Carl Scott

Here’s what Plato wrote about democracy almost 2350 years ago: “ . . . do you notice how tender they make the citizen’s soul, so that if someone proposes anything that smacks in any way of slavery, they are irritated and can’t stand it? And they end up, as you well know, by . . . . Continue Reading »

What is black and white but leaves law-literate liberals shrieking and gibbering with fright? The anti-Obamacare brief from the public interest law arm of the Claremont Institute! I.e., for liberals, the ultimate CLAREMONSTER!!! . . . . Continue Reading »

What is the EFSF? It’s the European Financial Stability Facility, silly! Don’t you keep up with European “politics?” Yes, yes, last week they were calling it the ESM, I think, but anyhow, here’s one of those fun little office-cooler cartoons (h/t Ricochet) to . . . . Continue Reading »

Oh, it sounds so pretty in a song, but how does it play out when you’re trying to Occupy Wall Street? Not so well. Hat tip to Ricochet’s Mollie Hemingway.  If the link’s report is accurate, the conclusion to be drawn is that we will almost certainly see an eviction showdown at . . . . Continue Reading »

Yeah, she was the cute-as-can-be gal in the one great Will Farrell movie, Elf .  Also in Almost Famous , early on as the hip sister who becomes a stewardess. The commenters at Big Hollywood are happy about Zooey’s rendition of national anthem at the World Series—not her first time at . . . . Continue Reading »

Sounds of Silence, as few other songs can, gives one a genuine scare regarding modern life. It is like pages out of Spengler, or Rousseau, condensed to a poetic moment. How does it do this? I’m sure much could be explained by the ominous melody, and the way the cherubic voices are contrasted . . . . Continue Reading »

They’re vital, at least, for those not wanting to apply the brain to Mr. Cain. 1.) It sounds like  John Presnall is right about that documentary by Crowe on Pearl Jam, but I now have a slight interest in it, because the apparently poor choice of rockumentary material might indicate . . . . Continue Reading »

Everything’s been coming up Whit Stillman for me lately. Re-watched Barcelona, for various reasons found myself reading both Jane Austen and Lionel Trilling, and then my wife gave me the scripts of Barcelona and Metropolitan for my birthday. Here’s a reflection a couples years ago about . . . . Continue Reading »

Flagg Taylor is a professor of political theory and such at Skidmore College, a friend, and the editor of the essential new collection on totalitarianism and dissent called The Great Lie. And now he’s blogging at Ricochet, home of the blogosphere’s best comments section, writing posts . . . . Continue Reading »

So you all know that you need to read Tocqueville’s Democracy in America.  But hey, that’s a 600-page book! Well, here’s the chapters you just cannot skip. I helped out a colleague with this recently, and I may as well pass the info onto y’all. From volume one part one . . . . Continue Reading »