Sherry Chandler

Flag Burning and other stuff

My local readers will be less than shocked to learn that our Senator Jim Bunning was front and center in the failed push to pass a flag-burning amendment to the Constitution. Even got his picture in the NYTimes, right there with Orrin Hatch and Bill Frist, who mourned “Old Glory lost today.”

Astoundingly enough, Mitch “Money Is Free Speech” McConnell voted nay on this one, and for that I’ll have to give him credit. I think it’s the only time Mitch has cast a vote I approve of.

All this serves as a lead-in to noting that I have listened to the full broadcast of Radio Open Source’s consideration of modern conservatism. By and large, I was disappointed. I thought I might learn something but for the most part it seemed to me that the panelists simply repeated current Republican talking points. Taxes bad. Wars of aggression good. Christopher Lyden is very good at the interview, however, and he did manage to get a few thoughtful answers. Enough that I can recommend listening to the audio file.

I was reminded that once the Republicans were led by men like William F. Buckley. I used to watch “Firing Line,” and though I usually disagreed with everything Buckley said, he said those things intelligently and the conversations he led were thoughtful ones that allowed his guests to make their points. Now we have Crossfire and the likes of Ann Coulter and Bill O’Reilly. When asked why the latter were not included in his Encylopedia of American Conservatism, editor Jeff Nelson was very diplomatic, claiming that it isn’t yet established what contribution these folk may make to conservative thought. But the last thing these people do is think. What they do is spout vituperation.

Nowadays, it all seems to be about the show.

The comments section on the Open Source program is worth reading. As is this NYTimes review of Reading Leo Strauss (University of Chicago Press).

Possibly related posts:

Conservatism at the Cross Roads?

Filibuster

Picked up for Blogsday!

A Wikipedia follow-up

Should we privatize education?

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