The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

A Letter of Introduction

Nearly 200 years ago, a resident of Fairfax County, Virginia, wrote a letter to introduce a teenage boy — his niece’s grandson, who wanted to attend West Point — to the Secretary of War:  Ravensworth Feb 7th 1824. My dear Sir, I cannot permit the young gentleman, who will hand you this letter, to make […]

Lepanto

— by Wombat-socho “We are in a new phase of a very old war.” – Gates of Vienna I am reminded by this post linked on Instapundit that I should have posted this yesterday. Lepanto BY G. K. CHESTERTON White founts falling in the courts of the sun, And the Soldan of Byzantium is smiling […]

‘The Negro Problem,’ Then and Now

For about four decades, Nathaniel Southgate Shaler (1841-1906) was among the leading professors of science at Harvard University. In 1884, Professor Shaler published in The Atlantic Monthly a lengthy article entitled “The Negro Problem,” which begins with this paragraph: When the civil war determined by its result the political position of the black people in […]

In Defense of R.E. Lee

Some have asked my opinion on the recent iconoclastic travesty of the savage vandal horde, but I have refrained from commenting directly on such matters for fear I might speak too sincerely. You may take yesterday’s Civil War history thread — including my recommendation of  Douglas Southall Freeman’s four-volume R.E. Lee, A Biography and his […]

Civil War History: Kibbitzing

Last weekend, our faithful Wombat offered some suggestions for reading about the history of the War Between the States, and while I certainly endorse his recommendations generally, I must take issue with at least one of his comments specifically: I am frankly unsure why Douglas Southall Freeman has the reputation he does. I tried reading […]

‘Harmful Extremist Content’? Why Does Facebook Want You to Be ‘Concerned’?

We need Mark Zuckerberg to protect us from Thought Crime: An eyebrow-raising new Facebook feature warns users when they might have been exposed to extremist content or if they know someone who is becoming an extremist — prompting concerns it may target conservative voices and stifle free speech. Screenshots of the anti-extremism alerts circulated Thursday […]

Whose ‘Democracy’ Is This?

Since January 6, every liberal on cable TV news has been declaring that “our democracy” is endangered by Trump voters who don’t believe Joe Biden won the election fairly. The latest outburst, by New York Times columnist Mara Gay, depicted the American flag as a racist symbol of this alleged threat to “our democracy.” Having […]

Today’s (Feeble) Ray Of Hope

— by Wombat-socho Ceterum autem censeo Silicon Valley esse delendam. Let me start out with what should be obvious: neither I nor anyone in their right mind wants a Second War Between The States to break out. That having been said, only a fool doesn’t plan for contingencies, and preparing for a massive economic/political breakdown […]

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