Conservative Conversation + Podcasts

Richard Fulmer

Mechanical Engineer turned computer jockey. My hobby is economics.

| March 31, 2015

1 COMMENTS

Phony feminist outrage isn’t as authentic as it used to be. Take, for example, the anger at International Women’s Day falling on March 8 – daylight savings day. A day with only 23 hours in it. One feminist demanded to know what man had arranged this slight to all women so that she could “kick him […]

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By Sabrdance

Sabrdance

Army Brat, grew up in Europe, moved to the KC area after my dad retired. Thought I wanted to be a lawyer and politician, but a pair of internships and special programs broke me of that desire -inst

| March 31, 2015

7 COMMENTS

In addition to the American and European examples, the Founders also looked at the classical examples of Rome -and the Founder’s invocation of Separation of Powers and Federalism again were intended to prevent a repeat of the Social Wars and the Late Republican Civil Wars, each driven by the unbridled power of the people -shaped, […]

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By Sabrdance

Sabrdance

Army Brat, grew up in Europe, moved to the KC area after my dad retired. Thought I wanted to be a lawyer and politician, but a pair of internships and special programs broke me of that desire -inst

| March 31, 2015

0 COMMENTS

In addition to the American experience in the Revolution and the Critical Period (Shay’s Rebellion in particular), the Founders were aware of what had passed before in Europe, and so they tried to safeguard against those -predominantly religious -wars. The First Amendment was an obvious one, but they also hoped Federalism would prevent a repeat […]

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By CB Toder aka Mama Toad

CB Toder aka Mama Toad

A cradle Catholic, I live in Toad Hall in New Paltz, NY with my Toad Prince and six tadpoles. We homeschool and run our own business. We wage unceasing war on dust, shoddy thinking, and grumpiness.

| March 31, 2015

12 COMMENTS

Here at Toad Hall, we love watching Jewish holiday videos from AISH. Don’t know much about the group other than that they make some rockin’ videos to some trashy pop music that are always much better than the actual music they are parodying. Here’s this year’s offering: Preview Open

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By Tim Kowal

Tim Kowal

Attorney; Vice-President, Orange County Federalist Society; Commissioner, Orange County Human Relations; Blogger at Ordinary Times -- ordinary-gentleme

| March 31, 2015

59 COMMENTS

I drew an unlikely connection to property taxes while reading Jon Rauch’s take on Indiana’s RFRA bill. In a story about a lone-dimwit-voter initiative, the Washington Post tsk-tsked that many initiatives are “undeniably misguided.” The lead example: California’s Prop 13, a limitation on property tax increases. While the initiative process is not an ideal way to govern, this was a […]

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By PsychLynne

PsychLynne

I am a fairly recent transplant from Georgia to the distinctly non-Southern area of Northern Virginia. Historically, I've spent my professional life in areas not particularly amenable to conservati

| March 31, 2015

5 COMMENTS

Despite being one of those parents who let their kids struggle with homework, the struggle has gone on and on…so, I’m abusing the member feed and asking for help. How do you create a QR code for images? It needs to work with no logging in, and can’t be temporary. Preview Open

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When Should the Beating Stop?

By The (apathetic) King Prawn

The (apathetic) King Prawn

Just another disillusioned conservative. Also not a shrimp.

| March 31, 2015

98 COMMENTS

You may remember Adam Smith. No, not the philosopher — the CFO who took a stand for same-sex marriage and against Chick-Fil-A by filming himself acting like a complete tool at a drive-thru while receiving a complementary glass of water from the young girl working the window.

He posted his righteous indignation video online, it went viral, and his employer showed him the door. Well, according to ABC News, the hits just keep on coming for him. Three years later, he remains unemployed and has been reduced to accepting food stamps to feed his family.

Member Post

By Stad

Coolidge

Stad

Stad is a member of Ricochet.

| March 31, 2015

24 COMMENTS

No competition: bacon. Any challenges to my assertion? I’m ready to march into Tehran and declare “Bacon rules!” Preview Open

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By James Gawron

Thatcher

James Gawron

| March 31, 2015

1 COMMENTS

In the middle 1960s Nassar went into Yemen with at most 70,000 troops. He backed a faction that was fighting a faction backed by the Saudis. With the terrain against him and a much less mobile capable armed force he was dragged out in the conflict and as every trivial left wing pundit has repeated […]

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Obama and the U.N. Won’t Intimidate Israel

By Arthur Herman

Contributor

Arthur Herman

Arthur Herman is an historian and author of the new book, Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II. His 2008 book, Gandhi and Churchill: The Epic Rivalry That Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. His 2005 book, To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World, was a Mountbatten Prize nominee. And his 2001 volume, How the Scots Invented the Modern World, was a New York Times bestseller. Dr. Herman holds a Ph.D. from… [more]

| March 31, 2015

17 COMMENTS

Israel’s enemies have always made the mistake of underestimating the Jewish nation.

One of those enemies is Barack Obama. According to a recent Jackson Diehl column in the Washington Post, the Administration is contemplating bringing the Israeli-Palestinian question to the United Nations in the form of a U.S.-backed Security Council resolution, stipulating that Israel hand over the West Bank as well as Gaza to a new Palestinian state, with Jerusalem divided between the two.

Diehl says the resolution would “set off an earthquake in U.S. foreign relations and for Israel’s standing in the world.” A colleague of mine here at the Hudson Institute, who knows the Middle East (and Obama) better than I do, says it’s firmly within the realm of possibility.

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By Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio…

Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio…

I'm a lawyer in Southern Arizona in my early 50s. I'm married to my high school sweetheart, with 4 kids. I'm a born-again Christian, saved in early 2004. My oldest son is a Marine. My second son and oldest daughter are in high school, and my youngest daughter is near the end of elementary school. My wife and I -- mostly my wife -- are still homeschooling the girls. I was an atheist prior to 2001, though not a militant one. I'm generally a political conservative with some conservataria… [more]

| March 31, 2015

11 COMMENTS

The conventional wisdom is that major SCOTUS cases are decided 5-4, with the four “conservative” Justices (Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito) on one side, the four “liberal” Justices (Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan) on the other, and Justice Kennedy in the middle, breaking the tie. The true dynamics of SCOTUS are more complex, however, as illustrated by […]

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By Lensman

Thatcher

Lensman

| March 31, 2015

3 COMMENTS

The Indiana Constitution, Article One, Section 3 states: No law shall, in any case whatever, control the free exercise and enjoyment of religious opinions, or interfere with the rights of conscience. Preview Open

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By Misthiocracy got drunk and

Misthiocracy got drunk and

misthios (ancient greek): salaried, hired, hired labourer krátos (ancient greek): power, strength misthiocracy: Rule by the staffers.

| March 31, 2015

5 COMMENTS

Foxconn makes 70% of all iPhone 6 phones as well as an unknown percentage of iPhone 6S units. Foxconn has more manufacturing plants in the People’s Republic of China than in any other country. Further, Apple does big business selling in China selling hardware, running Apple Stores (18 in China vs 2 in Indiana), as […]

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By tabula rasa

tabula rasa

Farm boy. Attorney. Lifelong Mormon. Heroes: C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton. Mildly to severely deranged Denver Broncos fan.

| March 31, 2015

15 COMMENTS

I just read this observation by the conservative thinker Irving Babbitt (early twentieth century): “When one considers . . . the multitude of those who have hoped to combine peace and brotherhood with a return to nature, one is forced to conclude that an outstanding human trait is a prodigious and pathetic gullibility.” Preview Open

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Confessions of a Professional Russian Troll

By Claire Berlinski, Ed.

Editor

Claire Berlinski, Ed.

Since earning her doctorate in international relations from Oxford University, Claire Berlinski has lived and worked in Britain, Thailand, Laos, Turkey and now France as a journalist, academic, editor, translator and freelance writer. She is the author of Menace in Europe: Why the Continent's Crisis is America's, Too and There is No Alternative: Why Margaret Thatcher Matters. She has also written two spy novels. Her writing has been published in publications including the Wall Street Journal, Th… [more]

| March 31, 2015

39 COMMENTS

RFE/RL–earning its keep these days–ran a fascinating interview with a professional pro-Kremlin Internet troll. Really worth reading in full:

More and more, posts and commentaries on the Internet in Russia and even abroad are generated by professional trolls, many of whom receive a higher-than-average salary for perpetuating a pro-Kremlin dialogue online. There are thousands of fake accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LiveJournal, and vKontakte, all increasingly focused on the war in Ukraine. Many emanate from Russia’s most famous “troll factory,” the Internet Research center, an unassuming building on St. Petersburg’s Savushkina Street, which runs on a 24-hour cycle. In recent weeks, former employees have come forward to talk to RFE/RL about life inside the factory, where hundreds of people work grinding, 12-hour shifts in exchange for 40,000 rubles ($700) a month or more. St. Petersburg blogger Marat Burkhard spent two months working at Internet Research in the department tasked with clogging the forums on Russia’s municipal websites with pro-Kremlin comments. In the following interview, he describes a typical day and the type of assignments he encountered.

Member Post

By Barkha Herman

Barkha Herman

Founder of http://herrights.org

| March 31, 2015

7 COMMENTS

I recently met Tom Woods, and have been re-discovering his materials. This one is funny. Preview Open

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‘Daily Show’ Names New Host, Outrrrage Ensues

By Jon Gabriel, Ed.

King

Jon Gabriel, Ed.

Jon Gabriel (a.k.a., @ExJon on Twitter) is the Editor-in-Chief of Ricochet. He is a political writer and marketing consultant, contributing articles to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, and USA Today among others. Until 2012, he served as Director of Marketing for the free-market Goldwater Institute, where he converted policy initiatives into compelling stories. In the private sector, Jon led marketing efforts for Cold Stone Creamery, Honeywell, and several technology companies. In his… [more]

| March 31, 2015

36 COMMENTS

Comedy Central has named a replacement for Daily Show host Jon Stewart and, no, you haven’t heard of him. Trevor Noah is a 31-year-old South African comedian who has appeared on American TV a handful of times and hosted a late-night show in his home country.

The most important question on the minds of The Daily Show faithful: “Is he progressive?” Upon the announcement of his new gig, Noah assured reporters that he won’t waver from liberal orthodoxy. “We are both progressives,” he said about Stewart and himself. “I’ll bring something different because I’m different, but because it’s a team, it’ll be the same as well.” The same but different; that’s a relief.

The far less important question was, “Is he funny?” Well, when Nelson Mandela is listed as a guy’s top comedic influence, you know he’s going to bring the laughs. Here’s the first Noah routine that popped up on You Tube: