Dumbing Democracy Down

by Bruce S. Thornton

Advancing a Free Society

Many in the west are interpreting the demonstrations in Egypt against Hosni Mubarak as populist expressions of “aspirations for a democratic future,” as a spokesman for British Prime Minister David Cameron put it. Continue reading “Dumbing Democracy Down”

Obama’s 1979

by Victor Davis Hanson

National Review Online

Obama’s deer-in-the-headlights, finger-to-the-wind, “I can’t believe this is happening to me” initial reaction to the Mubarak implosion has eerie precedents. Continue reading “Obama’s 1979”

Goodbye to All That: 2004-2007

by Victor Davis Hanson

PJ Media

Days of Rage

In times to come, the period between the failed campaign of John Kerry and the Democratic control of the Congress, coupled with the beginning of the successful surge, should be known as “The Insane Years.” Continue reading “Goodbye to All That: 2004-2007”

Cario Ironies: Same Cast of American Characters, Different Play

by Victor Davis Hanson

National Review Online

The United States’ public position on Egypt is “flexible.” That in and of itself is not surprising, given the ambiguities surrounding the Cairo uprising. Continue reading “Cario Ironies: Same Cast of American Characters, Different Play”

Signs of the Times

by Victor Davis Hanson

PJ Media

Trimalchio’s Bowl

Sometime during the reign of the emperor Nero, the novelist and imperial confidant Petronius wrote a novel about life among the Roman nouveau richein the Bay of Naples. Continue reading “Signs of the Times”

Clueless on Cario

by Victor Davis Hanson

PJ Media

My Three-week Victory, Your Seven-year Mess

It is difficult trying to figure out what the left’s position is on democracy and the Middle East. Here’s a brief effort. Continue reading “Clueless on Cario”

The Middle East and the Multicultural Nightmare

by Victor Davis Hanson

PJ Media

Obama’s Multiculturalism vs. Bush’s Freedom

Let us be honest. Most of George Bush’s admirable support — as voiced in his 2005 inaugural address — for freedom abroad was de facto abandoned by 2006-7. Condoleeza Rice had championed Egyptian dissidents, but within a year that advocacy was dropped and we were back to the Mubarak paradigm as usual. Continue reading “The Middle East and the Multicultural Nightmare”

Thoughts on Chaos, Revolution, and Radicalism

by Victor Davis Hanson

NRO’s The Corner

Everywhere But Iraq?

No one quite knows all the causes of the unrest in Tunisia, now spreading to Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East, or how this will all end, and whether this seemingly middle-class revolt dovetails to the 2009 demonstrations in Iran and the Cedar Revolution earlier in Lebanon. Continue reading “Thoughts on Chaos, Revolution, and Radicalism”

Proteus-in-Chief

by Victor Davis Hanson

National Review Online

Barack Obama 1.0 had a solid record of hard-left governance as an Illinois state representative and US senator. He voted for partial-birth abortion, wanted all troops out of Iraq by March 2008, and proved himself the most partisan of the 100 members of the Senate, even to the left of the only Socialist senator, Bernie Sanders. Continue reading “Proteus-in-Chief”

Obama’s Mandela Moment

by Victor Davis Hanson

PJ Media

Anatomy of an Obama Moment

In a news-obsessed culture, sometimes the media simply ignores profound stories, such as the cause of the almost inexplicable — and quite brilliantly constructed — recovery of Obama’s poll ratings. Continue reading “Obama’s Mandela Moment”