Tear Them Down? The Conservative Case Against Confederate Monuments

A lot of people I respect greatly are coming to the defense of Confederate war monuments in the wake of the Charlottesville brouhaha. I understand their impulse to resist this latest frenzy of the leftist mobs that are literally tearing down statues and would normally be four-square with them in standing up to political correctness. But I think they’re wrong on this one. Their main argument, like that of President Trump, is the danger of the slippery slope: “Where does it end?” Next it will be George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who owned slaves. Give the Left an inch, and it

Against the Hysteria: Trump Is Helping — Not Hurting — the Political Debate

There have been two voices of reason amidst the hysteria in response to Donald Trump’s latest outburst. “Instead of debating the proposal in a reasoned way, the political class—both parties—and … the media are treating it as a thoughtcrime,” writes James Taranto. While there are, he notes, some good practical, policy and moral arguments to be made against Trump’s Muslim immigration proposal, the reaction of the establishment has been unhinged. The other GOP candidates who, rather than suggesting reasonable alternatives, are joining the hysteria by spouting the same P.C. bromides as The New York Times (“not who we are,” etc.)

Confessions of a Formerly Anti-Trump Voter: He’s Good for the Country

I’m not coming around on Donald Trump.  Well, not really. I still basically agree with those conservative commentators who think he’s an obnoxious glitterati Kardashian-with-a-toupee buffoon.  I’m particu­larly repulsed by his pursuit of the most superficial trappings of gaudy wealth and his dismissal as“losers” of anyone whose life hasn’t centered around this (like, say, me).  And I recognize that, unfortunately, this is precisely what appeals to a certain type of voter about him. But let me explain why, if I haven’t quite become a Trump pod person yet (Fiorina-Rubio is my current ticket), I have joined Ross Douthat in the