Thursday, March 03, 2016
Three random observations
Civil War?
Here's an interesting and unpleasant bit from National Review. Mix the Black Lies Matter crowd with some Trumpkins, and ... ugh.
For some time I've supposed a civil war is a real possibility for the United States. This would be a terrible thing, a catastrophe. I think a number of things could lead to this -- an attempt by the federal government to confiscate firearms, a sovereign debt crisis that leads to cuts in transfer payments, or racial incidents, for example. I hope it's a low probability event. Well, some of our crazier political blocs may well want civil war.
Who is Moving to Canada?
BBC notes that Donald Trump's successes seem to be associated with a spike in web searches on how Americans can emigrate to Canada. BBC wonders what this means, but I think I have an explanation. No doubt these searches are Chris Christie, who has realized that his endorsement of Donald Trump has apparently earned him the contempt of every single American in the world... including Trump. In politics, Christie is finished.
But regardless of how messed up in the Republican Party, the Democrats are in worse shape. They are running a tired, unlikable felon against against a cranky old socialist. Their voter turnout is falling. Their party system is corrupt... so....
What Ails Us, Anyway?
"A moral and spiritual collapse that has frayed the bonds between the country’s ordinary people and those who seek to lead them, a hollowing out of institutions from Congress and political parties to local churches and civic life, and the disintegration of a shared national intellectual and cultural framework for discussing the issues that confront us. " Walter Russell Mead explains. Read it.
Here's an interesting and unpleasant bit from National Review. Mix the Black Lies Matter crowd with some Trumpkins, and ... ugh.
For some time I've supposed a civil war is a real possibility for the United States. This would be a terrible thing, a catastrophe. I think a number of things could lead to this -- an attempt by the federal government to confiscate firearms, a sovereign debt crisis that leads to cuts in transfer payments, or racial incidents, for example. I hope it's a low probability event. Well, some of our crazier political blocs may well want civil war.
Who is Moving to Canada?
BBC notes that Donald Trump's successes seem to be associated with a spike in web searches on how Americans can emigrate to Canada. BBC wonders what this means, but I think I have an explanation. No doubt these searches are Chris Christie, who has realized that his endorsement of Donald Trump has apparently earned him the contempt of every single American in the world... including Trump. In politics, Christie is finished.
But regardless of how messed up in the Republican Party, the Democrats are in worse shape. They are running a tired, unlikable felon against against a cranky old socialist. Their voter turnout is falling. Their party system is corrupt... so....
What Ails Us, Anyway?
"A moral and spiritual collapse that has frayed the bonds between the country’s ordinary people and those who seek to lead them, a hollowing out of institutions from Congress and political parties to local churches and civic life, and the disintegration of a shared national intellectual and cultural framework for discussing the issues that confront us. " Walter Russell Mead explains. Read it.
