Category: Social and Political Philosophy
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Samuel Francis
Matthew Rose, The Outsider
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Quality and Equality
Quality of life is what counts, not equality of outcome. Enforce the latter, destroy the former.
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David French, Donald Trump, Christianity, and Politics
David French maintains that Christians cannot, if they are to remain true to Christian teachings, support Donald Trump: The proper way for Christians to engage in politics is a rich subject . . . but there are some rather simple foundational principles that apply before the questions get complex. For example, all but a tiny…
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Good Societies and Good Lives: On State-Run Lotteries
Good societies are those that make it easy to live good lives. A society that erects numerous obstacles to good living, however, cannot count as a good society. By this criterion, present day American society cannot be considered good. It has too many institutionalized features that impede human flourishing. Here I discuss just one such…
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National Breakup?
At First Things, a podcast in which F. H. Buckley discusses his book American Secession. A little less than 32 minutes.
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Why We Defend Donald Trump
Replying to a young friend who loathes the man, Malcolm Pollack explains why so many of us stand with President Trump despite his manifold and manifest faults: I make no case that Donald Trump is any kind of a saint. He is enormously vain (as all presidents are, with the possible exception of Calvin Coolidge),…
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Clemency
Is a presidential pardon an act of mercy? If it is, then it cannot be said to be just or unjust.
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Elias Canetti and Greta Thunberg
The former has the latter's 'number.' Zwei Tendenzen, die sich nur scheinbar widersprechen, kennzeichnen die Zeit: die Anbetung der Jugend and das Absterben der Erfahrung. Two trends, which only apparently contradict each other, epitomize this era: the worship of youth and the extinction of experience. (The Agony of Flies, Noonday, 1994, p. 168/169, emphasis in…
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American Conservatism
My brand of conservatism could be called American. It aims to preserve and where necessary restore the values and principles codified by the founders. Incorporating as it does elements of classical liberalism and libertarianism, American conservatism is far from throne-and-altar reaction. While anti-theocratic, it is not anti-religious. It stands for individual liberty and its necessary…
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Subsidiarity as Bulwark against the Left’s Assault on Civil Society
David A. Bosnich, The Principle of Subsidiarity: One of the key principles of Catholic social thought is known as the principle of subsidiarity. This tenet holds that nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization which can be done as well by a smaller and simpler organization. In other words, any activity…
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Marx at 200: Classical versus Cultural Marxism
Here
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What is Cultural Marxism?
Despite the febrile complaints of some leftists, 'cultural Marxism' is a useful term that picks out a genuine cultural phenomenon. It is no myth. Nor is it an anti-Semitic or a racist 'dog whistle.' It is alleged by leftists to be an anti-Semitic conservative slur because the members of the Frankfurt School were mainly Jews,…
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Would a Cut in the Capital-Gains Tax be Racist?
But of course: Most of us think of the capital-gains tax, if we think about it at all, as a policy that is neutral as regards questions of race or racism. But given that blacks are underrepresented among stockowners, Klein asked, would it be racist to support a capital-gains tax cut? “Yes,” Kendi answered, without…
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Third Parties: Discussion Societies in Political Drag
A so-called 'third party' is any party in U. S. politics other than the Democrats and the Republicans. There are many third parties. My thesis is that third parties are discussion societies in political drag. Corollary to that is my claim that anyone who has anything to do with a third party thereby demonstrates ignorance…
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The Virtuous are Too Scrupulous to Rouse the People against their Tyrants
Here: Describing Wilkes and two of his allies, Walpole wrote, “This triumvirate has made me often reflect that nations are most commonly saved by the worst men in [them].” Why? Because, he concluded, “The virtuous are too scrupulous to go the lengths that are necessary to rouse the people against their tyrants.” Until the coming…