Author: Freddie
illegal immigration and worker’s rights
Will Wilkinson is among our best writers when it comes to the issue of illegal immigration. Today he writes, “But, in my experience, laying out clearly the immense benefits to the immigrants is extremely...
we all love rights of the accused until it’s someone we really don’t like
I think the discussion about Roman Polanski’s recent arrest (and possible extradition) demonstrates how hard it can be to talk civilly about decidedly uncivil things. Personally, I think Polanski is a brilliant filmmaker and...
Sunday Poem Series
from Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare Hear me, grave fathers! noble tribunes, stay! For pity of mine age, whose youth was spent In dangerous wars, whilst you securely slept; For all my blood in...
just for a little context
I linked to Jon Chait’s epic takedown of Ayn Rand previously. Will Wilkinson responded here. I didn’t think that Wilkinson’s response was up to the challenge of convincingly disputing Chait’s piece, and I particularly...
Conor’s response
Integrity and personal example compelled me to link to Conor’s response to me, which I failed to do, and I must. So linked. You should read it, if you read my previous post on...
speaking of genius
Ramones music + Elvis vocals + lyrics about zombies, werewolves and aliens = genius. Pure genius. It’s a gorgeous day in Rhode Island, and I got the music on.
quote for the day
“The devotional behavior of some grassroots Mac cultists is like a “Windows launch party,” but sincere. See http://minimalmac.com/” –Matt Frost
soft bigotry, meet low expectations, part II
Conor Friedersdorf continues to muck around in the Big Hollywood fever swamp. He links approvingly to this piece, entitles his post “The NEA Flirts with Propaganda,” and says “This is another item getting most...
Sunday Poem Series
To Say Before Going to Sleep by Rainer Maria Rilke translated by Albert Earnest Flemming I would like to sing someone to sleep, have someone to sit by and be with. I would like...
assignment
On the panel for This Week with George Stephanopoulos today: conservative George Will, conservative Peggy Noonan, Republican strategist Ed Gillespie, Democrat Robert Reich, Democrat Donna Brazile. Last week’s panel: conservative David Brooks, conservative George...
ahem.
A student on a Belleville West High School bus was beaten for his choice of seat, not because he was white, according to a witness and police.
racially motivated according to whom?
OK, so someone please tell me what evidence Rod Dreher, or Drudge, is offering that this was a racially motivated beating, in the incident he refers to. Rod takes it as an article of...
demographic change as political fuel
Rod Dreher links to and quotes Arnold Kling, who says something very useful for our conversation about the Glen Beck movement– and, incidentally, something that our media insists I am not allowed to say...
Chait on Rand
This essay from Jon Chait, on Ayn Rand and the continuing domination of the politics of taxation grievance on conservatism, is important and true. The essential takeaway, besides a thoroughly fair but damning discussion...
from the archives
Not to pick old wounds, but I was digging around and found this interview with Jonah Goldberg from Salon. I think it’s the best refutation of Liberal Fascism, as it’s both eminently fair, subject...
Sunday Poem Series
Nefarious War by Li Po Translated from the Chinese by Shigeyoshi Obata Last year we fought by the head-stream of the So-Kan, This year we are fighting on the Tsung-ho road. We have washed...
more anthropology
I could go on a harangue about this, but really, the thing that kept popping into my head again and again was, “this is the soft bigotry of low expectations.” Sometimes, an inaccurate compliment...
does no one remember the prescription drug benefit?
I was reading this reader email to Andrew and I really had to wonder– was this person railing against cost overruns and budget deficits when the prescription drug benefit was passed? It’s hard to...