Monday, January 19, 2009 In Praise of Paul Blart (Updated, January 21) It’s funny, ’cause it’s true: Paul Blart, the unarmed mall security guard hero of the new film, is a more suitable exemplar of the “protect and serve” ethic than the government’s armed enforcement agents. When tyrants rule, jesters often boldly tell truths that […]

Wednesday, January 21, 2009 At Least They Didn’t Name Him “Sue” (Breaking News Update Below) Love and death, or as they’re known in Greek, Eros and Thanatos. “Come here, Thanatos,” called the young father, beckoning to a small boy who had surrendered himself unconditionally to an arcade game.In my astonishment, I performed a double-take of […]

Saturday, January 24, 2009 The Torture State Endures (Posted for purposes of illustration only; not intended as an advertisement.) From Locke to Schlock: The t-shirt on the left, a juvenile celebration of the Khmer Rouge’s favorite torture tactic, is a suitable illustration of what contemporary conservatism is all about.Nil desperandum, conservative defenders of the Torture […]

Wednesday, January 28, 2009 Kleptocrats of the World, Unite! His name isn’t Barton, but he is certainly a Fink: Newly installed economic dictator Timothy Geithner.Perhaps the only commendable thing newly installed Economic Dictator (and Barton Fink lookalike) Tim Geithner has done in a public career otherwise devoted to serving the Power Elite was to “cheat” […]

Thursday, February 5, 2009 Police State Keynesianism: Stimulating Tyranny Victims of the Regime’s Narco-Terrorism: Cheye Calvo (right) and his wife Trinity. There’s no way to know how badly things would have gone at the Berwyn Heights, Maryland home of Cheye and Trinity Calvo if Amir Johnson hadn’t shown up when he did. Johnson, a private […]

Monday, February 9, 2009 The Draft-Nappers Are Stirring The Patron Saint of the “Leave Us The Hell Alone” Caucus: Charlie Anderson (James Stewart), the Individualist hero of the film Shenandoah. “Virginia needs all of her sons, Mr. Anderson.” “That might be so. But these are my sons! Mine! They don’t belong to the state! When […]

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 The Bipartisan Homeland Security State For two years, Bart McIntyre was deeply involved in the insignificant, thinly populated white supremacist movement.Though it may be difficult to believe, this actually represented something of an improvement in McIntyre’s social circle, since his paying job was a position in one of our country’s most […]

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Limbaugh-Leninism The de facto Dear Leader of the Republican-centered conservative movement: Rush Limbaugh, seen here in front of a large portrait of the object of his greatest affection. “Kto kogo?””Who/whom,” or “Who does what to whom?” — the central question of politics, according to Vladimir Lenin.A nineteenth century pundit wearily observed […]