http://www.amconmag.com/blog @TAC Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:49:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The American political class is perennially obsessed with which party will come to power and what agenda it will implement, but, in some respects, this is a shortsighted view. Ultimately, victories for partisan legislation may pale in significance to constitutional changes. (Here, I use "constitutional" in the sense of the ... http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/20/too-much-or-too-little-democracy/ Want to know how the politicians justify forcing us to buy health insurance? I discuss their screwball grounds in this week's TGIF. http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/20/tgif-the-mandated-health-insurance-outrage/ As George W. Bush famously asked, "Is our children learning?" Apparently not in the twin capitals of liberalism, D.C. and New York. In a ranking of 50 states ... http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/20/dumb-and-dumber/ The American Conservative is looking for a full-time assistant editor. We also have an opening for a spring semester intern. Assistant editor duties include extensive writing, some reporting, contributing assignment ideas (especially for the Arts and Letters section of the book), regular blogging, editing, proofreading, headline writing, and in general ... http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/19/assistant-editor-intern-wanted/ In response to the killing of 13 American soldiers at Ft. Hood by an Islamic U. S. Army major, a number of senior officials have expressed their fear, not of Islam, but of a possible threat to "diversity." "Diversity" is one of the many false gods of "Political Correctness." But ... http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/19/the-roots-of-political-correctness/ Glenn Reynolds is near obsessed with comparing Barack Obama to history's greatest monster, Jimmy Carter. He opines that a "Carter-era rerun is a best-case scenario at this point." But Reynolds may be somewhat sheltered. His internet stomping appears to be confined to sites within the right-wing bubble, including Pajamas Media, Ann ... http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/18/historys-latest-greatest-monster/ This should come as no surprise - that nearly a decade of war has left our ranks stretched so thin, that the Army would have few available reserves if a major crisis occurred on another front. Via Spencer Ackerman at The Washington Independent today: If President Obama orders an additional 30,000 to ... http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/18/a-decade-of-war-coming-home-to-roost/ We may not be sure of Sarah Palin's ability to assume a political office of national scope, but we can be certain she is polarizing. Obviously there is a gap between left and right, but, interestingly, the conservative commentariat itself is deeply divided. Even within the Weekly Standard crowd, Palin ... http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/18/palins-appeal/ Time for a rant about professional football.  I don’t know how many TAC regulars are football fans, but I suspect there are at least a few.  I have been a fan for many years but rarely watch anymore.  At one time, football was a real male bonding experience with big ... http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/17/taming-the-beast/ Are we at war -- or not? For if we are at war, why is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed headed for trial in federal court in the Southern District of New York? Why is he entitled to a presumption of ... http://www.amconmag.com/blog/2009/11/16/what-kind-of-war-is-this/