A conservative can listen to, consider, or ignore a contrary opinion. (CPAC, in its current form, doesn’t count …). A leftist must burn mega-joules of energy trying to extinguish a contrary opinion. Perhaps one day this will change. Perhaps it already is changing …
I’m curious what percentage of Republican voters do you think are conservative in the way you define it? CPAC and MAGA seem just as skilled as leftists in extinguishing contrary opinions. (Contrary opinions are what I grew up with - liberal parents and conservative grandparents. Fun dinners.)
Too few, I am afraid. You are spot on regarding MAGA’s intolerance of dissent. (Shut up … they explained.). Considering that the Populist Right’s definition of conservatism is “Whatever the Donald happens to be feeling right now,” too many conservative voices have been shouted down. I think that at least an equal number of Republican voters voted against Harris rather than voted for Trump. For the next four years I will salute this administration for the good things it does and suggest better courses of action in those areas I feel it falls short.
Jay — one of the reasons I enjoy reading your pieces is that our reading interests frequently overlap. I have, for instance, enthusiastically recommended A House for Mr Biswas to a number of friends and relatives. A marvelous novel. And Vargas Llosa’s The Feast of the Goat— absolutely brilliant.
One of my most valued possessions (though it probably only has great value to me, since the monetary value of the item is not excessive), is a letter I bought from Sotheby's twenty-five years ago back when they had a partnership with Amazon. It's from 1957 and is signed by T.S. Eliot (my favorite modern poet) on his Faber and Faber Limited letterhead, in which Eliot agrees to be interviewed by a biographer of Ezra Pound, provided he can supply a letter of authorization from the Pounds. I very much identified with that reference today.
Enjoyed your commencement speech examples. Inspiring! UVA in 1979 had the chairman of ATT. 30 minutes of business world cliches. Perhaps some of my classmates liked it.
A conservative can listen to, consider, or ignore a contrary opinion. (CPAC, in its current form, doesn’t count …). A leftist must burn mega-joules of energy trying to extinguish a contrary opinion. Perhaps one day this will change. Perhaps it already is changing …
I’m curious what percentage of Republican voters do you think are conservative in the way you define it? CPAC and MAGA seem just as skilled as leftists in extinguishing contrary opinions. (Contrary opinions are what I grew up with - liberal parents and conservative grandparents. Fun dinners.)
Too few, I am afraid. You are spot on regarding MAGA’s intolerance of dissent. (Shut up … they explained.). Considering that the Populist Right’s definition of conservatism is “Whatever the Donald happens to be feeling right now,” too many conservative voices have been shouted down. I think that at least an equal number of Republican voters voted against Harris rather than voted for Trump. For the next four years I will salute this administration for the good things it does and suggest better courses of action in those areas I feel it falls short.
Jay — one of the reasons I enjoy reading your pieces is that our reading interests frequently overlap. I have, for instance, enthusiastically recommended A House for Mr Biswas to a number of friends and relatives. A marvelous novel. And Vargas Llosa’s The Feast of the Goat— absolutely brilliant.
I also love A House for Mr Biswas. I love the Father lying on his cot in their house, reading stoic philosophy.
How much all of us humans have in common!
We’re never vacationed in the Caribbean, but if we ever decide to, I want to visit Trinidad-Tobago.
One of my most valued possessions (though it probably only has great value to me, since the monetary value of the item is not excessive), is a letter I bought from Sotheby's twenty-five years ago back when they had a partnership with Amazon. It's from 1957 and is signed by T.S. Eliot (my favorite modern poet) on his Faber and Faber Limited letterhead, in which Eliot agrees to be interviewed by a biographer of Ezra Pound, provided he can supply a letter of authorization from the Pounds. I very much identified with that reference today.
Highly interesting. Thx.
Brilliant!
Thank you, cuz.
Enjoyed your commencement speech examples. Inspiring! UVA in 1979 had the chairman of ATT. 30 minutes of business world cliches. Perhaps some of my classmates liked it.