Those soldiers gave my grandfather’s graveside service a gravity and dignity it would have lacked otherwise. They shared a bond with him that I can never understand, for I am a soldier’s grandson but not a soldier. Today’s offering in our Timeless Essay series affords our readers the opportunity to join John Barnes as he [...]
A former coworker once referred to me as a “late adopter.” I suppose that’s true. Long after the popularity of the TV miniseries “Band of Brothers” crested, my wife and I started watching it. Not long after we finished, I happened to see it at the store for a reasonable price so I bought it. [...]
A number of my fellow travelers have recommended books for Christmas gifts. Here are some ideas for gifts that will enhance the reading experience. Cigars. In the movie Crimson Tide, Gene Hackman’s character, the captain of a nuclear submarine, tells his executive officer (Denzel Washington) not to grow too fond of cigars because “they’re more expensive than drugs.” [...]
Winston, you have lived through far more elections than I, so I have no doubt your insight is born of experience and the reflections of a keen mind. But I have to respectfully disagree with your line of thought on the election. A man’s natural tendency is to contemplate his vote from the standpoint of [...]
Last month I had the privilege of meeting and hearing Daniel Hannan, a member of the European Parliament from Southeast England. He spoke to a crowd of 1,100 folks in Seattle, with another 500 or so piped in from Spokane, in the eastern part of Washington state (full disclosure: I am in the employ of [...]
Brad Birzer’s article A New Dark Age mentioned the 410 sack of Rome by the Visigoths, the event that prompted St. Augustine to pen City of God. Brad’s article brought to mind the closing passage from one of my favorite works of history: by R.A. Lafferty “There is a term placed on everything, even the world. [...]
As the federal government draws ever nearer to the precipice of insolvency, the ability of the powers-that-be to purchase political support in an election year becomes increasingly difficult. Instead, our rulers look to the “freebies” — policy moves that, while far-reaching, cost the public treasury little (at least directly or immediately). This is just as [...]
Bill Buckley in his study.Photo courtesy of the New York Times. I married a woman far more organized than I am. Only three months into our nuptials, I’m still reeling from the reorganization my (our) residence is undergoing now that she lives here, too. It’s becoming a home rather than merely a functional [...]
Spending time at the state capitol recently reminded me just how easily men are misled into embracing ideologies of every sort, and how much damage is done to our civilization as a result. The experience prompted me to open my Whittaker Chambers book from college — Witness — and thumb through to one of my favorite parts: His [...]
[Christmas] night bestowed peace on the whole world; so, let no one threaten; this is the night of the Most Gentle One, let no one be cruel; this is the night of the most Humble One, let no one be proud…. Today the Bountiful impoverished Himself for our sake; so, the rich one, invite the [...]
A response to “A Conservatism of Hope? Still?” “The greatest is love,” we are told. “The most difficult is hope,” we could also say. The view from the public policy world is increasingly grim, I confess. Mark Steyn, commenting on the sad ensemble constituting the GOP presidential field, captured the problem recently: “It’s very depressing [...]
One of the more amusing parts of my job is thinking of all the different ways I can explain to people what I do. “I work for a public policy think tank” usually causes eyes to glaze over and elicits a response of “what does that mean?” My grandfather finds it particularly difficult to understand [...]
In no particular order. The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene. I discovered this gem while on retreat at a Trappist monastery in Oregon. At the time I was discerning priesthood, so it had a special meaning in that regard. But beyond that, Greene’s monumental work did something vitally necessary in our day and [...]
I knew one of my Hillsdale professors didn’t take himself as seriously as he let on when he insisted that Monty Python is indispensable for looking at history. Amidst all the claptrap about prophecies of apocalypse and collapse, this clip from Life of Brian comes to mind: Most folks leaning towards the conservative [...]