Author Archives: stephenkmacksd

Philosophical Apprentice collects some of the evocative dross of his ‘Class Day Ceremony’. JUN 8, 2023 Stephens always plays the victim: This is a speech about speaking your mind when other people don’t want you to. To those of you … Continue reading →

Political Observer comments. JUN 4, 2023 What might The Reader make of Daniel Hannan’s June 3, 2023 essay on the Spanish election, as an object lesson to New Labour’s Keir Starmer? Headline: Cut taxes and trust people to choose: what … Continue reading →

Literary Apprentice offers … JUN 1, 2023 ‘High -flown English’ by Thomas Meaney: … There’s a memorable scene in Experience during which Amis kicks Hitchens’s shins under the table to get him to stop grilling Saul and Janis Bellow about Israeli atrocities. Amis’s … Continue reading →

Myra Breckenridge comments. MAY 29, 2023 Beginning:ennui I’m bored; you’re bored; we’re all bored. By our books and movies and television shows, the endless blandness of the Netflix queue, by our music and theater and art. Culture now is strenuously … Continue reading →

Political Observer comments. MAY 24, 2023 As preface to Mr. Stephens singing the praises of Israel, let me present this from Unites States Department of State: SECURITY ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION  The abiding U.S. commitment to Israel’s security is buttressed by … Continue reading →

Political Cynic comments. MAY 20, 2023 Twitter post : A more optimistic, positive-sum approach would keep America strong. It should help forge—and abide by—new global rules on trade, climate, AI and more’ … Begin with the History Made to Measure of the … Continue reading →

Political Observer comments. This discussion begins at the 01:20 point and ends before the 21:18 point. Katy Balls asks questions of her two guests Ferguson and Grey act the parts of Political Technocrats, relying on ‘Polling Data’ as a reliable source- … Continue reading →

Political Cynic opines on the politically jejune chatter of Gail Collins & Bret Stephens. MAY 16, 2023 Gail Collins and Bret Stephens mutual therapy session, regarding the Trump political phenomenon-selective quotation of this edited transcript is an irresistible temptation: The … Continue reading →

Political Observer, considers Mr. Colvile, on the Economic/Political Moment, as it passes away… MAY 14, 2023 Imagine the ‘memos’ that Mr. Colvile’s staff must provide to their boss? In an instructive reversal, might an American think of Woodward’s staff of writers, turning … Continue reading →

Queer Atheist (Thank you : @DouthatNYT) MAY 13, 2023 The final paragraph of Nathan Pinkoski essay about Americas most notorious intellectual charlatan, that term is old but descriptive of Fukuyama as Political/Moral Prophet: in sum it doesn’t take much to … Continue reading →