Seeking a common ground for authentic conservatism, culturally-responsible libertarianism, and uncompromising constitutionalism.
I just read a book review on the American Conservative Magazine website. The book written in four hands (Maggie Gallagher and John Corvino) is entitled “Debating Same-Sex Marriage”. According to the review, their point is not to get in agreement, but to show the differences between their positions. Although they are exercising an important role in this …
Continue reading “Bridging the Gap on the Same-Sex Marriage Debate”
The Wall Street Journal has published a very provocative piece by Philip Jenkins on the federal government’s 1993 massacre of the Branch Davidians, a fringe religious sect in Waco, Texas. This Thursday marks 20 years since the initial attack by ATF agents that would lead to 50-day siege by the FBI and, ultimately, leave 80 …
Alexander Rosenberg and Daniel Little have written excellent books which introduce to the student of the social sciences the many different philosophical problems that the student will implicitly explicitly confront in his progress towards his mastery of the discipline(s). While both books provide excellent and overlapping overviews of the major philosophical dilemmas that are inherent …
At the American Conservative, Paul Gottfried takes on “human rights” talk. He writes: I am arguing against the use of human rights bombast whenever some individual, institution, or state wishes to express a political preference or a program of social reconstruction. Just make your arguments and let the listener decide. Further, I don’t object to listening …
I didn’t watch the State of the Union last night. When I’m in the mood to watch a show about nothing, I just watch reruns of Seinfeld. But apparently a lot of people did watch it, because, when I logged into Facebook today, everyone was abuzz. Abuzz about what? The president’s escalation of deadly drone strikes? …
Learning this morning that Pope Benedict is stepping down, the first to do so in nearly 600 years, made my heart heavy. I really loved this Pope, and I wish that I had had the time to know him more. I was a little too young to know JPII, but Benedict was MY Pope. Reactions …
Fugitive cop-killer Christopher Dorner has just become the first human target of an unmanned aerial drone, according to Express. This news comes just days after a leaked Justice Department white paper laid out the Obama Administration’s legal arguments for using drones to target U.S. citizens suspected of terrorism. A response to the paper by Herbert …
The Acton Institute has a nice post on Calvin Coolidge and materialism. Coolidge was one of the few presidents to actually reduce the size and scope of government. Coolidge was lambasted by political opponents and the intellectual class as a “tool of big business,” but he was deeply critical of materialism and profit for merely profit’s sake. …
Ben has written an eloquent, provocative critical reflection on the perception and power of the March for Life. The post has generated a considerable discussion. Ben is critical of what he perceives to be excessive Catholic symbolism at the event; he makes the claim that in order for the March for Life to be victorious …
Continue reading “Maybe It Is Just Wrong: More Reflections on the March for Life”
Our newest blogger, Radagast, begins his commentary at Beyond the GOP with a criticism of Ron Paul. He brings up an important point when he writes: [Ron Paul] is neither an ideologue nor a narcissist . . . but his uncompromising commitment to his principles is politically objectionable in my view. . . The “games” of …
Americans today have come face to face with a disturbing truth that those of us concerned with liberty have suspected for a long time. It has come to light that an official memo circulating within the administration justified drone strikes on American citizens suspected of terrorism as “legal,” “ethical” and “wise.”. The Memo, which was …
Fran Tarkenton (yes, that Fran Tarkenton!) has an op-ed in USA Today defending Phil Mickelson’s recent disparaging comments regarding the high California taxes he has to pay. Tarkenton makes the usual points about the unfairness, no matter your wealth, of paying more that 50% of your income to the government. He also points out the …
Continue reading “Tarkenton on Taxes (yes, that Tarkenton!)”
The good Benjamin David first invited me to Beyond the GOP to provide a view less sympathetic to libertarianism, and particularly to Ron Paul, then is often represented on this site. Indeed, Ben himself has eloquently defended Paul in the past, and it is certainly a testament to his intellectual character to invite some friendly …
Ben writes that nullification is popular. As well it should be. But while nullification becomes more popular among the masses, it is increasingly mocked and disparaged by the elites—though not always persuasively. The nullification scholar Tom Woods noted this recently on his blog, opining, “[A]s the MSM starts to address nullification, it’s looking like nothing but …
In some of the most uplifting news I’ve heard all week, 72% of Americans oppose the Federal government arresting marijuana users in Colorado and Washington, according to a recent Reason-Rupe poll. 68% of respondents also said the Feds should not arrest those who grow marijuana in Colorado and Washington, and 64% of respondents said the …
Beyond the GOP 