Culture

Letter from the Trump Rally: Some Observations and Suspicions 0
- Culture
- January 7, 2021
I left the house at 5:00 a.m. on Jan. 6 along with my daughter and two of her teenage children. We hit the road for D.C., joining up with a few other families on our way. When we arrived near the rally point, the vast lawn below the Washington Monument was already filling with participants.
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Back to the Past to Find Strength for the Future 0
- Culture
- January 6, 2021
In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote of the American Revolution, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” His words fit 2020-2021 like a glove. As we all know, our country is in turmoil. We have battled a virus for almost a year, wearing masks and suffering lockdowns, with dubious results. Fraud and deceit marked our
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The Enduring Face of the Fake Right 0
- Culture
- January 5, 2021
It is hard to understand the continued presence of Jonah Goldberg as a conservative icon. Goldberg has the right to criticize Trump, yet he has turned himself into a nonstop Trump-hating machine, who manages to condemn anyone who still defends the president as a lunatic or criminal. Nietzsche once said mischievously that a good war
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Ivory Towers Only Come in Blue 0
- Culture
- January 5, 2021
While attempting a fruitless, year-end clearing of my inbox, I came upon an email sent out to the faculty at Bucknell University, where I am employed, in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. The letter took a stark partisan stance on the election results, seeking signatories to a letter for the campus newspaper. Four
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The Neighborhood Stands Between Us and Totalitarianism 0
- Culture
- January 4, 2021
The string of bonfires my neighbors hosted last fall were a departure from the norm in more ways than one. Anticipating the bleak prospect of a Minnesota winter with limited social gatherings, my neighbors decided to rally those around them for a time of encouragement. Neighbors who have waved at each other for years came
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Yes, We Have Bananas… in All Shapes and Sizes 0
- Culture
- January 4, 2021
“Yes, we have no bananas” was a hit song from the 1920s. Here a Greek fruit vendor answers all questions with “yes,” even when the answer is negative. In today’s America, we have lots of bananas. First, of course, are the curved yellow fruits sold in bunches. You may be living in Alaska or Massachusetts,
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