We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Trump's name is all over New York City. Other cities too. Always knew what he wanted to do, always made it happen whether it was buildings or cute models. The NYC tabloids took to referring to him as "The Donald" for good reason. Larger than life, glitzy big shot, tough guy too, and a bully. But capable of being big-hearted, warm, and charming. Tony Soprano with big hair.
To build big buildings and developments in NYC you need to learn how to be part Jewish (the money guys and lawyers in real estate) and part Sicilian mobster (the unions). Then you have to learn to bully and manipulate the devious and corrupt politicians. It's complex, and few can do it. And Trump was a WASP, which could have been a serious handicap.
Like mob guys, Trump talks tough and takes what he wants, but he has some sense of honor (the mob kind, the ruthless somewhat sociopathic kind which is also common in politicians). Loyalty and respect are all. Precision with truth not such a big deal, which does fit in well with politics.
Trump, I believe, holds career politicians and their mobster cousins in contempt. Elected to rock the boat and shake things up. I wanted that. Career pols are timid, follow the herd, and worry about their pensions.
In certain respects, today’s demands for the imposition of universal standards of speech and belief are a reversion to a pre-Westphalian view of the world. Like universalists of the old school—whether Christian, Muslim or Marxist—the new liberal universalists tend to reject the constitutional, religious and cultural diversity of independent nations. As they see it, the way of life they propose—the downplaying of national distinctions, the unrestricted movement of peoples and goods, the elevation of individual judgment over tradition in all areas of life—will provide what everyone needs. Not surprisingly, the correlate of this rejection of diversity among nations is often a disdain for diversity of viewpoints at home, in one’s own country.
Robert Mueller’s original mandate was also narrow. He was appointed to find evidence of “any links and/or coordination” between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign. Fifteen months and more than $16 million later, it is impossible to know when and how the probe will conclude. However, the conviction of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and the guilty plea of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen on grounds entirely unrelated to Russia mirror how Starr’s investigation also morphed into altogether new areas.
We live in a schizoid time. In the world most of us inhabit, things are going extraordinarily well. We are in the midst of the longest bull market ever. Employment is at a record high, unemployment–especially among minorities, young people and women–at or near record lows. GDP is growing at a 4% clip, which liberal economists deemed impossible in the last administration. Wages are rising. We are at peace, but at the same time our government is finally taking steps to deal with long-festering problems in Iran, Russia, China and North Korea. What’s not to like?
If you listen to most journalists and pundits, none of that is important.
At present, Muslims make up about 17% of the population of Antwerp and Brussels, 22% of Birmingham, 25% of Marseille, 11% of Amsterdam, 13% of Rotterdam, and 13% of Frankfurt. Immigration patterns and demographic trends indicate that those numbers will increase steadily in the years to come, and eventually, I repeat, all of Western Europe will be under sharia law. Or, as John puts it so prettily, “many things will be different and some things will be better.”
Kling: I think that the case for spending “public money” (i.e., money extracted from taxpayers) on schools is quite weak. Until I see a well-controlled experiment, I will be skeptical of the benefit of schools.
The monsters from the id that seized control the Democrat Party have transformed that party into a mob of undead extras from The Walking Dead (Season 285). From “the friend of the working man” this party has become an indecent and disgusting spectacle of crazed cultists and prevaricating perverts claiming they are “normal”.
... this was never about Russia at all, although if they caught some Russia this or that, they’d scream to the high heavens. (Expect that in the Mueller report.)
No, this was about getting a gangster, Don Trumpeone, by getting people like Fredo Manafort and Clemenza Cohen on some tax thing or other, and having them turn on the Dogfather. And if there’s no tax thing, there’s always perjury, simply manufactured by Mueller’s preferring some statement from Party X over one from the mouth of Fredo or Clemenza (truth isn’t truth as you know — cue screaming).
The left made multiculturalism and the multinational order unviable as a power play. But the play went awry. Instead of the left’s plans moving forward, they’ve been set back. And instead of taking responsibility, the left is blaming everyone else for its own crimes against liberalism.
Trump didn’t break the old order. The left did.
Why should Kofi Annan’s death cause us to forget how bad at his job he was? Failure falls upwards.
The Nastiest Feud in Science - A Princeton geologist has endured decades of ridicule for arguing that the fifth extinction was caused not by an asteroid but by a series of colossal volcanic eruptions. But she’s reopened that debate.
How to be human: the man who was raised by wolves. 
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