Kings, Cons, &c.
On political protest; pardons and commutations; obits in advance; the perils of pronunciation; and more
Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House, is a mild-mannered and presentable guy—the kind you would take home to Mother. But he talks like a podcaster (a money-making one, I mean).
About a week ago, he said that “No Kings” rallies were going to be “hate America” rallies. That was a Republican line—and Johnson repeated it with the best of them (or worst of them).
Well, a “hate America” rally is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. I think of January 6. That mob, whipped up by the president, attacked the U.S. Congress for the purpose of stopping a constitutional process—which they succeeded in doing for several hours.
During those hours, the president sat in the White House, watching it all unfold on television, with relish.
Later, he called the rioters “patriots,” “political prisoners,” and—after October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel—“hostages.”
We all have different ideas of what is pro-American and anti-American.
One more quick point: Political protest is very American, classically American. You’re allowed to criticize the government here, you know. In many countries—Russia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, etc.—that is impossible.
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“Tomiichi Murayama, Japanese Leader Who Gave Landmark War Apology, Dies at 101.” That obituary, in the New York Times, is found here. He did a great and important thing, Murayama did. And a hard thing. He caught hell for it.
I admire him a great deal.
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About Donald Trump’s pardons and commutations, I have written for ten years. I’m not sure I have anything to add. Trump has now sprung George Santos, the former congressman. He had been sentenced to seven years; he served less than three months.
Why bother holding trials for MAGA defendants? Why bother convicting and sentencing them? One after the other, Trump springs.
You know the oft-repeated line: “For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.”
Justifying his clemency for Santos, the president wrote something pretty interesting: “Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”
Well, there’s a criterion. Probably the main one.
I have said it before and will say it again: One of Trump’s best qualities is his transparency. He is not all that sneaky. He blurts out the truth, often in capital letters.
Do you sense that clemency is coming for Ghislaine Maxwell, the accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, the serial rapist of minors? I do. If it happens, Republicans won’t bat an eye.
We used to call ourselves “the party of family values” ...
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A recent headline in The Dispatch reads, “How Much Humiliation Will Pam Bondi Endure?” (The article is here.) Bondi is Trump’s attorney general, as you know.
I think of a tale from rock-and-roll history—or at least rock-and-roll lore. I learned this from John Derbyshire.
A band trashed a hotel room, or something like that. Someone asked the lead singer, “Aren’t they embarrassed?” The singer answered, “These guys don’t embarrass easy.”
I’m fond of that line (and have used it often).
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Sometimes, a person uses exactly the right word. I must salute, or give a partial salute to, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who has seized power in Madagascar.
I will quote a news report: “The leader of Madagascar’s military coup told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he is ‘taking the position of president’ ...”
“Taking.” “Taking the position of president.” Indeed.
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Did you see this? “French prime minister will suspend a pension reform to avoid government collapse.” That report begins,
French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu on Tuesday announced he would suspend a much-debated plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, in a move aimed at preventing his fragile minority government from being toppled.
On social media, I said,
A question for smart political-science types out there: Is pension reform possible in a democracy? Genuine and necessary reform? I have my doubts, and have for years (decades).
I would like to see Kevin D. Williamson on the subject. And Ramesh Ponnuru.
Meantime, a reader gave me a suggestion: Look into Sweden. And he linked to this document, headed, “Retirement: Lessons from Sweden’s reforms.”
I know that Kevin has written about this—Sweden and its reforms—and probably Ramesh has too. I had better look into it my own bad self.
We Americans and the French taking lessons from the Scandis? Heaven forfend and Sacré bleu ...
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Allow me to get cutesy (like I have ever asked permission before). Usually, in politics, “kitchen cabinet” refers to a president’s informal advisers. But in this present era, we have to think more literally.
The heading over this report reads, “As U.S. wood tariffs kick in, kitchen cabinet companies look for a silver lining.”
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Bill Buckley could never write a word about someone—an obit, a eulogy—before he had died. Not even if that person was 102 and had lain in a coma for seven years. He just, constitutionally, could not do it.
Neither can I.
But I did, for the first time, the other day. A newspaper asked me to write a kind of obit—more like an appreciation—of a major musical figure. To write it in advance.
Using the past tense was discomforting to me.
Incidentally, it sometimes happens that the subject of an obituary outlives his obituarist.
A memory comes to me—not about outliving your obituarist, or predeceasing your subject, but about obits in general.
Christopher Lehmann-Haupt was the chief obituarist of the New York Times, having served for many years before as a book reviewer and literary editor. He was one of the most famous literary critics in the country.
And such a swell, interesting guy. Great company.
One night, he told some of us a story. In a restaurant (or something like that), he saw Kurt Vonnegut. I believe it was Vonnegut. Could have been a comparable literary figure. Anyway, I think it was Vonnegut.
Vonnegut complained about an obit that had recently been published in the Times. Said it was unfair or something. Chris replied, “Wait’ll you see what we have for you, Kurt.”
I have probably fumbled details of this story, but the gist is right ...
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A few days ago, I was talking with a dear friend of mine whose last name is Wolfe. He pronounces the el; I do not. For me, “wolf” is like “yolk”—no el.
And “Noël” is like Christmas. (Apologies.)
The next day, my friend sent me a note saying, “Both of our pronunciations are acceptable.” He appended an image from a dictionary—which says that my pronunciation, acceptable as it may be, is “nonstandard.”
Ouch. But the story of my life ...
Thank you so much, my friends, and if you can subscribe, great. Bless you all and catch you soon.
I believe my Mom’s assessment of Mike Johnson would have been unctuous.
"He was one of the most famous literary critics in the country."
Because I'm a goofball, the phrase "most famous literary critic" brought to mind "best gas-station sushi in Arizona."
But seriously, a review of his Wikipedia entry told me that Mr. Lehmann-Haupt was a fascinating and accomplished person. As I often say regarding Mr. Nordlinger's subjects, "I'm happy to know this person exists."