“King James [VI of Scotland/I of England] was a man, the Venetian ambassador remarked, ‘with a wonderful capacity for doing himself harm.’”

Catherine Drinker Bowen The Lion and the Throne

In my latest National Post column I take aim at the political habit of constantly praising diversity in theory while consistently trying to squash it in practice, including in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“All plans of government, which suppose great reformation in the manners of mankind, are plainly imaginary.”

David Hume, Idea of a Perfect Commonwealth quoted in Samuel Brittan Against the Flow

“There is a widespread desire everywhere to have human rights declared, protected and advanced.”

Michael Novak in First Things November 2002

In my latest Epoch Times column I say one lesson of COVID-19 is that it was a serious if predictable mistake to think appeasing the Communist Party of China would tame it.