Maverick Philosopher

Footnotes to Plato from the foothills of the Superstition Mountains

Category: Politics

  • Why Did Trump Get the Religious Vote?

    After all, no one would confuse Trump with a religious man.  Robert Tracinski's explanation strikes me as correct: The strength of the religious vote for Trump initially mystified me, until I remembered the ferocity of the Left’s assault on religious believers in the past few years—the way they were hounded and vilified for continuing to…

  • The Liberal ‘Deep State’

    And Trump's threat to it.

  • Schall on Obama

    I am surprised at how hard-hitting this is.  But the punches land right on target.   From the first time I saw Mr. Obama, his First Inaugural, I said to myself, “This is a classical tyrant” and wrote an article to that effect. Now, a classical “tyrant” is not some brutal beast. Rather, he is…

  • Judge Jeanine Pirro versus Rosie O’Donnell

    Poor Rosie!

  • Political Oikophobia and Trump Derangement Syndrome

    Oikophobia is an irrational fear of household items, surroundings, and the like.  Political oikophobia is an irrational aversion to one's own country, culture, traditions, and countrymen.  I suggest we call the opposite political oikophilia, an irrational love of one's own country, culture, traditions, and countrymen.  This distinction 'cuts perpendicular' to the xenophobia-xenophilia distinction. Thus, Political…

  • Yet Another Accomplishment of the President-Elect

    Add this to the ever-lengthening list: Lockheed Martin Corp.’s chief told President-elect Donald Trump it’s close to a deal with the Pentagon to lower costs “significantly’’ for the next production lot of its F-35 fighter jet and will boost hiring at the Texas factory where the advanced aircraft is made. People have been complaining about…

  • Could I Pass an Ideological Turing Test?

    Could I present liberal-left ideas in such a way that the reader could not tell that I was not a liberal?  Let me take a stab at this with respect to a few 'hot' topics.  This won't be easy.  I will have to present liberal-left ideas as plausible while avoiding all mention of their flaws. …

  • Obama’s Legacy of Deceit

    Victor Davis Hanson Only a few more days to go . . . .

  • Obama’s Failed Presidency

    Conrad Black

  • Election Hacking?

    Today's Arizona Republic sported a headline containing the phrase 'election hacking.' How about a distinction? It is one thing to hack into DNC servers and John Podesta's e-mail. It is another thing to hack into a voting machine.  So I ask: what is the justification for talk of election hacking? Let's assume that, contra Julian…

  • What Explains Trump Derangement Syndrome?

    Glenn Reynolds points to status anxiety: Our privileged, college-educated left — what Joel Kotkin calls the gentry liberals — feels that its preeminent position in American society is under threat. And people care a lot about status. What’s more, the people who seem to be lashing out the most are, in fact, just those gentry liberals: academics,…

  • Pragmatic and Ideological Political Parties

    A good distinction. The Dems used to be pragmatic, but now are ideological.  David Carlin makes the distinction and then sketches the ideology of the contemporary Democrat Party: (1) They [the intellectual leaders of the party] preach a metaphysics: There is no God, at least no God like the God of the Bible; no Supreme…

  • Defunding the Left

    One of the most effective things a right-thinking individual can do to help bring down the destructive Left is by withholding funds.  So let's say you are an alumnus or alumna of the Jesuit Gonzaga University.  You get wind of the fact that Melissa Click of Mizzou fame notoriety has been hired there.  To express…

  • David French

    David French continues to write good columns for NRO. His latest is about one of Hillary's darlings, Black Lives Matter. But when it came time to act and actually do something in opposition to this movement he calls "poisonous," he refused to support Trump, thereby aiding and abetting Hillary and her destructive leftist race-baiting agenda.…

  • If he’s not your president . . .

    . . . then you are not my fellow citizen.