My latest Loonie Politics column contrasts the justified praise of George Bush Sr.’s character when he passed away with the abuse heaped on him when he held office.
“This [race] is as tight as the rusted lug nuts on a '55 Ford.”
“Rather’s Familiar Quotations” [Dan Rather] in The Atlantic Monthly March 2005
In my latest Mercatornet piece I say Trump remains popular with many Americans because despite everything he has gotten some important policies very right.
In my latest Loonie Politics column, I say the U.S. midterms were pretty much an ugly draw, their Constitution still works, and life goes on because politics isn’t as important as politicians and pundits often claim.
“The beneficial effect of State intervention, especially in the form of legislation, is direct, immediate, and, so to speak, visible, whilst its evil effects are gradual and indirect, and lie out of sight.... Nor… do most people keep in mind that State inspectors may be incompetent, careless, or even occasionally corrupt… Hence the majority of mankind must almost of necessity look with undue favour upon governmental intervention. This natural bias can be counteracted only by the existence, in a given society, as in England between 1830 and 1860, of a presumption or prejudice in favour of individual liberty—that is, of laissez faire. The mere decline, therefore, of faith in self-help… is of itself sufficient to account for the growth of legislation tending towards socialism.”
Albert Venn Dicey Law & Public Opinion