‘Selwyn Duke’ Archives
The Flaw in the Ninth Circuit’s Reasoning Exposed
BY SELWYN DUKE The big news on the culture-war front is a federal court’s striking down of Proposition 8, California’s constitutional amendment protecting marriage. In a two-to-one ruling, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit wrote, “The people may not employ the initiative power to single out a disfavored group for [...]
A Beating and Racial Slurs – But No Hate-crime Charges
BY SELWYN DUKE Ah, the left-wing capacity for rationalization knows no bounds. While we’re told that even substantive criticism of Barack Obama is driven by the hatefulness the left has dubbed “racism,” a racial attack by three black teenagers on two white men in Philadelphia this past Monday is, somehow, not. Consider the scenario, [...]
Obama the Polarizer: The Most Divisive President Ever?
BY SELWYN DUKE President G.W. Bush might very well have been sincere when he proclaimed, “I’m a uniter, not a divider,” but it nevertheless was boilerplate political rhetoric. Barack Obama, too, campaigned on the idea of uniting our nation. It’s an interesting fantasy. But the reality is quite different. Recent polls show that if [...]
“Gender-neutral” Childrearing: When a Sexual Hang-up Leads to Child Abuse
BY SELWYN DUKE First there was “Pop” in Sweden, then “Storm” in Canada. Now out of Britain comes Sasha, a boy, we hear, who is being raised by his parents in a “sex-neutral” fashion. And this isn’t just your modernistic grandmother’s neutrality, where she didn’t want to push toy guns and trucks on her son. Sasha’s parents, [...]
In Praise of a Do-nothing Congress
BY SELWYN DUKE Here's a question: how can we expect to have small government if we condemn Congress for not growing it? It's always a disturbing experience when you're accosted with a picture of Harry Reid, as I was upon logging on to Drudge last Monday afternoon. But at least his image bore a fitting caption: "MOST FUTILE EVER." I then [...]
If Republicans Want to Win, They Must Rebrand “Capitalism”
BY SELWYN DUKE One of the simplest rhetorical truths is that the side that defines the vocabulary of a debate wins the debate. Yet, amazingly, we still see experienced conservative politicians with access to advanced polling operations and an array of advisors use the Lexicon of the Left. And this election cycle is no exception. I could [...]
The Myth of Bad Republican Candidates
By Selwyn Duke Repeat a big Democrat talking point often enough, and it becomes the truth. There is a certain liberal narrative that has recently filtered down to many independents and even some conservatives: the idea that the current crop of Republican candidates is weak, wanting and worrisome. The lament is, “Hell’s bells, the guy in [...]
What Conservatives and the GOP Dare Not Say about Immigration
By Selwyn Duke In a recent election piece, pundit Ann Coulter identified illegal migration as one of the two most important issues of our time. She writes that if we fail at halting it, “the country will be changed permanently.” She continues: Taxes can be raised and lowered. Regulations can be removed (though they rarely are). [...]
Upset about Big Brother’s Ban on Incandescent Bulbs? Buy a Heatball!
By Selwyn Duke This is just too good. Many of you know that in a few days the federal ban on conventional incandescent light bulbs will go into effect. And while House Republicans included a provision in a recent spending bill that will block funding for the ban’s enforcement, it’s said that it will have little effect; manufacturers have [...]
Did Obama Give Anti-Free Market Speech in Osawatomie to Send Communist Message?
By Selwyn Duke We’re told that Barack Obama chose the obscure locale of Osawatomie, Kansas, for his recent domestic policy speech because it was the site of a seminal Teddy Roosevelt speech 101 years ago. This may very well be true. Through the distinctively named city of 4,500, Obama could make a symbolic connection with the man who once [...]
Christopher Hitchens: How Atheism Poisons Everything
By Selwyn Duke In writing this piece, I’m reminded of a little exchange between the late William F. Buckley and friend and fellow National Review writer Florence King. Buckley had just penned some less-than-flattering words about a recently deceased person of prominence whose name escapes me, and King chided him, saying something to the [...]
Is Herman Cain Experienced Enough to be President
By Selwyn Duke People use many words today without fully knowing what they mean – or should mean. “Tolerance,” “gender” and “truth” come to mind. But then there is one that rears its head every campaign season: “experience.” We’ve heard this word a lot lately during discussion of latest GOP frontrunner Herman Cain. [...]
Will Newt Gingrich Win the Republican Nomination?
By Selwyn Duke If slow and steady really does win the race, Newt Gingrich could well end up being the Republican nominee for president. Thus far, this campaign season has been defined by flash-in-the-pan fortunes. Michele Bachmann was first out of the blocks and won the Iowa straw poll, but this seemed much like a house of straw when Texas [...]
Herman Cain and the Experience Factor
By Selwyn Duke People use many words today without fully knowing what they mean – or should mean. “Tolerance,” “gender” and “truth” come to mind. But then there is one that rears its head every campaign season: “experience.” We’ve heard this word a lot lately during discussion of latest GOP frontrunner Herman Cain. [...]
The Tax Plan that’s Better than Cain’s, Perry’s or Gingrich’s
By Selwyn Duke Bold tax reform is front and center this campaign season. First Herman Cain made waves and poll headway with his 9-9-9 tax plan, which involves national 9-percent taxes on personal and corporate income and a 9-percent national sales tax. Now Rick Perry has followed suit with a 20-percent flat-tax plan, and Newt Gingrich has [...]
Forget the Wall Street Protesters: Why We Should Hate Capitalism
By Selwyn Duke Okay, you can lift your lower jaw off the floor. I haven’t joined the dark side: My problem isn’t economic but lexical. I do hate capitalism — the term. As you know, in the eyes of many, “capitalism” has become both a four-letter word and the target of such. For example, New York Magazine questioned a group of Wall [...]
Destroying the Republic “for the Children”
By Selwyn Duke We’ve all heard about the tactic of using children as human shields, as practiced by Saddam Hussein, the Taliban and others. The idea is that you place civilians — preferably women and children — at military targets to reduce the chances that your enemy will attack and so that, if he does, he’ll look like a heartless [...]
Arizona State Bar Targets Lawyer and Blogger because of Her Conservative Beliefs
By Selwyn Duke When we think of political persecution, places such as Tiananmen Square may come to mind. Increasingly, however, this tool of tyranny is coming to our shores – and it is not made in China. It is, in the case I’ll discuss today, made in Maricopa County. Every avid news reader knows about the battles between Maricopa [...]
The Black US Attorney Has Common Cause with the Black Criminal
By Selwyn Duke According to Department of Justice whistleblower J. Christian Adams, AG Eric Holder has a certain something in his wallet. It is a quotation – and he has carried it for decades. It essentially says, to quote Adams, “Blackness is more important than anything, and the black US attorney has common cause with the black [...]
I’ll Eat What I Want; You Eat Your Heart Out, Bloomberg
By Selwyn Duke Although I’ve never been one to demonize the rich, there is something particularly irritating about a busybody billionaire who confuses his bankroll with his I.Q. And the busiest of this species seems to be NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose latest patrician effort involves convincing governments worldwide to control what the [...]
How Conservative Candidates Can Give Us a RINO Nominee
By Selwyn Duke While I certainly understand the frustration of those who complain of RINO primary rise, it’s important to accept the reality of how it happens. It is not, as some would say, a matter of the “Republican Party giving us another John McCain.” Nominees aren’t appointed; they’re elected. It is not the result of a New [...]
“Why do Women always….?”: Generalizations and the Building Blocks of Reality
By Selwyn Duke Recently I wrote an article about women’s tendency to support statist candidates. As my emails attest, it was met with quite a positive response. Yet, not surprisingly, there was also a very predictable one: complaints about generalizations. For instance, one respondent wrote that she was tired of the “all men are this [...]
Tax the Rich? Answering Elizabeth Warren
By Selwyn Duke Former TARP chairman and Senate hopeful from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren gave a shot in the arm to “progressives” everywhere this past Wednesday, with a rousing (or is it rabble-rousing?) extemporaneous speech on the virtues of taxing the rich. Her commentary quickly made the rounds on the Web and radio talk shows — and [...]
The Case for Ending the EPA
By Selwyn Duke In the Republican presidential debate last evening, some of the candidates passionately stated that the Environmental Protection Agency should be eliminated. It’s a position that sounds strange to some ears. As a respondent in a Fox News focus group said after the debate, and this is a paraphrase, “This all sounds good when [...]
The Security Sex
By Selwyn Duke We have all heard about the sex gap in voting patterns. This is the phenomenon whereby, in every election, women are far more likely to support liberal candidates than men are. For instance, in 1996, Bill Clinton captured 54 percent of the women’s vote but only 43 percent of the men’s. And in subsequent elections, the [...]
That Presidential Look: The Bad, the Beautiful and Voting-booth Realities
By Selwyn Duke While there was more than one reason why John McCain was a long shot to win the 2008 general election, a big one was something almost no one talked seriously about: appearance. That is to say, when was the last time an old-looking, white-haired, half-bald man won the presidency? If you think this piece will be satire or [...]
When love was a warm toy gun
By Selwyn Duke In a way, commercials can tell you more about how we've changed than history books. The other day I came across the following 1960s TV commercial on YouTube; it's for a toy set called the "Gung Ho Commando Outfit" by Marx. And it's a perfect snapshot of the America that, sadly, no longer exists. Despite this fact, watching it [...]
The Naked Truth and Public Nudity in San Francisco
By Selwyn Duke There currently is a debate raging over public nudity in San Francisco. It’s not what you think. It’s already entirely legal to parade about in the buff on the city’s streets, and no one is discussing the resurrection of indecent-exposure laws. Rather, the question is whether sanitary behavior — namely, posterior [...]
Cherokee Nation Revokes Citizenship Rights of Black Slave Descendants
By Selwyn Duke Just a week ago this Monday, the Cherokee Nation’s Supreme Court ruled that the tribe may revoke the citizenship rights of black members. The case stemmed from a 2007 vote in which the Nation amended its constitution to allow the expulsion of the descendants of Cherokee-held slaves; this inspired a lawsuit by the [...]
My Solution: How to Restore Freedom of Association and End Government Tyranny
By Selwyn Duke Unfortunately, many Americans have become injured to the trampling of freedom of association. You can work your fingers to the bone starting a business, and the government becomes a partner that contributes nothing but extracts much. It not only shares your profits and regulates you to death, but, more to the point here, [...]
New American Cover Story: Multiculturalism
By Selwyn Duke It is 1991, and Yugoslavia, born of the ashes of WWI, is starting to break up. It is a violent affair that will be long, painful, bloody, and complex. Numerous wars in the multi-ethnic region will be fought, with Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia declaring independence from Serb-dominated Yugoslavia and, in turn, Serb minorities [...]
Mars Attacks: Scientists Say Aliens May Destroy Mankind Over Global Warming
By Selwyn Duke Three years after the release of the remake The Day the Earth Stood Still, a team of American researchers has made the film’s theme a scientific theory: They are suggesting that an alien race might destroy man to stop our release of greenhouse-gas emissions and global warming. Writes Fox News: The thought-provoking [...]
Only National Collapse Will End America’s Spending Problem
By Selwyn Duke While many are complaining about the recent debt-ceiling deal, is it really the issue? Sure, statists say that the Republicans steered us toward crisis with their initial unwillingness to compromise, while traditionalists complain that the GOP folded and “let us down again.” Our problems, however, lie not in our politicians [...]
"Why Has ‘Capitalism’ Failed?"
By Selwyn Duke While discussing socialism on a talk show recently, I was confronted with the question: If “capitalism” is so great, why has it failed? Of course, ever since our financial crisis hit, this query has become all too common. Now, after informing the host that I avoid the word “capitalism” — as it was originated by a [...]
Why Has ‘Capitalism’ Failed?
By Selwyn Duke While discussing socialism on a talk show recently, I was confronted with the question: If “capitalism” is so great, why has it failed? Of course, ever since our financial crisis hit, this query has become all too common. Now, after informing the host that I avoid the word “capitalism” — as it was originated by a [...]
President Downgrade
By Selwyn Duke When Barack Obama promised change that would transform America, most never suspected that he would make history by presiding over the nation’s first-ever credit downgrade. But, well, yes – he can. And he did. Of course, the blame cannot be laid entirely at Obama’s feet. Since Congress controls the purse strings, [...]
Researchers Concerned About Creation of Human/Animal Hybrid “Monsters”
By Selwyn Duke When we hear about the implantation of human genes in animals, it may conjure up images right out of the story The Island of Dr. Moreau. Of course, present-day experiments of this kind take a more modest form, such as the Chinese’s introduction of human stem cells into goat fetuses or U.S. scientists’ proposal to create a [...]
The Myth of White Privilege
By Selwyn Duke Something must be wrong. My finances are in shambles; mainstream newspapers won’t publish my pieces; and, no matter how much I try to convince Fox News that they need male eye candy as well, they just won’t give me a show. Then I gaze into the mirror at my alabaster complexion and say “What’s wrong with this picture? [...]
The Statist Call-for-Civility Con
By Selwyn Duke When I hear today’s frequent calls for civility, I’m reminded of Rodney King’s plaintive appeal, “Can we…can we all get along?” After all, King was a thug but, when he made his statement, seemed wholly sincere. This means that most contemporary political figures who call for civility share one certain commonality with [...]
Three-Monkey Authorities Ignoring Another Black-on-White “Hate Crime”
By Selwyn Duke Like the three monkeys who see, hear and speak no evil, our authorities seem intent on ignoring the true nature of yet another black-on-white racial attack. In the New York City subway this past Sunday, 29-year-old Jason Fordell was attacked by a group of black men who taunted him for being white. Yet NYC police “are unsure” [...]
Trashing the Constitution: The Living Document Con
By Selwyn Duke Is constitutionalism akin to blind faith? Some statists certainly think so, as they have called the position “constitution-worship.” In light of this, what should we call those who lack that “faith”? Given that they don’t believe in the Constitution, and that the document is the supreme law of the land, can it be said [...]
MediaMatters Takes Another Shot at Stirring Up Anti-Truth Outrage
By Selwyn Duke It really is a shame when a media watchdog has a twisted nose that mistakes putrescence for floral aroma – and vice versa. In a piece published Monday, self-proclaimed media watcher MediaMatters (MM) criticizes Fox News for running the supposedly “misleading headline”: “Cambridge, MA set to Pay Gay Employees More Than [...]
College Islamization: Yale Closes Initiative for Study of Anti-Semitism
By Selwyn Duke It was 60 years ago that William F. Buckley published God and Man at Yale, a book critical of the hostility toward religion prevalent at the Ivy League school. But now religion may be poised to make a comeback at the institution — at least, that is, if its god is called Allah. Just this month, Yale took the striking step of [...]
Noam Chomsky Gets Half a Clue
By Selwyn Duke Of all idiots, none is so useful as he who can masquerade as a genius. MIT linguistics professor Noam Chomsky recently denounced Hugo Chavez, accusing the Venezuelan strongman of making an “assault” on his nation’s democracy and of cruelty with respect to a female judge he imprisoned for issuing an unwelcome ruling. [...]
U.S. Students Ignorant of History; Will Repeat Mistakes of Past
By Selwyn Duke Once again, a study has show that American students are woefully ignorant of history. Test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress demonstrate, writes the Wall Street Journal, that only “20% of U.S. fourth-graders and 17% of eighth-graders who took the 2010 history exam were ‘proficient’ or [...]
Politically Correct Washington Supreme Court Overturns Murder Conviction
By Selwyn Duke In 2007, Kevin L. Monday Jr. was convicted for the murder of Francisco Green and received 64 years in prison. The incident ad been caught on a 3-minute video recording shot by a street performer, and the footage clearly showed Monday coolly and calculatingly firing 11 shots at Green on a crowded Seattle, Washington, street [...]
Dalai Lama: “I am a Marxist”
By Selwyn Duke There is no better way to proclaim your lack of spiritual and philosophical depth than by, two decades after the fall of communism, disclosing that you’re Marxist. Yet this is precisely what Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama did during a speech before 150 Chinese students at the University of Minnesota this [...]
The American Flag is Offensive In Schools Now
By Selwyn Duke Increasingly, it seems that the American flag is joining toy guns and dodgeball on the banned-from-school list. And the latest story on this front involves The Butterfield Elementary in Orange, Massachusetts, where a teacher told an 11-year-old boy that he may not hang his depiction of Old Glory because it might “offend” [...]
The American Flag is “Offensive” in Schools Now
By Selwyn Duke Increasingly, it seems that the American flag is joining toy guns and dodgeball on the banned-from-school list. And the latest story on this front involves The Butterfield Elementary in Orange, Massachusetts, where a teacher told an 11-year-old boy that he may not hang his depiction of Old Glory because it might “offend” [...]
He May be a Dog, but Weiner Will be a Winner in 2012
By Selwyn Duke New York Congressman Anthony Weiner’s sexual impropriety sure does make titillating copy. I mean, take his zipper-like stature, the nature of his transgressions, and combine that with his name, and you have the perfect running joke. And we can add to this a touch of irony. The following is still found on Weiner’s [...]
