One reason that a lot of people see me as cheerful and optimistic is that my expectations are really rather low. Glenn Reynolds More Quotes by Glenn Reynolds More Quotes From Glenn Reynolds What's wrong with "the new elite?" Forget cultural insularity or smugness. The main problem with the "new elite" is that they're not an elite at all. That is, they aren't particularly smart, or competent. Glenn Reynolds smugnesssmartpolitical Imagine what things would be like if the news media actually sided with civilization. Glenn Reynolds mediawould-becivilization [T]he notion that a belief in self-reliance cannot coexist with a spirit of generosity is crap. In fact, one is far less likely to find a spirit of generosity among the advocates of governmentally-required "compassion". Glenn Reynolds generositycompassionself As my father-in-law once said, when they talk about taxes it's always for teachers, firemen, and police - but when they spend your taxes, it always seems to go to some guy in a leather chair downtown you never heard of. Glenn Reynolds lawteacherfather You can't be halfhearted in a revolution. Values that serve well in a civil society don't work in a state of nature. Glenn Reynolds wellsrevolutionstates The purpose of the right to bear arms is twofold; to allow individuals to protect themselves and their families, and to ensure a body of armed citizenry from which a militia could be drawn, whether that militia's role was to protect the nation, or to protect the people from a tyrannical government. Glenn Reynolds defensegovernmentpeople [W]hen you align yourself exclusively with one party, and weaponize yourself in that party's cause, you're going to pay the price when the other party is in power. That's the price you pay for whoring yourself out. Glenn Reynolds pay-the-pricehensparty Personally, I'd be delighted to live in a country where happily married gay couples had closets full of assault weapons. Glenn Reynolds gaycouplecountry The government decides to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing things that middle class people have: If middle-class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle-class people. But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle-class status, they’re markers for possessing the kinds of traits — self-discipline, the ability to defer gratification, etc. — that let you enter, and stay, in the middle class. Subsidizing the markers doesn’t produce the traits; if anything, it undermines them. Glenn Reynolds collegehomeclass It's not so much about the cause, it's about feeling superior to political opponents. Glenn Reynolds politicspoliticalfeelings If you're a Republican who's a threat to the Democrats, of course you are a racist. That's the definition of a racist, nowadays. Glenn Reynolds racistdefinitionspolitics Democrats don't represent the taxpayers, they represent the tax-consumers. Glenn Reynolds taxpayersdemocratpolitics The new racism is anything that might hurt a Democrat politically. Glenn Reynolds politicsracismhurt I can think of no better reason to vote against Obama than the prospect of an administration where any criticism of the President is treated as racism. Glenn Reynolds criticismracismthinking When people say things like "don't let this moment pass without acting on gun control," what they're really saying is our arguments are so unpersuasive that they can only succeed when people aren't thinking clearly. Glenn Reynolds gunpeoplethinking With 'swift-boating' now being used by the ignorant as a synonym for false charges, it's worth remembering that it was John Kerry who had to retract his statement about his secret Christmas mission to Cambodia, despite it having allegedly been 'seared, seared' into his memory. Glenn Reynolds ignorantsecretmemories As I have said, the best Bush strategy is to put Congress on TV as often as possible. Glenn Reynolds strategypoliticstvs Where the U.N. is concerned, accountability is very thin on the ground in general. Glenn Reynolds accountabilityconcernedpolitics Personally, I'm tired of hearing the whole have-you-no-decency routine from people who have made quite clear that they possess none themselves. Glenn Reynolds tiredpoliticalpeople When the private sector fails, the solution is more government. When the government fails, the solution is more government. Glenn Reynolds failingpoliticalgovernment
