Dana calls it the return of red-baiting : USA politics is rediscovering what has occurred on the Delaware conservative blogosphere for years: viz., if you want to nuke progressives instead of dealing with their arguments, then red-bait them.... Given that the USA requires New Deal like solutions to its quasi-Great Depression like problems, it's not particularly surprising to see the use of the S-word [socialism] by contemporary Hooverites.... In short, it's an old ploy used by a party and political ideology that has even run out of new material for attacking its opponents. It's a cliché used by hackneyed thinkers. The ad hominem is what is being conserved by conservatism. Let them have at it if that is the best they can do. From long blogosphere acquaintance, I take Dana at his word that he does not equate differing on arguments and policies in and of itself as red-baiting . But, part of the problem, I think, is that (a) some thoughtful people are asking whether current p...

In an interesting book called Dr. Bowlder's Legacy, author Nick Parrin makes the case that the one 19th century social historian expunged much of the reality of American political life. So like a Greek temple, now whitewashed that has lost all its color so too has the American social tapestry. I think if Franklin was here and in charge we would be having more sex in the healthy way with our wives and and if single with our friends and a as a result a lot more happy in our business without the social preoccupations of a post-modern straight-laced Victorianism. We would also court and develop virtue in the things that matter and eventually so much of our popular culture would no longer be preoccupied with sex in general. I would like to reclaim a little bit of that color here today by offering a letter from Ben Franklin on advice to the normal single guy on choosing a mistress that was parodied by Steve in his last post. His attitudes and ideas are then contrasted with the second exc...