Dear Reader (and everyone else I have failed),

I would respect Roy Moore a lot more if he began his victory speech last week by taking his gavel and hurling it at the CNN cameras in the back of the room, shouting "Are you not entertained!"

But, unlike Russell Crowe's Maximus, Moore can't, or won't, let the mask slip to show his disdain for the spectacle he has become. Whether that's because he's extremely disciplined in his cynicism or because he's extremely sincere in his jackassery, I have no idea. Nor do I really care.

What's going on with his voters, on the other hand, matters to me. Which brings me back to this gladiator thing. Gladiatorial games served a number of purposes in Ancient Rome. First of all, what else are you going to use all those Carthaginians for? Blood sport was also entertainment, of ...

September 29 2017

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Roy Moore: Gladiator Jonah Goldberg Dear Reader (and everyone else I have failed), I would respect Roy Moore a lot more if he began his victory speech last week by taking his gavel and hurling it at the CNN cameras in the back of the room, shouting "Are you not entertained!" But, unlike Russell Crowe's Maximus, Moore can't, or won't, let the mask slip to show his disdain for the spectacle he has become. Whether that's because he's extremely disciplined in his cynicism or because he's extremely sincere in his jackassery, I have no idea. Nor do I really care. What's going on with his voters, on the other hand, matters to me. Which brings me back to this gladiator thing. Gladiatorial games served a number of purposes in Ancient Rome. First of all, what else are you going to use all those Carthaginians for? Blood sport was also entertainment, of ... READ MORE Rauner Becomes First Governor to Begin Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Michael J. New On Thursday, the Republican governor of Illinois, Bruce Rauner, signed the controversial House Bill 40 into law. HB 40 contains language that will ensure abortion remains legal in Illinois... Americans Still Wait for Trump to Protect Health-Care Conscience Rights Melanie Israel, Elizabeth Slattery Americans Still Wait for Trump to Protect Health-Care Conscience Rights ADVERTISEMENT Rauner's Deception The Editors Governor Bruce Rauner has signed a radical pro-abortion bill into law in Illinois, and he lied to the state's voters in order to put himself into the position to do so. Rauner, a successful... The Supreme Court Will Probably Strike a Huge Blow to Public-Sector Unions Robert VerBruggen The Supreme Court has announced that it will hear the case Janus v. AFSCME. It will likely prove to be one of the most consequential labor-law cases in U.S. history. At issue is whether... An Open Letter to Conservatives about the NCAA David French If you're a fan of a big-time college-sports program, you should be very afraid. The FBI is on the prowl. This week, the Department of Justice announced it had indicted ten people — including... A Modest Blow for Fiscal Responsibility in Connecticut Red Jahncke Sometimes there's a fine line between kicking the can down the road and gradually phasing in difficult change. Not this year, not in Connecticut. The difference is a chasm. The sweetheart deal... ADVERTISEMENT The Tyranny of Guilt: An Essay on Western Masochism Pascal Bruckner 'When it comes to the sweaty metabolism of guilt, Bruckner is perhaps the most accomplished anatomist since Nietzsche. (He is also, like Nietzsche, an extraordinary stylist, commanding a sinewy, memorably epigrammatic prose.) . . . Ferociously intelligent, passionately argued, stylistically brilliant.' - Roger Kimball, National Review LEARN MORE Remembering Hugh Hefner Mexico City Earthquake ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 215 Lexington Ave., New York, NY, 10016, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.