I’m going to skate directly to the thin ice today. If you haven’t watched Trump’s speech from Wednesday (or read the transcript) you should consider doing so. I watched it last night and now I wish I hadn’t. But not for the reasons you might be thinking.
When strong personalities are involved and emotions engaged, it can be hard to remember what is actually at stake. Mike Maharrey from the Tenth Amendment Center has a timely reminder that, under Constitutional government, we should barely know that the federal government exists.
The word “extremist” is getting a lot of use these days. Unfortunately, the definition of the word seems to depend upon the emotional associations of whomever is saying it. James Bovard points out that this linguistic ambiguity gives those in power a free ticket to tyrannize simply by invoking the word.
On a related note, this seems as good a time as any to explain why I’m okay with being called an extremist. Anyone who is serious about standing for their deepest convictions had better learn to suffer such labels. Because there are plenty of folks willing to make that accusation.
It sounds a bit conspiratorial to reveal that you “don’t trust the media” for one reason or another. Bryan Caplan has a thoughtful take on where his trust in the media breaks down and why. It’s certainly not just a knee-jerk reaction.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
