The definitions of ‘Republican’ and ‘Democrat’, and even ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’, seem to dance in circles. Even the nature of the parties shifts over time. One is an ideology, the other a coalition, they say. But even that fact tends […]
Politics
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. […]
Things You Don’t Have to be a Libertarian to Believe
Libertarians have much to contribute to the discussions of social justice. But their main contributions – rule of law, opposition to cronyism, ‘by right’ land use, the problem of planning and knowledge, the issue of ‘public choice’ or how we […]
Should Transit-Oriented Housing be Limited to the Carless?
In addition to the NIMBYs and the YIMBYs, we now have the PHIMBYs: Public Housing in My Back Yard. This new acronym represents those who believe that public-subsidized housing should be added to our cities, but no private enterprise market-rate […]
On Political Trust and Media Attention
For a long time, we have spoken of elections, in which a President is not on the ballot, as ‘off-year elections’. I think the Founders would have been horrified by such a notion. The Congress, they would have thought, should […]
Romans 14 and the Political Divisions of the Church
We live in a time when the classical Protestant church [and, less openly, the Catholics and Orthodox] is often divided over political issues – especially over the character of the current President of the United States. We have Trumpite churches […]
Proposition 47 and the $950 Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card
Proposition 47, which was adopted by Californians in 2014, has been described as a ballot initiative with ‘unintended results galore‘. It was based on a laudable desire to reduce the number of people in California’s overcrowded prisons who don’t necessarily, […]
Trump’s One Moral Conviction: The Deal
It’s often said that our President, Donald Trump, is a man of no moral convictions – except for those related to his own power and ego. I would quite agree that he seems to have no religion or philosophy. But […]
A Response to Philip Hamburger on the “Administrative Threat”
As a paddleboarder, I have supported an organization called FREESUP SoCal; it is, frankly, an advocacy organization. We advocate for an open, data-driven process at the local, state, and federal level on regulation of life jacket wear for stand up paddleboarding […]