John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
Exchanging emails with John Yoo earlier this week--in its summer issue, the Hoover Digest, which I edit, will publish an article in which John criticizes the Supreme Court's Sibelius decision at greater length than he has been able to do elsewhere--I asked John if he didn't find himself feeling at least a little downcast.
John's reply:
Don't worry. I am always an optimist about the country, no matter the odd twists and turns it takes.
Optimism, John? The economy is in its fourth year of woeful performance, political polarization is intense, rates of illegitimacy continue to soar while school test scores show us continuing to slip behind other industrialized nations in the straightforward task of educating our young, polls show that the most left-wing chief executive in our history is likely to be re-elected, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court just issued a foolish, arrogant, and very nearly incoherent opinion upholding the near socialization of health care.
Optimism? You have far too deep a knowledge of history for rose-colored glasses. Rome fell. Britain passed its zenith and declined. Why should this country prove different?
Optimism, John? But why?
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Comments:
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
It is darkest before the dawn.
Sep '10
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
It's also darkest before it turns completely black.
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
Fair enough, but you fail to consider what happened at the polls in 2010.
Jul '11
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
I think John's drinking from the same tasty beverage container that PJTV's Bill Whittle is drinking from, in that the country has faced larger, more dire, menacing, and truly historical challenges in the past, and has come out stronger on the other side.
My only real concern is that half the country has (literally) no skin in the game, and don't contribute, but rather consume from what others have done, or will be forced to continue to do until many years past the current retirement age. What should be nakedly embarrassing for the Barry Administration are the deficits and debts he's running up, but if the scope of that spending isn't brought home to the electorate, we'll lose the election, because the rational people in the middle will be less motivated, less energized to fix an eminently fixable problem - and it's as easy as voting for anyone other than Barry. Literally no one else could be both so catastrophically arrogant and stupid at the same time.
Unless we mention Bernie Sanders. Then yes, ok, there can be two of those people in existence at the same time.
Sep '10
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
Paul A. Rahe
Fair enough, but you fail to consider what happened at the polls in 2010. · 7 minutes ago
I am, by temperament and experience, a pessimist. But I hope I'm wrong.
Mar '11
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
It's been dark before.
It goes black when we quit.
Jun '10
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
This year I find myself more with Peter's mindset than John's or Paul's. So much so, in fact, that I have no inclination whatsoever to celebrate the July 4 holiday. I think a steady diet of Mark Steyn, Thomas Sowell, Barack Obama, and so on, will do that to one's outlook.
So I second Peter's request. John, tell me why I should cast off my gloom and share in your optimism.
May '10
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
I'll continue to be optimistic until election day. After that - it depends!
If it's a strong showing again like 2010, and Obama is turned out, there might be some hope. If he's re-elected, then I don't know.
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
I'm terribly optimistic myself. But then again, I'm sober. I am, however, determined to convert my angst to action and pull the Republicans across the finish line, if necessary. We really have no other choice.
Apr '12
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
As a Briton well aware of the decline of my own nation, I have to be optimistic about the US. If you believe in free markets and individual liberty, there isn't anywhere else to be optimistic about.
Jun '10
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
Visual aid:
Mar '11
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
In my personal and professional life, optimism and faith (literally refusing to accept "objective" reality) have sustained and grown me far beyond my dreams.
And I know the US was built on a similar spirit. Moderates, fence-sitters, and realists never change the course of human history.
Edited on July 5, 2012 at 1:12amSep '10
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
Percival
It's been dark before....
It goes black when we quit. · 29 minutes ago
I should have added that I have a sardonic sense of humor, and when Prof. Rahe posted his comment, I couldn't resist.
Don't worry, I'm not advocating that we quit, for goodness' sake. My attitude is pessimistic, but it's the kind of pessimism that Reepicheep the Mouse had on the Magician's Island when surrounded by invisible foes: "If it is anything touching the lady's honour, you will wonder to see how many we kill before we die."
Sep '10
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
Stop teasing the cat!
Dec '10
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
On the Fourth, it may be useful for us to recall that the Revolution never appears to have had support from more than 25% of the populace. It took leadership, optimism, and folks that saw a better future.
Nothing around me, at the local level, and very little at the national level, gives me optimism. However, a punctate distribution of clear-headedness, as may often be found on Ricochet does provide me a glimpse of yellow beneath an overcast sky.
Hey, last week my congressman voted against the "Transportation" bill; that didn't just happen and he is normally kinda go-along-to-get-along.
We few may just manage to kick some hind-ends. And it's not about November. We have to continue dropping our shovels and staying involved, long after the next crop thinks it's settling into its comfortable garden, up there.
I want to return to my shovel, back at home. Unfortunately, I have to keep picking up my pitchfork and tending to the stalls in that livery on the Potomac.
Jun '10
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
dogsbody
Stop teasing the cat!
"It wasn't me! It was Barack and Kathleen! I swear."
Jan '11
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
Paul A. Rahe
Fair enough, but you fail to consider what happened at the polls in 2010. · 2 hours ago
Did John Roberts consider what happened at the polls in 2010 when he changed his vote? Or did he consider what might happen in the NY Times?
Mar '11
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
No worries, dogsbody. I'm just getting my game face on.
Jan '11
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
Paul A. Rahe
Fair enough, but you fail to consider what happened at the polls in 2010. · 11 hours ago
Fair enough. But speaking of failures, what became of the debt-ceiling standoff with all those fresh-faced and eager pols from the class of '10? Maybe I'm just being too demanding but it seems like it's been more status quo than sea change.
Jun '12
Re: John Yoo, Explain Your Optimism
It's all the same-old-same-old. I see here people gripped by panic and some cool heads who recall history.
It has indeed been worse. Wasn't FDR the most liberal president (until our Barry)? Wasn't his depression longer than the current slide? If Barry wins it then the conservatives will have all the more arguments to place before the populace. And it will still not be as long as FDR's tenure.
Gentlemen, it has been worse.
And after November, will charisma, good-looks and (teleprompted) speaking talent ever be a factor again?
Edited on July 6, 2012 at 9:15am