A David Frum Quote

[togor]

This makes a lot of sense, IMO:

I’ve spent my life as a conservative, but what I’ve sought to conserve is not the Spanish Inquisition or the powers of kings and barons. I’ve sought to conserve the free societies that began to be built in the 18th century and that have gradually developed and strengthened—with many imperfections and hypocrisies and backsliding—in the 250 years since. When I was young, the most important challenges to those free societies seemed to come from Communists and Marxists. When I was not so young, the most important of those challenges seemed to come from Islamists. Today, they seem to come from—again, speaking politely—populists. The vector of the challenge changes, but the thing to be cherished and protected remains the same.

[JB White]

Tough to tell from that whether he's a moderate conservative or a realistic liberal, isn't it?

[m1ashooter]

History has a tendency to repeat itself.

[togor]

Frum is a rationalist, which puts him in the same general camp as the 18th century Enlightenment thinkers, who included some of our founders. Not a bad camp to choose, IMO. What he dislikes about the current populism is the "brimming dark energy of irrationality" that drives it, to use his own phrase. Read one of Red's posts and it's easy to see why Frum feels the way he does.

[Mark in Ottawa]

That quote was part of the recent Munk Debate held in Toronto between David Frum and Steve Bannon. The debate awakened the ire of all the lefties in town who made a concerted effort to have it cancelled and to effectively suppress his free speech (unfortunately a common leftie tactic these days). I actually got into a facebook debate with one idiot who tried to argue that since Mr Bannon was wealthy and had other outlets for his opinion, trying to shut him down in Toronto was not a violation of free speech. I managed to control my impulse to respond with crude and vulgar language and simply told him that his view was illogical. In the event, the protesters massed at the venue and 12 of them got themselves arrested. Early in the debate one protester who had a ticket unveiled a rude banner from the balcony and made enough noise to be escorted out. Other than that, the debate itself was characterized by great respect and courtesy by the two men and by very well put arguments. In my opinion it served as a model for how differing political views should be considered - based on the facts and not on being personally offensive. Incidentely, it was the first time that I watched something like this on a live internet feed

[bostonbound]

That quote was part of the recent Munk Debate held in Toronto between David Frum and Steve Bannon. The debate awakened the ire of all the lefties in town who made a concerted effort to have it cancelled and to effectively suppress his free speech (unfortunately a common leftie tactic these days). I actually got into a facebook debate with one idiot who tried to argue that since Mr Bannon was wealthy and had other outlets for his opinion, trying to shut him down in Toronto was not a violation of free speech. I managed to control my impulse to respond with crude and vulgar language and simply told him that his view was illogical. In the event, the protesters massed at the venue and 12 of them got themselves arrested. Early in the debate one protester who had a ticket unveiled a rude banner from the balcony and made enough noise to be escorted out. Other than that, the debate itself was characterized by great respect and courtesy by the two men and by very well put arguments. In my opinion it served as a model for how differing political views should be considered - based on the facts and not on being personally offensive. Incidentely, it was the first time that I watched something like this on a live internet feed

When did Canada start having free speech. Can't you get arrested for hurting some group's feelings?

[clintonhater]

When did Canada start having free speech. Can't you get arrested for hurting some group's feelings?

Certainly can in Britain. Here, you may not get arrested, but you can damn sure loose your job that very day; witness lovely Megan Kelly, only the latest in a list a mile long of folks who infringed the PC line even slightly.

[blackhawknj]

"Populist" today seems to mean "minor league fascist", "nationalist" =racist for some people.

[togor]

Frum does have a point. Whenever you read what Trump is saving-us-from/doing-to-us, it's always over the top. Trump himself does not embrace rationality as a basis for....anything. Not exactly in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers.

[dryheat]

Kind of like the gun culture nuts that met the British at Concord. Just looking for trouble.

[S.A. Boggs]

Frum does have a point. Whenever you read what Trump is saving-us-from/doing-to-us, it's always over the top. Trump himself does not embrace rationality as a basis for....anything. Not exactly in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers.

Remember, this opinion is from a National Socialist viewpoint and is suspect!
Sam

[Vern Humphrey]

Kind of like the gun culture nuts that met the British at Concord. Just looking for trouble.

Yeah. If they'd just given up their guns, we'd still be British subjects and taxed until our eyeballs fell out.

[S.A. Boggs]

Yeah. If they'd just given up their guns, we'd still be British subjects and taxed until our eyeballs fell out.

Can you imagine Togor as a Colonial meeting the British @ Concord, hell he would probably offer them tea and crumpets!
Sam

[togor]

Nice of you guys to help us reinforce Frum's point.

[S.A. Boggs]

Nice of you guys to help us reinforce Frum's point.

It's nice to help the less fortunate.
Sam