The old aristocracy was born of battle, a warrior aristocracy. Then the reins were handed off to the bourgeois, the wealthy capitalist class. Today we have an aristocracy of opinion made up of the managerial elite. Their chief credential is their credentials, as well as their having professed the right opinions. Among this
Once upon a time, there were two patriotic parties in America. If you don’t believe me, watch the Nixon-Kennedy debates. There you will see the hawkish Kennedy complaining that President Eisenhower was weak on defense, having allowed a “bomber gap” to materialize on his watch. Overall, John F. Kennedy’s and Richard Nixon’s views
Since the Earl Warren era, the Supreme Court has assumed enormous power over our politics, and this has become a significant obstacle to the constitutional design of Americans living as a self-governing people. Far more worrisome than “Russian interference,” which at most partially influenced the views of voters with many other sources
The recent hysteria over children at the border mirrors the earlier media-driven hysteria about Black Lives Matter, Russian collusion, and the immediate need for gun control. It is crude propaganda designed to manufacture false urgency about a chronic problem. President Trump took some of the wind out of his critics’ sails last week
For the vast majority of Americans, the military is a source of pride. And because of the uncompromising nature of war, and the naturally masculine virtues of the military—courage, discipline, and duty—it tends to attract and foster people committed to a more culturally conservative approach to life. Demographics also are a factor; service
Throughout history, memories of a gallant defeat have provided spiritual sustenance to the defeated. The Texans have the Alamo. The defeated Confederacy embraced the story of southern valor in a “lost cause.” France has its Bourbon restorationists, who remember the blood of the Vendee and of their murdered king. In some sense, certain
One theme dominates the entirety of Trump’s persona, namely, he is “antifragile.” Much of what would rattle or weaken an ordinary politician makes him stronger. His beliefs, prejudices, vices, and virtues are well known to critics and fans alike. And his critics, unable to adjust to this reality, keep attacking him in ways
The United States is not a democracy. This discovery runs against the grain of all the liberal, middlebrow pabulum imparted from grade school teachers, as well as the talking points of the average politician. Our country is more accurately a constitutional republic. And that means, above all, limits. Limits on power, limits on
Trump is mostly hitting the mark as president, because his lodestar appears to be reversing every single thing undertaken by Barack Obama. Since the Obama Administration was steeped in an evil worldview—far-left radicalism—that means Trump’s policies, for the most part, have been salutary, agreeable, and sensible. But there are times when such an
In the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida—like the earlier,brutal school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut—Democrats have mobilized victims, families, public relations consultants, and the media to exploit the moment. Their efforts have been partially successful in Florida, although pro-gun voters are increasingly energized in opposition. The Democrats have tried to use
