Andrew Sullivan's Blog, page 2783

A Culture War By Other Means

Brink Lindsey demolishes AEI President Arthur Brooks's new book:

Brooks' book isn't about policy; it's about ideology and how to engagein politics. And it is, I'm sorry to say, a thoroughly wrongheaded wayto approach these questions. The attempt to turn economic policy disputes into a populist cultural crusade rests on deep-seated confusion about the nature of those disputes and how best to effect constructive policy change. Brooks' key move is to cast our "free enterprise system" as an...

Mitch Daniels, Libertarian

At least that's the picture he presents to Jon Rauch.
















Jon Rauch - Politics - Liberalism - Libertarianism - Mitch Daniels

Steak, Fresh From The Test Tube

James McWilliams is aghast that sustainable farming advocates are against petri dish meat:

The politics of meat is the politics of self interest—no matter whatside of the debate one is on—and, as is always the case, everyone'sinterest is fiercely protected except that of the animals. Just as cornand soy are the bread and butter of Big Ag, the persistence of small,traditionally conceptualized farms practicing time honored agriculturaltechniques is the sine qua non of the sustainable...

Should We Pray For Hitch? Ctd

A reader writes:

To paraphrase Barry Corbin in WarGames, piss on a spark plug if you think it will help.  Of course you should pray for Hitchens, if you think it will accomplish anything.  Or do it if it makes you feel better, which is what I think prayer is really good for. It doesn't require anything from him, not a signature or thumbprint or even his assent.  It also does not require his knowledge.  And there is Biblical support for always praying in secret: "But when you pray, go into...

On Friendship

Todd May celebrates it:

There is much that might be said about friendships. They allow us tosee ourselves from the perspective of another. They open up newinterests or deepen current ones. They offer us support duringdifficult periods in our lives. The aspect of friendship that I wouldlike to focus on is its non-economic character. Although we benefitfrom our close friendships, these friendships are not a matter ofcalculable gain and loss. While we draw pleasure from them, they arenot a...

Mental Health Break

In case you missed them:

(Hat tip: Boing Boing)

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The Obvious Budget Deal

Adam Ozimek looks at the case for and against short-term stimulus paired with a long-term budget fix:

I think the best case against short term stimulus is to say that thegovernment can't be trusted to combine a serious long-term budget fixwith a short term stimulus package. This means that no matter what theypromise they will really pass a stimulus package without long-termcuts, which...will signal to the market that they are even morecowardly with respect to addressing the long-term problems...

"The Empress has no clothes. Kindly investigate same."

LitBrit pushes back against Amanda of Pandagon:

Not only would every single doctor in the world who was worth his medical license NOT tell a woman whose water had broken at eight months of pregnancy that it was okay to fly (!) for that long (!!) and take yet another flight (!!!) for a similar length of time (!!!!), and drive for an hour or so through the snowy, curving roads between Anchorage and the valley (!!!!!), it would not be physically possible for any woman, even Sarah Baracuda...

Rasmussen Watch

The Republican polling outfit did one of its usual numbers today, putting out the astonishing notion that 60 percent of Americans want health insurance reform repealed, and half want that strongly. It was picked up by the usual suspects - Ace of Spades, The Weekly Standard, Powerline, etc. But here's the poll of polls on health insurance reform, even including Rasmussen (which I routinely omit):

Rasmussen, I should add, hasn't been polling this question since March. But they did manage to...

"Trapped In The Wrong Genre"

Chait on Brooks. I like David immensely. He's a truly civilized man. I never miss a column, and it's rare I don't learn something. I don't link when the column is persuasive as they often are. I feel lately, however, a reticence to take on the right when they truly need taking on. That was particularly true today.
















Columnist - David Brooks - Analysis and Opinion - Brooks - New York Times