Moral issues can break pragmatic policy. You may have caught on by now that while this is a ‘review’ in the sense that it does often summarize and recommend, in design this is more of a ‘response’ to the various
This article proffers a dichotomy without recognizing its asymmetry. Von Hoffmeister’s article is a bit of a dud for me. Do not take this as calling it a bad article; I have an objection to its statements, but my central
This article fails to convince me. From John David Ebert (a name I’ve never heard before) comes to me the least useful of the articles so far in Islander #5. The article has an intriguing start and much of interest
Rupert Lowe, MP, is a real leader and statesman. I’ve developed a liking for Rupert Lowe at a distance, being the colonial that I am. I was therefore glad to see this interview in Islander #5. I’ve no great quarrels with
Carl Benjamin’s article is a good start So, let’s start with a disclosure: I’m only part of the way through Islander #5. It’s not a quick read, requiring both analysis as you go and some time to digest. Thus far, the
Optics matter, in reality. When we deal with politics, we have an understandable tendency to focus on whether or not we believe the current goings-on are good in themselves. We ask, ‘Was that police shooting justified?’ or ‘Is this proffered
Don’t help your enemy kill you (and your children) Accelerationism is a really, really bad idea. The appeal is clear, of course. We see the world building up its Jenga block tower of bad ideas and bad decisions and outright
Yes, absolutely. It is indisputable that Reformed Christianity does not hold the levers of power in any Western country. Christians of some stripe pop up in many governments; Catholics sit on the US Supreme Court, though unfortunately not, so far
Necessity is the word of tyrants. Expediency is foundational to our current administrative state, wherein one body writes the laws, executes the laws, alters the laws case-by-case, and judges the laws, with minimal interference by representative government or the judiciary.
Martin, Warhammer, Tolkien: The Relationship of Morality With Power Morality’s relationship to power is a classic problem (one I brush up against in my novel). Is righteousness doomed? Does might make right? Is morality a silly pretense in a world of