From Under the Rubble
From Under the Rubble…Authority and Its Discontents
Some forty years ago, in his groundbreaking study, Twilight of Authority, sociologist Robert Nisbet observed a disturbing trend in American culture. As respect for authority had declined among the population, he wrote, members of that population became increasingly willing to accept and actually applaud an increasingly powerful, albeit less legitimate, government. The notion of true authority, Nisbet…
Doublethink, Dictators, and Data Dumps
Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason? Why, if it prosper, none dare call it treason. Sir John Harrington: When this weekly column began to run in a Catholic newspaper several years ago, it was called Room 101, invoking the name of the torture chamber in George Orwell’s Ministry of Love. That lasted about…
Is There Hope For The GOP?
In case Republicans haven’t noticed, Obama has declared war on them. Perhaps he recognizes that the party of Reagan is defenseless these days, having abdicated the principles which built the modern GOP – principles that have long enjoyed the high regard of a majority of Americans, millions of them nominal Democrats. All of this is…
From Under The Rubble…Notre Dame, Obama, And The Death of Dialogue
It’s been four long years since Notre Dame welcomed Barack Obama to campus, awarding him an honorary degree and the opportunity to address the graduating class of 2009. Among the reasons for the award, according to university President John Jenkins, C.S.C., one was central: “He is a leader who has respect for the role of…
From Under the Rubble…Is the the Rule of Law Immoral (Part II)
Last week we looked at the Catholic Church and its advocacy of legislation granting amnesty to illegal aliens. Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, who leads the Church’s campaign, has condemned the “nativism” and “bigotry” which in his view often motivates the advocates of the rule of law. This is not the first time that…
From Under the Rubble…Is the Rule of Law Immoral?
The collapse of legitimacy in Washington continues, and the immigration debate is no exception. The rule of law withers away, while partisans wallow in sentimentalism, with curious consequences: consider the religious leaders who are at the forefront of the pro-amnesty movement. Somehow, they’re on the same side of the issue as big business, the banksters,…
From Under the Rubble…Happy Birthday, 1913!
The Rubble often notes with a fond nostalgia the wisdom of Robert Nisbet, who was born in 1913. In that year, he once observed, the only contact that the average US citizen had with the federal government was the Post Office. But along with the brilliant Nisbet, several evils were also born in 1913. The Sixteenth Amendment…
From Under the Rubble…Howard Phillips, RIP
With the passing of Howard Phillips on Saturday, April 22, America has lost a tireless champion of liberty. Since his youth, Howard blazed a trail that was a model for later generations of conservatives. His noble example of lifelong devotion to principle was a beacon to countless legions of patriots fighting in the trenches. Born…
From Under The Rubble…Outrage, Discontent, and Boredom
The most searing image that perseveres after Boston is the picture of eight-year-old Martin Richard, who died in the blast. He is wearing a white suit and tie, having just received his First Communion. He is standing on the church steps with a banner that he made himself – picturing the Host, the Dove, a…
