Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison

“DeSantis’[s] dissent-that-isn’t-really-dissent on Ukraine has brought out the hawkish ideological enforcers like almost nothing else in the last few years. Perhaps only the withdrawal of Afghanistan has generated as much outraged screeching from the usual suspects. David French bemoans DeSantis’[s] timidity and lack of Reagan-like leadership, [Max] Boot trots out the tired isolationist slur, and Bret Stephens declares DeSantis unfit to be president solely because of his Ukraine statement. The Wall Street Journal editorial board’s reaction was mild by comparison, but they still faulted DeSantis for a ‘puzzling surrender’ to the ‘Trumpian temptation of American retreat.’ These are not sane reactions to a rather vague, slippery statement that basically endorses the status quo. They are also not accurate assessments of DeSantis’[s] position.” (03/22/23)

https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/desantis-and-the-hawkish-thought

Source: Washington Post
by George F Will

“As long as the awful law exists, concerning which the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Monday, be careful what you say to, or write about, unauthorized immigrants. Congress, in one of the federal government’s increasingly frequent offenses against the First Amendment, makes it a crime if one ‘encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in’ this nation in violation of federal law. Let the formulation of hypotheticals begin in order to illustrate the law’s unconstitutional vagueness and overbreadth. Suppose a pediatrician says an unauthorized immigrant’s child needs medical care that is available here but not in the country from which the immigrant came. Has a crime been committed?” (03/22/23)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/22/supreme-court-case-government-speech-laws/

Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Barry Brownstein

“In his instructive political fable, The Awakening of Jennifer Van Arsdale, George Leef writes, ‘Liberalism is the one philosophy that requires no enemies … It minimizes conflict and calls upon people to resolve whatever problems arise through peaceful means.’ By liberalism, Leef refers to the 17th-century movement that began to free individuals from entrenched interests, ‘from the constraints of the powerful institutions that dominated their lives — the interests of monarchs and church leaders and guilds.’ … Is the growth of collectivism and the decline of liberalism why Americans are angrier than ever?” (03/22/23)

https://www.aier.org/article/liberalism-needs-no-enemies/

Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Peter Jacobsen

“You might think that being a non-profit means the chief executive is paid less than the CEO of a for-profit company. This belief, though understandable, is wrong. The chief executive of a non-profit is paid a salary which counts as a business expense. As such, when revenues are higher than costs, the non-profit could always choose to increase the salary of the executive. Technically, the board of directors of the non-profit would be responsible for avoiding situations where executives receive exorbitant salaries which expand to fill every revenue surplus, but due to knowledge and incentive problems this may not always happen.” (03/22/23)

https://fee.org/articles/what-even-is-a-non-profit/

Source: Common Dreams
by Jim Hightower

“Exciting news, people: Utopia is on the rise! Space Commander Elon Musk has announced that His Magnificence (i.e., him) intends to construct his very own private town on 3,500 acres of farmland near his new Tesla plant southeast of Austin, Texas. More than a town, Musk explains that he will create utopia in Texas, promising an ‘ecological paradise’ where his Tesla workers can live and do fun things like swimming, pickleball… and paying rent to him. The gabillionaire is certainly rich enough to erect his own Muskopolis. But, alas, the ‘utopia’ name is already taken. Indeed, I’ve been to Utopia, Texas, a small town west of San Antonio that was founded in 1855 by (cover your ears, Elon!) Swiss Socialists. Of course, history shows that a company town is ruled by the company, not by residents (much less socialists).” (03/22/23)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/elon-musk-texas-ecological-utopia