The Reading Junkie

I am visiting a friend and reader of the blog in Saint Petersburg this weekend. Maria and I visited once before in the summer of 2022, so getting to see it a second time was good. For starters, I have been in Russia longer so know my way around better than I did. Secondly, I’m … Read more

Americans adore the fantasy of plucky rebels, ragtag hyper individualists standing up against tyranny. That fantasy (however selectively) resembled our early history. Revolutionaries kicking out the British Empire, Texans fighting to the last man at the Alamo, American blockade runners to Alaska during the Crimean War, and so on. But eventually, the fairy tale no longer resembled reality, but that didn’t stop us from pretending.

Recent events prove that American conservatives hate free speech just as much as American liberals. After years and years of whining that the hegemonic “left” is suppressing conservatives, right-wingers pounced on the opportunity to smash free speech… against Israel.

I’m back on the show to weigh in on some nagging questions about the ongoing flareup of hostilities between Israel and Hamas.