As the 36th Congress of the United States ended and again as the 37th began, there were vacant chairs: more and more by the day. This was a fortunate thing for the incoming administration and the incoming President, who as a result gained outright control of both Houses of Congress. And gained something more—and moreContinue reading “Congress and the War Power: Thoughts on a Constitutional Problem”
Category Archives: current events
The Moral Calculus of War
Politicians—like every man jack and woman jill of us—are inherently motivated primarily if not wholly by their own several self-interests … precisely as are the most ostentatiously and performatively pious, peace-preaching lefties. This does not change the moral calculus of war. Anyone who denies that is a fool, a liar, or, of course, both. TheContinue reading “The Moral Calculus of War”
Repent ye…
I am grieved, disgusted, and enraged by the murder of two—of two more—young Israelis, as I am by all the evils going unchecked in this day: the assailing of Israel and of the Jewish people not least, whom the Almighty shall doubtless vindicate and avenge in accordance with His ancient promises and which wickedness weContinue reading “Repent ye…”
Magnificat
Today being a red-letter feast day, that of the Annunciation, I pop by to check up on y’all before resuming my Lenten silence. And, as I’m here, let me remind you that, although we are to pray daily for our various heads of government, that does not mean we pray that their policies, aims, ambitions,Continue reading “Magnificat”
The heresy of entryism
Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered : let them also that hate him flee before him. —Ps. lxviii, Exsurgat Deus. Today is the Feast of S Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop & Confessor. A patron saint of lawyers, writers, and controversialists, Hilary stands for—and ought to be emulated in standing for—the principles thatContinue reading “The heresy of entryism”
Morons, murders, and manifestos
I believe in the presumption of innocence: and that we ought all to give it. Right now, the Mangione kid has that presumption (he may or not be a murderer; he is quite evidently an utter shit). All the same, a few things… Whoever is found guilty of the murder of Brian Thompson can citeContinue reading “Morons, murders, and manifestos”
Initial thoughts on an election.
Right. Well, here we are. I shall doubtless have much to say in the coming weeks—if I am spared, which is never certain. (I have, if I can afford it, a stress test later this month. The Constitution has four years of it come 20 JAN.) For now, I suggest soul-searching to the Criers ofContinue reading “Initial thoughts on an election.”
I have been remiss in not mentioning this here.
Come for the fireworks. Stay for the eviscerations. Follow the analysis. And join in the anathemata. My latest—which is to be an appendix to the forthcoming The Conscientious Conservative—, which disposes of the claims of Trump, Trumpism, and the followers of either, the Trumpshirts, to be either conservative, in the Anglo-American sense of that term,Continue reading “I have been remiss in not mentioning this here.”
Hymn for the End of Term
In the last days of the era BB—Before Beryl—, an old friendly acquaintance … wait. Let me explain. Some decades ago, during the Bubble, there was a website. Its gimmick was to provide reviews of consumer products—books and films, fatally, included—by actual consumers thereof. Royalties were based upon, ostensibly, the quality of the reviews asContinue reading “Hymn for the End of Term”
A Republic … if you can keep it.
Political violence, whatever its source or support, its affiliation or who are its apologists, is never acceptable in this Republic. We do not and cannot permit it, any more than we can and do permit politics to go about in uniform or in vestments. Nor does it matter to our purpose ‘cui bono?’, or ifContinue reading “A Republic … if you can keep it.”
Markham Shaw Pyle, author & historian 