🗞️ Charlie Kirk’s Murder Is a Tragedy and a Disaster, Jacobin
No one should be killed as punishment for political expression, no matter how objectionable. …
… the prospect of a descent into tit-for-tat political violence is an ominous development that threatens to narrow the space for meaningful political action.… We [the Left] say things that others find extremely objectionable all the time, and we expect to be met with strenuous counterargument – not violent reprisal.
A sober and much welcomed op-ed
9/11, Charlie Kirk, and Walt Whitman
Reflecting on 24 years since 9/11 takes on a new poignancy in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. I’m reminded of the opening line’s of Whitman’s 1860 poem, “States!"…
Were you looking to be held together by the lawyers? By an agreement on a paper? Or by arms? Away! I arrive, bringing these, beyond all the forces of
courts and arms, These! to hold you together as firmly as the earth
itself is held together. The old breath of life, ever new, Here! I pass it by contact to you, America.
Whitman understood that mere self-interest would never be sufficient to maintain Union, the “lawyers”, the “agreement on paper” is a reference to the Constitutional compact of Union. It was tearing apart, not only because of Southern recalcitrance to maintain slavery, but also because of Northern callousness—a belief that perhaps it would be better to let them go their own way.
Whitman sought to remind us that there is a deeper bond amongst us Americans, but it needed a renewal of sorts. Here, in the opening he refers to it as the “old breath of life”—a clear reference to the Holy Spirit (cf. Genesis 2:7) among many such allusions in the Bible). But this wasn’t just a Christian, spiritual renewal. What Whitman goes on to describe is a romantic, patriotic friendship that binds not just the Northerns and Southerns—as individual persons—but his scope for that bond was continental, encompassing Canada, Mexico, and Cuba.
Here is Whitman’s closing:
I will plant companionship thick as trees along all the
rivers of America, and along the shores of the
great lakes, and all over the prairies, I will make inseparable cities, with their arms about
each other’s necks.For you these, from me, O Democracy, to serve you,
ma femme! For you! for you, I am trilling these songs.
After 9/11 there was a brief moment of such renewed bond of civic friendship. I don’t just mean the brief 90 percent approval rating of George W. Bush—I mean the way that Americans spoke to and about one another. Even amongst disagreement, even sharp ones, there was a respect and deference that we were still friends. I remember many long conversations with classmates, all of us across the political spectrum and religious beliefs—we debated political issues in good faith. And although I’ve lost touch with those friends from 2001, I’m grateful that among my closest friends, we’ve maintained this spirit of companionship, thick as trees.
I hope and pray that even some of us can recover this old breath of life, reach out to someone with an opposing view on something and just talk.
On Charlie Kirk (an initial thought)
I’m appalled less by the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk than I am about some of the responses, especially on Micro.Blog wherein pointing to his political views but nothing else serves as subtle but obvious implication that he had it coming.
Kirk was a great American because he was a man of conviction—who exercised the blessing of liberty in defense of views he was convinced was true. Indeed, yes, so were Melissa Hortman (and her husband, Mark), and John Hoffman (and his wife, Yvette) who were also great Americans who lived a life dedicated to the principles of advocating for policies and political views they were deeply convinced about. That Kirk was ardent Conservative and Hortman and Hoffman ardent Democrats does not diminish their greatness as models for civic living that the rest of living should emulate and follow.
Words and ideas are not violence, violence is violence. I disagreed with Kirk on much (especially Trump), agreed with him on some things. I had the pleasure of having TP kids in my class over the years (all of whom were deeply respectful of all views, loved engaging with their center-left and hard-left classmates in the spirit of free speech). Kirk had firm positions, but then, so does everyone else. Many will say Kirk was full of hate and bigotry because of an assumption that they’re the sober, moderate ones, but it’s possible that Kirk was moderate and his critics the radicals—that’s an uncomfortable proposition few on the left want to consider. (And, yes, one that few on the right will consider about themselves)
One thing that I noticed over the years is that once his first kid was born, he slowly began moderating himself from the agonistic contrarian to the leader of a movement that he wanted to direct toward better, higher, noble things (like family, faith, and open discourse). It is way too easy to point to a radical sounding clip or quote out of context from years gone by; it is too easy to make his death a clarion cry for more aggressive anti-constitutional policies in the name of righting the injustice.
What’s harder… much, much harder, is reflecting on the man as a man, the American as an American, on objective terms free of partisan bias.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Rest in Peace, Charlie… And may perpetual light shine upon you.
🗞️ The 2025 War on the Rocks Summer Fiction Reading List
“Forget the algorithm — this list was created by the humans who bring you War on the Rocks. Here, they share some of their favorite works of fiction.”
Washington should recognize that rehearsals like Strait Thunder-2025A are a serious form of escalation. Not responding, or not appearing to respond, will invite further escalation. Washington should clearly communicate steps taken in response to Chinese Communist Party actions surrounding Taiwan.
One of the OG bloggers, political or otherwise, Kevin Drum has died. I loved reading his blog and have for decades. But, my son died two days before and so his death hits especially hard. I know how hard his family is grieving. RIP, Kevin.
🗞️ I’m a 17-year-old TikTok junkie. I need this ban
There are other, stronger reasons, for the ban. But she’s not wrong.
Someone bought the GoPros and mobile phones to broadcast the program. Things like this don’t just happen spontaneously.
Susie Wiles will be the first woman Chief of Staff, NYT
Honestly, this is a fine choice. She’ll run a tight ship, and that’s good for everyone—by which I mean all Americans.
You can’t love your country only when you win, you can’t love your neighbor only when you win.
— Joe Biden, November 7, 2024
🐦 Via Twitter, Nate Cohn estimates 157 million voters, matching 2020 in raw votes, but lower % of eligible voters when accounting for population growth.
Musk on Sharks, or, in the words of Alex Tabarrok, “A great little video on over regulation.”
👨🏽🏫 Unfollowing hyperpartisan social media influencers durably reduces out-party animosity
We found that incentivizing Twitter/X users to unfollow hyperpartisan social media influencers improved feelings toward the out-party by 23.5% compared to the control group, with effects persisting for at least six months.
I suspect those trends would hold for other social media accounts as well.
A day of mourning
I prayed the Mourner’s Kaddish every day from last October 7th until Easter. I had a list of names, not all 1,200 to be sure, but any time I read a name of an Israeli in the paper, I added it to my list. Typically the Kaddish is said during a funeral service or during Shiva; I know very little about when and how long one might say that prayer. But Easter seemed appropriate, for me.
Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world
which He has created according to His will.May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days,
and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon;
and say, Amen.May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored,
adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,
beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that
are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.He who creates peace in His celestial heights,
may He create peace for us and for all Israel;
and say, Amen.
I will say this prayer again today during my prayers throughout the day.
Elon Musk activated free Starlink for areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
🎥 Jocko on 80-years since D-Day, YouTube
📰 More than 200 mayoral candidates have been killed in Mexico during this election season, WSJ (ungated link)
I was randomly contacted to participate in a national survey about the 2024 election. As one who holds a PhD in political science I was more gitty to “look under the hood” than happy to share my idiosyncratic views as a member of the electorate. Lot of interesting survey design questions.
The Three Factions of American Culture (Substack)
The macroculture, it must be emphasized, is nowhere near collapse. I think it will transmogrify, not vanish. But it’s no longer growing. It’s the microculture that is expanding, often explosively.
This is not a value judgement, merely an expression of bare fact.