In my previous two installments on this subject, I argued that I don’t believe a ‘hot’ civil war is imminent–a ‘cold’ one is in progress.  This was not necessarily cause for rejoicing, as my contention is that what is keeping us from a ‘hot’ war are some formidable ‘speed bumps.’  In the first place, the US military is likely to remain subjected to civilian authorities and stay out of political disputes.  Also, at least for another decade or so, it seems unlikely the military will be composed folks who would fire upon their fellow citizens.  In the second place, the … continue reading...

There is much running commentary on the insanity  displayed by the rising Democrat star, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but I want to jump in on an example that illustrates nicely what I have said on this blog about liberals increasingly distancing themselves from reality itself, meanwhile adopting viewpoints which, if taken to their logical conclusion, would require in their implementation in the real world, the brutal and bloody crushing of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Americans.

I came across it again more recently in this article in the New Republic which gushes admirably about a Climate Change activist (working for … continue reading...

This is a continuation on my analysis of the probabilities of an American ‘civil war‘ developing within the next 5-10 years.  In the last post, I pegged it at a pretty low number.  People who know me might have thought I believed it would be higher.  A lot has to do with what we mean by ‘civil war.’  If we’re thinking of something like the first American civil war or something like the present Syrian conflict, the odds are very low.  If you ask me what my estimate of probabilities of a ‘black swan‘ event … continue reading...

Perhaps one of the best signs that another American Civil War is on the way is all of the comments and articles contemplating that possibility, submitted by both the ‘left’ and the ‘right.’  (Terms I use loosely.)  People sense that an impasse has been reached or is visible on the horizon which they believe cannot be resolved except through violence.

I have had concerns of my own for almost two decades now.   In the early years, I was scoffed at.  Not so much, anymore.  More and more people in my sphere have expressed concern, and more than one person who … continue reading...

This is the last installment in a series that is almost ten posts long.  I will now officially wrap it up.

The ‘left’ is going off the rails, and I think even many on the ‘left’ see it happening.  However, my expectation is that the people who find this series are more likely to be people already exiting the ‘left’, and previously moderate conservatives who find themselves astonished at what is transpiring, and seeking to understand it.  Another group might be fellow conservatives, who want to direct people to information that will explain things.  In other words, the people who … continue reading...

In Conclusion, Part 2, I argued that the Left is rapidly being sifted.  There are those who abide by reality, and those who simply will not–ever.   I left off noting that the latter used to be held in balance against the former, but that this equilibrium no longer exists.  Today, the irrealists are increasing in number, and those who would eventually be shaken from their insanity are doing so later and later in their lives.

I must discuss this.   We cannot understand what is unfolding unless we factor this in, even if it is not expressly a function of leftism.  … continue reading...

In Conclusion Part 1 I discussed how modern liberalism contributes little that can prevent totalitarianism from rising from within its own ranks, but, with the way history is unfolding, the real problem is its inability to offer something against rival systems, like Islamicism.  This inability reduces to a fundamental detachment from reality.  Each of the items I’ve discussed, which are still very much accepted within the Left (Atheism, Darwinism, Marxism, Utilitarianism, etc), are also, in the main, wrong.

When so much of the modern liberal program is based on things which are fantasy, one should not be surprised to see … continue reading...

This is the end of a five part series on how the left went wrong, and to tell you the truth, I’m glad to be done with it.  Talking about such things wearies me.  However, I felt I had to say these things in order to say other things, and be understood when I do so.

My ‘study’ of the ‘left’ was accidental.  Up until about 2007, I was happy to devote my time to reading, researching, and writing, relating to the veracity of Christianity.  Then, my (liberal) doctor suggested we kill our daughter, diagnosed with spina bifida, whilst in … continue reading...

The three previous posts in this series have traced the events, ideologically and otherwise, that transformed  ‘liberalism’ from one thing into nearly its opposite over the course of 200 years.  In this post, we finally pick up the pieces after World War II.

WWI knocked the ‘liberalism’ clean out of many.  But WWII… well, that really put a lot of folks on their heels.

However, all of the ideological elements discussed in the previous posts persisted.  They were re-packaged, or in some cases, cloaked.  One aspect that remained the same, and informs the first part of this post, is … continue reading...

200 years ago, I would be considered a liberal.  Now, I am considered anything but.  Since the position that I hold today (limited government, maximum individual liberty) existed then, but is no longer called ‘liberal,’ it follows that what has changed is not the position, but the name, and the things the name describes.   How this happened has been the subject of the last two posts, and covered, roughly speaking 1800 – 1945.  In this post, we’ll span c. 1900 to the present.

We might well sum up what happened to liberalism by recognizing the fundamental paradigm shift which occurred … continue reading...