increasing ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian government, particularly under Vladimir Putin. Caesaropapism has a history in Russia, and while it has appeared in the Western . . . . Continue Reading »
. . . from jury duty, but not before witnessing this exchange between the judge and a recent graduate from law school. Judge: Can you be a fair and impartial juror on this case? Potential Juror: No. Judge: Why not? Potential Juror: Because I’m against crime. Now I would have followed up with: . . . . Continue Reading »
I have been warning for years that Futile Care theorists were going to become increasingly bold in attempting to impose their quality of life judgments on unwilling patients and families. A very important futility case is ongoing right now in Winnipeg, Canada, in which a hospital insists that it has . . . . Continue Reading »
The pseudonymous author Spengler , sends another note for posting on the First Things blog : “Anti-Semitism wasn’t getting anywhere until the Jews got behind it,” Paul Johnson quotes a nineteenth-century Viennese joke in his History of the Jews . New Left Review ‘s December . . . . Continue Reading »
I think it is outrageous that the University of Florida is paying the murderer and anti-disabled bigot Jack Kevorkian $50,000 to speak. And I certainly don’t object to protests against that appearance. But, worried about disruption, the university is properly planning security precautions.For . . . . Continue Reading »
A friend runs an interesting website called “Right Wing Bob”—a never-ending discussion of Bob Dylan’s work by a political and theological conservative. He’s posted today an interview with me about the influence of Dylan’s music , which may interest some of our . . . . Continue Reading »
Most animal rights activists deny the many benefits—both scientific and medical—that we derive from doing animal research. This position is empirically untenable. Case in point: The recent experiment in which scientists created a beating heart from adult stem cells—which I blogged . . . . Continue Reading »
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