On conservatism, Eric Adams, the price of eggs, American identity, LeBron James, and more
Understandings of conservatism are almost as numerous as people. Everyone has his own idea of conservatism. I myself have a 6,500-word speech on the subject. (Takes about 45 minutes to deliver.) I will spare you it, just now. (You’re welcome.)
Lately, I have been hearing a line: “Move fast and break things.” It is associated with Elon Musk and his current doings in government. “Move fast and break things” is an ethos, I suppose. But to call it “conservatism” — is a stretch.
• A little thought exercise, about Musk and his “DOGE kids”: What if they were on the other side, those kids? What if they were working for a left-wing zillionaire (unelected), tearing through the government with revolutionary glee?
People tend to like process when it serves their ends. They like it when it curbs the other side. Otherwise, process is for wimps. You know?
• A headline from Bloomberg: “White House Says Musk Will Police His Own Conflict of Interests.” Is that good enough, in your book? (The article is here.)
• If someone says he is serious about getting America’s fiscal house in order, ask him one question: Are you prepared to reform entitlements? If he is not, he is not serious. President Trump et al. will apparently succeed in abolishing USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, RFE/RL, and so on. But they would want to do so if we were running a massive surplus. Money is not the issue.
(“RFE/RL,” as you know, is our combination of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. It is a jewel in the American crown. I wrote a piece about RFE/RL in 2018: “Still Broadcasting Freedom.”)
• It appears that Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, will skate. Trump ordered the Justice Department to order federal prosecutors to drop the charges against Adams. A pity. I think there ought to be consequences for corruption. Otherwise, you will get more of it.
For a USA Today story on Trump and Adams, go here.
Trump is a Republican, of course, and Adams a Democrat. What if a Democratic president had gotten the mayor off the hook? I wonder what Republicans would be saying. And what Democrats would be saying.
• “America the Beautiful” has several verses. We tend to know, or sing, just the one: the first one. In recent days, I have thought of another verse, which I have always admired (as I do the whole poem):
America! America!
God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.
• For eons, we have had an expression: “What does that have to do with the price of eggs?” Perusing the news the other night, I thought, “The expression now seems so literal.”
• What’s an American? That is an old, old question, batted around since the 18th century. You will recall that Nikki Haley ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 cycle. President Trump’s new liaison to the Justice Department had thoughts about that:
Here is one more:
There are many more where those two came from.
Nikki Haley, as you recall, is the daughter of immigrants. She was born in Bamberg, S.C. She later became governor of that state. Haley’s “otherness” was a theme of Trump’s campaign against her. He repeatedly called her “Nimbra” (when he wasn’t calling her “Birdbrain”).
Haley’s given name is “Nimarata.” She has always gone by her middle name, “Nikki.” Her maiden name is “Randhawa.” She married a man named “Haley.” There is nothing sinister about this.
One of our national mottos is “E pluribus unum” — “Out of many, one.” There have always been people who do not accept this. There still are, obviously.
What’s an American? That question bids to be perpetual.
• Here is our new undersecretary of state for public diplomacy:
This is a man charged with representing the United States — our values, our principles, our ideals — to the world. With representatives like this, who needs enemies?
Note this, too: Many Republicans have something in common with the hard Left: They believe that America is no light unto the nations. Has Angela Davis denounced our country more vitriolically than our new undersecretary of state for public diplomacy?
• An article in the Wall Street Journal begins, “President Trump has put the brakes on a law that forbids U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials to win business.” I think this is a terrible move. But my point here is linguistic: It is “forbid to” and “prohibit from.” For the last ten years or so, I’ve been hearing “forbid from” regularly.
Decline!
• Who is not declining is LeBron James — at least not steeply. Earlier this month, he had 42 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 assists against the Golden State Warriors. He is 40 years old. He is the oldest player ever to score 40 or more points in an NBA game. He is also the youngest. Let me explain.
In 2004, when he was 19, LeBron scored 41 points against the New Jersey Nets. He became the youngest player ever to score 40 or more in a game. The record stands.
And now LeBron has these bookends.
Here is a stray thought: In golf, they speak of “shooting your age.” For example, the great Sam Snead started shooting his age when he was still in his sixties. Well, LeBron James, at 40, “shot his age.”
• From the Associated Press: “Westminster dog names are long, complex, and packed with meaning.” So, “Fido” is out? (A wonderful name for a dog, by the way: “Faithful.”)
• Kevin D. Williamson had an article titled “Born Against.” I had a memory from the National Review past. A lady wrote a letter to WFB (William F. Buckley Jr.), going something like this: “These days, you and your magazine are too complicated for me. I can’t tell whether you’re for or against.” WFB responded: “Sorry for the confusion, madam: We’re against.”
• Close with a couple of pictures? Here is City Hall, in New York, on a brisk night:
I’m thinking about running for mayor — in a Walter Mitty-ish way.
Here is Little Italy (also New York City):
Those words — the first ones, up at the top — are from “Volare”:
Volare, oh, oh,
Cantare, oh, oh.
Nel blu dipinto di blu.
Felice di stare lassù.
Wanna hear Pavarotti sing this song? Me too: here.
Thank you, my friends, for joining me today.
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