Author Archives: Bok
Cajun Navy
The Atlantic has a nice story about the “Cajun Navy.” It’s made up of private citizens with boats who rescue Hurricane Harvey victims:
Clyde Cain, who runs a Cajun Navy Facebook page told USA Today last year, “The reality of the Cajun Navy is everybody out here with a boat that isn’t devastated gets out and helps others.”
Hate Group Members
The extremist hate group thing seems a little trumped up to me.
The Southern Poverty Law Center says there are between 5,000 and 8,000 Klan members. The SLPC is the media’s go-to choice for hate stats. They even publish this helpful hate map.
But their definition of hate seems broad. They label some Christian groups that don’t share their views on LGBT issues, like the Family Research Council, as hate groups. Then again, I suppose the Klan also considers itself a Christian group not big on the LGBT agenda.
Anyway, I found the FBI figure of 2,200 Klan members quoted in Newsweek archives. So I went with it.
Robert Lee Removed From University of Virginia
ESPN removed Robert Lee from the University of Virginia. Not the statue. Robert Lee the announcer. He’s the guy scheduled to do the play by play for Virginia’s opening game against William & Mary. In the hope of avoiding offense, ESPN removed him from the game.
Robert Lee and the Horse He rode in On
Meanwhile USC students want Traveler the Trojan Horse removed from Southern Cal games. Traveler was also the name of Robert E. Lee’s horse. That would be Robert Lee the general, not the announcer.
No Statue of Limitation in Identity Politics
Tear ’em all down.
Mark Lilla is a liberal history professor at Columbia. He blames identity politics for Democrats’ failure to win elections. The professor thinks the left focuses too much on what keeps us apart rather than on what brings us together. He says his conservative students make arguments based on ideas and principles. But his liberal students make their arguments based on identity.
Here’s a link to his latest book The Once and Future Liberal: After Identity Politics. And here are a couple of reviews from The Guardian.
Steve Bannon Eclipse
Steve Bannon is back at his old job as executive chairman of Breitbart News.
Bannon Eclipse
Here’s a timeline of the Bannon eclipse. The last straw may have been his claim in the American Prospect that there’s no military solution to North Korea. Just as Trump was explaining to Kim that he’s locked and loaded for fire and fury.
