Why Congress Doesn't Work
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Making Mitt Policing the Mideast Age of Hayek Stephen King’s Past RON UNZ WILLIAM W. CHIP MARK SKOUSEN MARIAN COOMBS JULY 2012 IDEAS OVER IDEOLOGY • PRINCIPLES OVER PARTY Why Congress Doesn’t Work And What to Do About It LEO LINBECK III When News Becomes $4.95 US/Canada ADVERTISEMENT There is one aspect of life that unites, controls, and affects all people. That one aspect is life’s natural laws. They unite, Do people intentionally refuse to meet the require- control and affect people no matter what their race, ments of laws of physics: gravity for instance? No, they gender, creed, or where on this planet they live. try their best to keep their balance or safely recover it If you are a new reader of this subject matter, be pre- whenever necessary. pared for a pleasant shock. Scriptures record the fi rst wrong action of the cre- Whoever or whatever is the creator revealed nature’s ated beings was their disobedience. It ended the perfect law of right action to the mind of Richard W. Wetherill situation that had existed and resulted in the predicted decades ago. The law calls for people to be rational penalties. More shockingly the admonition to obey end- and honest not only regarding laws of physics but also ed with the creator’s words, “or you will surely die.” in their thinking and behavior toward one another. Whether that account is actual or symbolic, it describes Wetherill also cautioned that the law, itself, is the fi nal ancient people’s misbehavior still continuing today. arbiter of right action. It states: Right action gets right Obeying nature’s law of right action unites people, results whether it relates to laws of physics or to the law giving them the benefi ts that then control and favor- of behavior. ably affect their lives, nullifying that fi nal admoni- Ordinarily people unknowingly have been conducting tion, “or you will surely die.” their relationships to satisfy their purposes; not the pur- poses of the creator of natural laws. Such behavior ex- For more information visit www.alphapub.com or for a plains why the earth’s population has never been peace- free mailing write to The Alpha Publishing House, PO fully united and controlled nor favorably affected. Box 255, Royersford, PA 19468 FREE On-Line eBooks that could change your life! www.alphapub.com This public-service message is from a self-fi nanced, nonprofi t group of former students of Mr. Wetherill. This Month Vol. 11, No. 7, JULY 2012 9 24 44 ARTICLES COVER STORY ARTS & LETTERS 20 Kentucky Massiecre 12 Why Congress Doesn’t Work 44 The Tyranny of Clichés: How The Ron Paul revolution’s And what to do about it Liberals Cheat in the War of next generation LEO LINBECK III Ideas by Jonah Goldberg W. JAMES ANTLE III SCOTT GALUPO FRONT LINES 24 Neighborhood Watch 47 If Not Us, Who? William Who will police the Islamic 6 The secret of Mitt’s one win Rusher, National Review, and world? RON UNZ the Conservative Movement WILLIAM W. CHIP by David B. Frisk 7 Taliban operational art WICK ALLISON 28 No War for Manila WILLIAM S. LIND A weak ally draws the U.S. into 49 The Righteous Mind: Why 9 Stoner comedy (and tragedy) conflict with China Good People Are Divided by A.G. GANCARSKI DOUG BANDOW Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt COMMENTARY 31 Austerity’s Prophets DANIEL J. FLYNN Why this is the Age of Hayek 5 Happy Democracy MARK SKOUSEN 52 11/22/63: A Novel by 11 Syria’s fight isn’t ours Stephen King 34 Died on the 4th of July MARIAN KESTER COOMBS Fisher Ames, forgotten PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Federalist 23 Militarism drives inflation 55 Red State Religion: Faith and STEPHEN B. TIPPINS JR. HOWARD BUFFETT Politics in America’s Heartland by Robert Wuthnow 38 Saint Sydney 27 Internet tapping gets harder D.G. HART An Anglican with cojones PhILIP GIRALDI R.J. STOVE 57 Small, Gritty, and Green: The 42 GOP liberals’ drug war Promise of America’s Smaller BILL KAUFFMAN Industrial Cities in a Low- Carbon World by Catherine 58 Boats & broken hearts Tumber TAKI A.G. GANCARSKI COVER ILLUSTRATION: Michael Hogue JULY 2012 THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE 3 Letters The American Conservative Publisher Ron Unz Editor Daniel McCarthy Senior Editors Rod Dreher Daniel Larison FOR JUDAISM, AGAINST ZIONISM of Torah, ‘Its measure is greater than Mark Nugent I read with interest Paul Gottfried’s the earth’.” Associate Editor review of Rabbi Outcast: Elmer Berger For more than 60 years, the Ameri- Jordan Bloom and American Jewish Anti-Zionism by can Council for Judaism has pro- Contributing Editors W. James Antle III, Andrew J. Bacevich, Jack Ross (“Jews Against Israel,” May claimed that Judaism is centered on Doug Bandow, Jeremy Beer, James Bovard, 2012). The headline is misleading: the worship of God, not the idolatry Patrick Deneen, Michael Desch, Michael Dougherty, Richard Gamble, Rabbi Berger, a long-time leader of the of any political entity. Prime Minister Philip Giraldi, David Gordon, Paul Gottfried, American Council for Judaism and Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly Freddy Gray, Leon Hadar, Peter Hitchens, for many years America’s most promi- called upon American Jews to make Philip Jenkins, Christopher Layne, Chase Madar, Eric Margolis, James Pinkerton, nent Jewish critic of Zionism, was not a “mass aliya” (immigration) to Israel. Justin Raimondo, Fred Reed, Stuart Reid, “against Israel.” Instead, he rejected While we wish Israel well and hope Sheldon Richman, Steve Sailer, the Zionist philosophy, which holds for lasting peace in the Middle East, John Schwenkler, R.J. Stove, Kelley Vlahos, Thomas E. Woods Jr. that Jews are an ethnic group whose we believe that Israel should content Associate Publisher “homeland” is Israel and those living itself with being the government of its Jon Basil Utley outside of that state are “in exile.” own citizens. Publishing Consultant Gottfried expresses the view that The reality of Jewish tradition and Ronald E. Burr Zionism has won in this debate and the views of the majority of Americans Editorial Assistants that it now represents American Jew- of Jewish faith is far more complex Andrew Downing ish opinion. He also says that the than Gottfried indicates. Elmer Berger Nicole Gibson Zionist view of the nature of Judaism did not “lose” a battle over the nature Founding Editors Patrick J. Buchanan, Scott McConnell, and Jewish identity is, somehow, more of Jewish identity. The widespread de- Taki Theodoracopulos “authentic” than that expressed by its bate within the American Jewish com- critics. There is, in fact, a silent major- munity over what author Peter Beinart The American Ideas Institute ity of American Jews who reject the has described as “the crisis of Zionism” President idea that they are “in exile” in Ameri- indicates that this debate is still very Wick Allison ca. This was the predominant view of much with us. It may be eternal. In the The American Conservative, Vol. 11, No. 7, July 2012 (ISSN 1540-966X). Reg. U.S. Pat. American Reform Judaism from its end, the question is not who “won” or & Tm. Offic. Published 12 times a year by inception. “lost,” but either who is right or wrong The American Ideas Institute, 4040 Fairfax Drive, Ste. 140, Arlington, VA 22203. Prior to the mid-20th century, the or which view of the Jewish tradition Periodicals postage paid Arlington, VA and overwhelming majority of all Jews one wishes to embrace. Elmer Berger additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. rejected Zionism. In 1929, Orthodox represented the prophetic Jewish tra- POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The American Conservative, P.O. Box 9030, Maple Rabbi Aaron Samuel Tamarat wrote dition and rejected those who would Shade, NJ 08052-9030. that the very notion of a sovereign transform Judaism into a form of trib- Subscription rates: $49.97 per year (12 issues) in the U.S., $69.97 in Canada (U.S. funds), and Jewish state as a spiritual center was alism. It is our view that his values still $89.97 other foreign via airmail. Back issues: a “contradiction to Judaism’s ultimate represent the views of a silent majority $6.00 (prepaid) per copy in USA, $7.00 in purpose.” of American Jews. Canada (U.S. funds). “Judaism at root is not some re- ALLAN C. BROWNFELD For subscription orders, payments, and other subscription inquiries— ligious concentration which can be Publications Editor, American Council By phone: 800-579-6148 localized or situated in a single terri- for Judaism (outside the U.S./Canada 856-380-4131) tory,” he wrote. “Neither is Judaism a Alexandria, Va. Via Web: www.theamericanconservative.com By mail: The American Conservative, P.O. Box ‘nationality’ in the sense of modern 9030, Maple Shade, NJ 08052-9030 nationalism, fit to be woven into the VIVA TAKI Please allow 6–8 weeks for delivery of your three-foldedness of ‘homeland, army Please be informed how much I look first issue. and heroic songs.’ No, Judaism is To- forward to reading the columns by Mr. Inquiries and letters to the editor should be sent to [email protected]. For advertising rah, ethics and exaltation of spirit. If Taki Theodoracopulos. They always put sales call Ronald Burr at 703-893-3632. For Judaism is truly Torah, then it cannot a smile on my face. editorial, call 703-875-7600. be reduced to the confines of any par- ERIK THORP This issue went to press on June 13, 2012. Copyright 2012 The American Conservative. ticular territory. For as Scripture said Warwick, RI 4 THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE JULY 2012 { Vol.