Category Archives: humanities

humility in commentary

Bruce Baugh writes: . . . I’ve decided not to weigh in on any of the issues, and instead to write about why I’m not. . . . Really, this boils down to a matter of courtesy. I’m long since tired of ignorant rants … Continue reading

Posted in blogdom, humanities | 1 Comment

first principles

Dan Kohn writes: “It is shocking that there is not more of an outcry over the unlawful detainment of radioactive ‘dirty bomb’ suspect Jose Padilla.” The old bleat that “the Constitution is not a suicide pact” is brought up, and … Continue reading

Posted in constitution, history | 1 Comment

separation of powers

Vin Suprynowicz often complains about decay in the separation of state powers, particularly about public school teachers (and other employees of the executive branch) holding part-time legislative office; today’s column is on that subject, and the link ought to be … Continue reading

Posted in constitution, history | Leave a comment

pedantry vs hyperbole

A newspaper headline caught my eye: Search ends in tragedy. What, did the search somehow cause the death of the missing child, or of one of the searchers? No, it’s simply that the child was found dead. Classically, a tragedy … Continue reading

Posted in language | Leave a comment

Iceland

For three centuries beginning in 930, the Norse settlers of Iceland enjoyed the literate world’s nearest thing to a stateless society; possibly the largest non-nomadic society ever to lack territorial monopolies in government. Competition between the goðar (customarily and poorly … Continue reading

Posted in constitution, history | Leave a comment

overspecialization

When I returned from fetching her tacos and Hostess Sno-Balls, my One True Ex quoted a familiar aphorism. I asked who said it; she didn’t know; so I googled and found it attributed to one Ernestine Ulmer. Who? So I … Continue reading

Posted in humanities | Leave a comment

science, journalism and opinion

John Derbyshire: (Like any honest reactionary, I loathe the [New York] Times. I must give them credit, though, for their coverage of math and science, which is way above that of any other newspaper I know, except the even more … Continue reading

Posted in humanities, politics, sciences | 1 Comment