Why Ukraine?There are many reasons to hate Russia, and many reasons to support Ukraine. These may also be reasons to encourage Ukraine to fight on, to…May 138May 138
Help the Palestinians? Some illusions, and a long shot.Many people are looking for words to capture their outrage, disgust, anger, desperation when inundated with reports, often graphic, about…Nov 16, 2023Nov 16, 2023
Josh Barro on what’s stupid and immoralJosh Barro links a ludicrous campus episode of crazed accusations and equally crazed responses with the same bunch of identity types who…Nov 3, 2023Nov 3, 2023
Lindsay, Tolerance, and Herbert MarcuseI’m going to comment on James Lindsay’s New Discourses podcasts on Herbert Marcuse — in particular his doctrine of repressive tolerance.Oct 7, 2022Oct 7, 2022
A problem with MausIn the wake of the Tennessee school controversy, criticizing Maus gets a response appropriate to torturing puppies. Maus, it seems, is…Feb 14, 2022Feb 14, 2022
What right does Israel have to defend itself?In Western capitals, Israel’s right to defend itself is an article of faith. It often comes bundled with another right, indeed an orthodoxy…May 20, 2021May 20, 2021
A Trivial Insurrection74 million people voted for Trump. Something like a few thousand marched up Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol. Of these, a few hundred…Jan 23, 2021Jan 23, 2021
The Mohammed cartoon fight isn’t about principles or values.Some have rightly pointed out that the cartoon-linked violence challenges the sovereignty of the French government. The implications of…Nov 2, 2020Nov 2, 2020
StatuesSome say that toppling statues according to the person’s moral badness is ‘rational’ — hence the approval of Julian Baggini’s supposedly…Jul 4, 2020Jul 4, 2020