As we learn more about COVID-19, I think there are political concerns to be considered. The New York Times, Washington Post, and National Interest have pointed out that dictators — and those who would like to be — are in […]
Howard Ahmanson
Does the Working Class Think It Can’t ‘Afford’ to Raise Their Children in a Christian Environment Any More?
In recent years we have heard how Christianity, and even Pentecostalism, seem to be losing their grip on the working classes, at least in white American communities. Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, Charles Murray, who wrote Coming Apart, and […]
Catholic ‘Integralism’ Reminds Me of Protestant ‘Reconstructionism’
Ever since Sohrab Ahmari’s attack on ‘David French-ism’ [May 2019] there has been a revival of interest in the blogosphere on the subject of Catholic Integralism. The interesting fact is that thirty years ago I was rather involved in something called […]
Coronavirus and the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755
Many of us are trying to figure out what God is trying to do by allowing this Coronavirus plague to circulate around the world so dramatically. As I thought about this, I was reminded of a passage in Luke’s Gospel […]
Some Thoughts About ‘Identities’
In the classical Christian church we hear much about our identity in Christ. We also have a host of other identities or roles: parent or child in a family; worker in or owner of an organization; a particular church, denomination, […]
Samuel Francis and the 1990s Shaping of the Trumpian Mind
This post highlights some quotes from paleoconservative Sam Francis in order to show his foresight for understanding the rise of Trumpism, which has been noted by various writers, especially Michael Brendan Dougherty. The rise of Trumpism was foreseen by a […]
Wherein I am Disappointed in My Political Guru, Francis Fukuyama
My favorite political scientist, Francis Fukuyama, seems to have a blind spot about the character of bureaucrats and public employees, failing to see that they are just as ‘patrimonial’, a word he uses a lot, as any other interest group. […]
The Adams Map: A Different Spectrum, A Challenge That Still Speaks to Us
The little known [in the States] Canadian sociologist Michael Adams has suggested a new classification of American values, in terms of a four-way box. The culture wars of the era after Nixon and before Trump were primarily between the Status […]
Insights from Francis Fukuyama on the Problem of Crony Capitalism
This essay summarizes some of Francis Fukuyama’s historical perspective and insights on the problem ‘patrimonialism’ and its effect on society. I briefly suggest some ways to address patrimonialism, and also identify factors that shape patrimonialism in California and elsewhere. According […]
Merry Christmas [All Three of Them]
C.S. Lewis, in an essay called “What Christmas Means to Me,” declared that there are three Christmases that are celebrated simultaneously: the incarnation of God the Son in the person of Jesus Christ, the merrymaking around the solstice, and the […]