I try to be amused…
When troubles arise, better people have a line of poetry to soothe the moment. Primitive that I am, I default to: “I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused.”
It’s the intro to “Red Shoes,” a long-forgotten Elvis Costello song about a bad break-up. He considers ending it all. But instead he tries, not altogether convincingly, to be amused.
Profound? No. Poetic? Helpful? Not really. But when it comes to public affairs and rank culture, it can help.
Get the newsletter
The Immortal Case Against Social Programs
90 years on, evergreen objections & evergreen coup talk: People who are against social programs have grandchildren who are against social programs. Today’s arguments against big spending on infrastructure and social needs are the very same as the objections
Why Are We So Politically Gullible?
A Sticky Trump Addiction. Won’t You Please Help? I’m as politically gullible as the next guy. But I’m also part of a medically underserved population struggling to cure itself of a Trump addiction. It takes over our lives and