Civil Liberties

MLK's Contested Yet Universal Blueprint for Freedom

The fight over King's legacy is testament to the rare power of his words


Like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Orwell, Václav Havel, and the very best of our political/literary heroes, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., led a life and left a written record monumental enough to inspire people who couldn't agree less with one another.

For the president of the United States, King is a reason to embrace National Service. For the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the attorney general of Virginia, King is a reason to engage in civil disobedience against the president's signature law. He's a hero to military interventionists and anti-war activists; invoked in the cause of empowering Palestinians and fighting "for a secure Israel," and used by both sides of the current gun debate.

Even King's most famous line from his most famous speech—"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character"—is deployed with equal fervor by both sides in the enduring battles over affirmative action.

For the dwindling ranks of King critics, such heavily contested interpretation may point to ideological incoherence and fundamental hypocrisy fanned by decades of canonization. But I would suggest an alternate view.

The texts we argue about most—the Bible, the Constitution, Orwell's wartime essays, MLK's civil rights sermons—are the ones whose force of enlightenment, poetry, passion, and morality have risen above the cacophany of human language to almost universally stir souls and inspire liberation. People don't fight over words that only apply to one side of most arguments.

It is no accident that King was at his most rhetorically persuasive when reaching back to the source code of Thomas Jefferson and The Declaration of Independence, portraying the Civil Rights movement as an act of cashing a check on the "promisory note" contained within the "magnificent words" that "all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Like the Declaration itself, MLK's words were considered radical upon utterance, yet universal within a couple of generations.

As a white Californian of weird politics and indifferent religion born a few months after King was assassinated, my inspirations from MLK are necessarily different than those of Baby Boomers, Millenials, or people of color, and are not solely applicable to issues involving race. For me, the source code that keeps on giving, that challenges our complacency while offering a four-step guide to overcoming it, is King's magnificent Letter From a Birmingham Jail, addressed in the literal sense to his skeptical fellow clergymen, but also to every American who has come along since.

"I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham," he explained to his more reticent contemporaries. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

You would have a hard time finding a more concisely written universal call to action. But that wasn't King's only arrow in his quiver against complacency. Switching to the specific, he paints a vivid, deeply personal, and all-too-believable picture of what paternalistic calls for patience sound like to the oppressed:



As pure depiction of the mental prisons erected by authoritarians and bullies, this passage ranks with Solzhenitsyn, or even Kafka. But like Havel's "The Power of the Powerless," King's letter can also be read as a practical guide for overcoming the hideous regime under indictment.

There are two essential steps in the letter's self-help guide: Using nonviolent civil disobedience to violate and thus advertise unjust laws, and (much less remarked on) preparing yourself for such protest. As he put it,


In our rosy, conflict-centered view on history, we remember the direct action, forget the negotiation, and all too often ignore the collection of facts and related self purification. Like Havel (who King had an obvious influence on), MLK understood that a well-portrayed truth was a potent weapon against the empire of lies, both as a shaming exercise aimed at those on the sidelines, and as an irresistable lure for more brave-hearted activists. Speaking real truth to unjust power has proven to be one of history's most effective intoxicants.

"If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me," King closes his letter with, notably. "If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me." To paraphrase Orwell, even describing what's in front of your face requires—and deserves—a constant struggle.

In 2013, we have no shortage of morally suspect laws to oppose, starting with a drug war that has debased our constitutional rights and created a grotesque prison-industrial complex that warehouses millions of disporportionately minority prisoners. As King argued, radically and inspirationally, "one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." Thanks to his example, and the elusive, cross-partisan appeal of his words, we have a blueprint for doing just that.

NEXT: Rand Paul Wants a More Libertarian GOP


  1. wait, is this the morning links?

    1. Dr. King gave his life so that others could have freedom from the responsibility of posting the morning links.

      1. I’m not sure he really “gave” it.

        1. had the shooter known that King would be followed by the likes of Jesse Jackson and, later, Al Sharpton, would the trigger still have been pulled?


    2. Yeah, there should be morning links. It’s not as if this is a holiday.

      1. Watched the garbage truck go by a little while ago. I didnt put mine assuming that pickup would be tomorrow due to Holiday.


        Oh well, no biggie. It will just be full next week.

        1. Congratulations on posting the most mundane comment, ever. 😉

          1. I ate a pickle once. It was good.

  2. You will know you’ve made it when your corpse can be dragged out to advocate from the Great Beyond for any and all ideological bent.

    1. Immortality is its own price.

      1. Immortality is its own price.

      2. Error, its own punishment.

        and, stupid is forever.

    2. Actually, if you are a corpse, by definition, you won’t. And will care even less.-))

      See also: Lenin, Vladimir Il’ich

      1. a corpse can advocate for something if it’s used as a handpuppet

        1. True, but said cadaver won’t be cognizant of it.-)

          You will know…your corpse…

          No, you won’t. Only The STEVE SMITH and your mortician knows for sure…

          1. Are you claiming that black people don’t get admittance into the afterlife? Or that should sit in the back of the cloud where they can’t look down at their legacy? Either way that seems kind of racist of you.

            1. Gee, could you load the question any more? Also, I neglected to mention the noble pathologist.

        2. You mean Weekend At Bernie’s was a political statement?

          I can see that.

      2. Would you give your life if you knew it would result in your name being known to generations of people to come? Or would you rather live a full life with obscurity your only legacy?

        1. Since I have been assured that afterlife is a myth, a fairy tale, hokum, voodoo and silly, irrational nonsense, does it really matter? I’ll be dead either way.

          I only care about my future spouse, any children we have, and their provision for comfort upon my demise, since statistically, she and the children will outlive me and I would defend them with my life otherwise.

          Besides them and immediate family, who else is going to care?

          1. Just out of curiosity, since you’re planning on starting a family, how old are you? I’d encourage you to do so; I have one awesome child though I’m unfortunately not married to the mother. Anyway I was thinking about trying to become a physician although I’m turning 30 this year.


            1. So nice you said it twice.-)


              38-42 is my age range. (I’m vain)

              I’d encourage you to do so

              You’re not the only one.-D


              A)RUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNN! Do. Something. Else.

              B) The oldest person in my graduating class was 42. (Keep in mind the incredible debt load)

              C) If you are dead set on this: Why do you want to be a physician? What kind and specialty do you wish to be?

              1. ” The oldest person in my graduating class was 42. (Keep in mind the incredible debt load)”

                Meh. You don’t really have to pay that off anymore.

                1. Meh. You don’t really have to pay that off anymore.

                  Mine is paid off already.-/

              2. 38-42 is my age range. (I’m vain)

                You probably think the song is about you too, don’t you?

              3. Been considering law in my later years, the debt really is a barrier to entry for older types like me.

          3. I guess that does get to the heart of my poorly worded question: do you see your ‘cares’ as extending beyond those who exist here and now with you? I think many people envision creating a legacy for grandchildren and generations beyond…and, sometimes, that requires cutting short one’s own life now to support that longer term goal. I suspect lots of ‘great grandpa’s’ have their ‘corpses dragged out’ at family get togethers to explain how the family contributed to saving freedom (e.g., vets).

            1. do you see your ‘cares’ as extending beyond those who exist here and now with you?

              To answer your question, yes, of course I do.

              It’s why my values of loyalty, fidelity, good character, and hard work are so important to me and are every bit as tangible as bequeathing wealth and assets. Material comforts also are important, as values do not pay the bills, in of themselves but help ensure for them independence, freedom and a better chance of success in whatever they wish to do.

              I want my children to have the best dad in the world, and my wife to have the most loving and devoted husband she could ever want, but I am not interested in a “Cult of Groovivality”. My life’s endeavours will hopefully speak for themselves and be a “legacy” that in which my children will hold pride and from which my wife and children will draw some wisdom and a good example.

              In short, it’s about them, not me.-)

        2. Well, gee, that’s an easy one. I could hardly give a damn what people think of me while I’m alive. Why would I care that they think of me when I’m dead?

        3. No. I honestly don’t care if my name is known beyond my immediate circle. A full life of obscurity sounds perfect.

          There are other causes I might give my life for, but name recognition isn’t one of them.

    3. I read that as “advocate from the Great Beyonce” for some reason.

      1. Though, off topic, it is an under-explored subject.

      2. “I read that as “advocate from the Great Beyonce”

        I read it that way too.

  3. Sure, reason is all against gummint, but they live on the gummint employee schedule. No AM links, no peace!

    1. The Links department has decided to let freedom ring in lieu of its alarm clock.

    2. This is how the world got STEVE SMITH.



      1. Hasn’t he ever seen Resident Evil? These things always end with zombies.

        1. or Prometheus?!

      2. Speaking of STEVE SMITH, I had a weird dream over the weekend where I saved a Bigfoot from poachers.

        1. and how did he thank you?

          1. Sadly, he used some kind of Sasquatch mind trick to prevent me from knowing how to operate my camera properly until he had morphed into a large dog and trotted off into the woods. Now that’s scary. A shapeshifting STEVE SMITH.

            1. I don’t think the poachers fared as well. The screams that came from the woods later were bone-chilling.

              1. Hmmm. This is facinating, db. Perhaps I should interpret this dream for you.

                Sigmund Fraud did say that, “Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious.”

                1. Of course, psychology is a pseudoscience, and psychoanalysis is pretentious bunkum; but, by all means, we should give credence to a cocaine-addled pioneer of both.

      3. Why doesn’t he have Octomom on speed dial already?

        It’s not exactly like her career is taking off or anything.

  4. whatever legacy there is, it has been co-opted by so many groups looking to hide their own agendas under the King label, that the broader picture has been forgotten.

    I particularly love the folks who drape themselves in the idea of King, then champion race-based or victim-dependent policies. Maybe they never heard that part about character vs. content.

    1. ‘king a.


      Are they really corrupting King’s legacy with that advocacy? As far as I know, MLK supported both affirmative action and financial reparations in the form of wealth transfer from whites to blacks.

  5. Have fun at the Pro Bowl, Mr. Gisele Bundchen!

    1. The NFL’s some-star game is a joke.

      1. Isn’t this the last one?

        1. Unfortunately they kept it.

    2. during the telecast, I tried to determine which is stronger: Ray Lewis’ instinct for finding the football or finding the camera?

      1. His instinct for dropping the knife and the bloody suit, of course. You idiot.

        1. but that was a one-time thing. Attention-grabbing histrionics when a camera is nearby is a constant.

          1. Ray Lewis == Chuck Schumer?

      2. Last night, the only way a Patriot got tackled by Lewis was to run right at him.

    3. Yeah, I guess he’ll have to be content with his five Lamar Hunt Trophies, three Super Bowl rings, millions of dollars, model wife, and his flag football Hawaiian vacation.

      1. She’s overrated as supermodels go. Her body is pretty good, but oof, that face looks like it belongs on a horse.

        1. Tell me more about how sour those grape you can’t reach are.

        2. Her sister is hotter

        3. that face looks like it belongs on a horse

          Gisele Bundchen looks like John Elway?

          1. Exactly, she’s Elway with nice tits.

    1. That is pretty bad, John. And you didn’t fool anyone.

      1. You think that’s John? You’re the dumbest sockpuppet ever, moron.

        1. Once again, why are you acknowledging the crazy urine-reeking homeless guy screaming at a wall as if he’s a person, Warty?

          1. We all have lapses. At least mine don’t require a change of underwear like yours do.

            1. Underwear?

  6. The people who usually do morning links are too busy watching the networks all day coverage of the inauguration.

    Question, is this kind of coverage on TV usual for inaugurations or did I just block out the other ones and didn’t notice?

    1. I think they get more hagiographic as we get older.

      Of course, the explosion of television channels means that channels are focused on a more narrowly focused area of content because that’s the only way to reliably put buts in seats in front of advertisements.

      So the major networks are no longer fighting to keep people from changing to the lifetime channel but have decided to focus only on the ones willing to stay and giving them what they want.

    2. No, no president in our history has ever received close to the ridiculous fawning, sycophantic, royal treatment from the media while in office that this one has.

      I’m not sure why the fuck there even needs to be a second “inauguration” for a president who gets reelected to a second consecutive term. He has already taken the oath of office and all that crap.

      1. bring on the dancin’ raisins!

      2. JFK would be in the same ball park.

        1. Most of that happened after he died. At the time Kennedy was not deified.

          1. JFK lived before the 24/7 news cycle.

            Try to imagine a JFK presidency now.

            1. What we’re seeing is JFK. Only in blackface.

          2. At the time Kennedy was not deified.

            Mike was talking about the media. And I will defer to those who are old enough to remember it, but it seems to me that the whole “Camelot” thing was just as obnoxiously cloying and fawning.

            1. I was six when JFK was shot. So my memories of him are from the 10 years or so after the fact. But Camelot of the sixties certainly was a preview of Obamaland of the aughts.

              1. Yep, pretty much. I can still remember JFK’s birthday celebration when Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday to him.

              2. Come on. You couldn’t think of “Obamalot”?

            2. Kennedy was idolized by the press, but the 24-hr news cycle hadn’t been born, so the coverage was in small bites. I remember Van Meter’s Kennedy impressions being a big hit – even with my red as blood Republican parents. Jackie was romanticized. If he hadn’t been killed he would have ended up as a sub-par, but respected, president. A high class Truman.

            3. silly, slobbering, prostrate fluffing is more like it. A compliant, malleable, nauseating, insufferable, cheerleading media is what we have now. The fawning praise i heard today made me vurp.

        2. I can’t wait for the out-of-office revelations about this asshole. He seems to boring and too whipped for them to be sexual like JFK’s, but I bet he’s Steve Jobs-level nasty with the hired help.

          1. I have a suspicion FLOTUS is worse.

            1. It is FLOTUS in particular that makes me think of Camelot.

          2. He seems to boring and too whipped for them to be sexual like JFK’s,

            I should imagine having one’s mother-in-law living there in the White House might put a damper on any tendency toward daliances.

      3. I think retaking the oath is fine, but it can be done with a private ceremony with a joint session of congress, no need for all the other stuff.

        1. but without the “other stuff”, what would the narcissist-in-chief do?


            And how could his horde get their SALIVATE! on.

      4. I don’t know why there should be anything beyond what they did yesterday.


          Duh! In the big, red truck!

    3. I had the misfortune to listen to a little NPR this morning and it was all inaugural fellation. I also heard a bit of it from my mom in the past few days, who is a life-long democrat (even though pro-life and Catholic). But even she was scoffing at how the party wants help for this inauguration.

      1. Ah yes, the party of Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion… if only they’s stayed true to those pillars. Well, two of them anyway.

        1. I believe they prefer the term “papists”

        2. Are you saying buggery is only for the priest class?

      2. who is a life-long democrat (even though pro-life and Catholic)

        it’s this level of voter cognitive dissonance that is maddening. Catholics are among the groups I lost all sympathy for; they knew what they were voting for, stop the whining about religious liberty. Jews are another.

        If you are going to waller in the party trough, you don’t get to pick what parts of the slop you like.

        1. Well, a lot of the Catholic church is all for the “social justice” government stuff (unless it steps on the Church’s toes). Just not abortion and birth control. I think it is less cognitive dissonance than picking which issues are more important.

          1. when you consistently choose Team, you take the parts you don’t like, too. I feel no sorrier for the Catholics than for the Bart Stupak-type Dems who let themselves be duped.

            The Catholic argument would be stronger if instead of whining about birth control, the aggrieved and offended said “this guy lied to us. He courted our support, answered the questions we had, then turned right around and lied.”

        2. My mother in law is the most serious Catholic I have ever known. Mindless Democrat even though she hates abortion. There is no explaining it.

          1. Same with mine. I think it’s the “community” aspect of both Catholicism and the Democratic party they like. It’s social for them, not intellectual. If you go through the Catholic motions, you’re a good person and you’re going to heaven. If you go through the Democrat motions, you’re a good person and you’re going to political heaven.

          2. Both Catholics and Democrats are natural born slaves. Killing a few babies (if that’s how you see it) is worth it for the opportunity to grovel with such humility and submissiveness.

            1. From both Catholics and Jews it is the GUILT thing. Voting for the state to ‘save’ the poor salves their guilt. They’ll put up with anything for that.

      3. Why didn’t I listen to you? I should have listened!

    4. I guess this goes better here:

      I’ve never heard of this guy before, so he may be all kinds of awful, but he may be the coolest guy in the world right now:

      Lupe Fiasco, Rapper, Thrown Off Stage At Inaugural Concert



      1. It gets better. According to WashPo


        Oh, and the organisers say it had nothing to do with his opinions; it’s apparently because his performance sucked. As Christine Keeler observed, well they would say that, wouldn’t they

        1. Now, imagine the coverage this would be getting if it had been BOOOOOOSSSSHHHH the Super Evil.

          1. For all his warts, BOOOOSH tended to keep grandiose pomp to a minimum. IIRC, he specifically made his second inauguration a sedated affair because of the ongoing wars. This president, on the other hand, wants his second coronation, dammit!

            1. Mission accomplished/flight suit/carrier landing wasn’t grandiose pomp?

              1. Oh? Was that at his second inauguration?

        2. This made my day. They accidentally let an Obama critic play his inauguration and then thuggishly drag him offstage for criticizing the most powerful man in the world. I’m off to check out some of Lupe Fiasco’s music now.

          1. He actually criticizes Obama in this song, Words I Never Said. How incompetent were the event planners? That song has 11 million hits on Youtube.

            He seems to be a Troother, and IMO not the most amazing rapper, but I’ll take what I can get.


              I almost have to wonder if maybe they booked him on purpose just so they could make a big show about dragging him off stage when he critisizes the Dear Leader. IOW, maybe they chose him so they could make an example out of him. How much you want to bet the next time we here about this guy it will be for some kind of legal trouble. Specifically I’m thinking a big DEA/ ATF drug raid that turns up a shitload of pot and firearms.

              1. No. I am a big wheel in a similar organization up in Boston, and I can tell you that this was a fuck up.

                Here’s how it works. The organizers are constantly holding events to connect entrepeneurs with movers and shakers. Of course, the Inauguration is a BFD, so they decided to have an apolitical event honoring the president.

                So some volunteer who has a day job is trying to organize it, and having a hard time finding talent, because everyone is having these events over the weekend. So when a broker offers them this rapper, who is somewhat famous, the organizer jumps at it! He’s frantically trying to get the food organized, and deal with last minute bullshit obstacles thrown up by the venue (We’ve decided that you can’t have folding chairs because it’s a fire hazard), so he doesn’t look the gift horse in the mouth.

                And… then…. it… goes…. horribly….. wrong…..

                The talent is supposed to provide ear candy, not piss off the movers and shakers!

                1. Possibly. Although I stand by the second part of my post. The next time we hear about this guy will probably be for some kind of legal trouble with the feds.

          2. He’s no Big Boi, but Fiasco is at least consistant with his principles. He’ll criticize Obama for killing babies in one song and criticize Palestinian terrorists for doing the same thing in another.

            He’s also a perfect example of how upbringing and culture are so important in shaping one’s life. He was raised in ghetto poverty, however, his dad was an old-school Black Panther and his mom was a musician, if I remember correctly. The importance of education was instilled into him at an early age. He devoted himself to Jazz and his studies as a way to escape his environment. He got into rap and hip-hop fairly late in life after realizing that there were rap artists out there that didn’t just write about weed, guns, bitches and hoez. [Not that there is anything inherently wrong with those things, in my opinion. ^_^]

        3. It was Mandy Rice-Davies, not Keeler, with the quote:

          1. (“Well, he would, wouldn’t he?”)

        1. You may haz a nu heeroe, but does you haz Nu Shooz?

          (I don’t get why people think LOLcats spelling is supposed to be funny.)

      2. I was never particularly fond of his music but I did like this one when it came out:

    5. I always watch this sort of thing on C-SPAN, where the commentary is at a bare minimum.

  7. I have to say Welch is simply a consistently strong writer. Gillespie probably hits the high notes a little better, but Welch’s writing is just solid.

    1. Yeah, this was a fine piece of writing.

    2. Welch is a college dropout. Gillespie has an English PhD. This should explain everything.

  8. Celebrate MLK’s Legacy!

    Sign the petition!

    1. That is some fucked up shit right there.

  9. Behold! The pussification of the American male!

    Boys in particular often look to sports heroes as role models, and it can be easy to see why: they excel in a way that most boys are familiar with and can understand. But it’s key to encourage boys to look to other, perhaps less conventional role models for examples of how they might want to live and grow.

    1. Reminds me of that new VW commercial where the dad (who throws like a girl) is teaching his son the same technique.

      1. yes, that is one of the most pathetic things I’ve seen come out of advertising in a while.

        1. What were the ad people thinking? Buy our car if you are an idiot?


            By our car if you’re a pussy with a bias against sports.

            1. By our car if you’re a pussy with a bias against sports.

              Can you think of a better description of the typical VW owner?

              1. Dr. Girlfriend drives a TDI and she’s a rabid hockey fan and follows football. She thought the commercial was funny, probably because she learned to throw properly at an early age.

                I don’t care much for sports, myself, but I don’t wear disdain for sports fans on my sleeve and I at least know how to throw a ball properly. The ridiculous pompous ignorance of folks who think it’s some sort of badge of honor to know nothing about something popular is something that should be grown out of post-high school.

          2. My wife looked over and begged me to teach RBSV to throw like a real man.

          3. I don’t know – but I’m gonna buy this car!


            It’s actually clever if you pay attention to the tag line and not the actor doing his best Obama-first-pitch impression:

            “Pass down something he’ll actually appreciate.”

      2. Because all tv dads must be morons

        1. Yep. Just like real life. Now, to figure out how to prepare a bottle and strap my son in his car seat…

        2. That does seem to be the rule. You do pretty much constantly see these pathetic emasculated men getting trampled by their high power, in charge wives. Especially in advertising.

          1. This spills over into real life too. I have a 6 month old. I’ve noticed that when I take him out, like to the pediatrician the nurses assume that I’m fucking retarded and also treat me like I’m probably doing terrible things to him, and my wife, at home.

            1. on behalf of all of us who have been where you are, please ask the next offender to politely fuck herself, that since you were sharp enough to have created a child, you’re reasonably sure that you have the instinct to treat him/her properly, too.

              I think too many dads either laugh off the stereotype or play into it instead of rightly getting pissed. Diapers, car seats, feedings, they’re not that hard and no special skills are required. Do women like it if a guy holds up a screwdriver and asks if they know what it is?

              1. Try being a stay-at-home dad. The looks and comments of bewilderment I receive everyday are pretty goddamn insulting. It’s like everyone on earth is surprised my children are fed and clothed.

                The looks I get when they find out I have an archery course in my backyard for my son(s – one is 5, the other not yet old enough to shoot) are legendary.

                1. “Try being a stay-at-home dad.”

                  I am. I know exactly what you mean. That is what makes it so insulting, I know my son and his needs better than anyone.

                2. does anyone in the cult of the confused question the maternal instincts of Mrs MLG? I mean, what woman in her right mind leaves her brood alone not just with a man, but a libertarian man?

                  Good grief, it must be a wonder they’re not already growing weed, stealing from the poor kids, and learning how to polish monocles. I hope you respond to the insults in a way that lets the other person know they are insulting you.


                    Child Protective Services being dispatched in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

                  2. “Good grief, it must be a wonder they’re not already growing weed, stealing from the poor kids, and learning how to polish monocles.”

                    Kids learn at their own pace. That’s why I’m grateful I had the Ed Rosenthal Baby Genius series to give my kids a leg up. And cutting eyeholes into black bandanas is tricky with safety scissors.

                3. I have a 6 year old boy. Maybe it’s because I live in a lower middle class area, but it seems like people are pleasantly surprised to see a young, yet non-absent father. Also I get a lot of flirtatious smiles from MILFs at the playground.

                  1. “I have a 6 year old boy. Maybe it’s because I live in a lower middle class area”

                    You’re only there recruiting child labor, right?

                  2. Also I get a lot of flirtatious smiles from MILFs at the playground.

                    That is a nice perk. Were I a bad man, I could be up in all manner of MILF snatch from the moms at my son’s school. The look they give as I carry my 2 year old around is definitely a “I’d like to get me a pice of that” look.

                    But being in a farming community on Central KY isn’t really conducive to be treating with any sense of respect from the men and older women in the community. I mean, what kind of man stays home with the kids and lets his wife go earn the bacon? Fucking troglodytes.


                  Being 6’9″ and not smiley helps me avoid most of the comments and I’ve been oblivious to looks since long before I had kids.

                  It’s pretty much only the grandmother types who work up the courage to say anything to me and that’s only happened twice, I think. Once because I “made” the ~2 year old walk instead of ride through the grocery store and once because I let them pick out their own lunches and snacks.

            2. i…and also treat me like I’m probably doing terrible things to him, and my wife, at home.

              I don’t have kids, but I’ve had similar experiences with my wife. We’re both in martial arts and a few years ago after a particularly hard Taekwondo class where her arms and legs got pretty banged up we went in to the hospital (we were worried that she may have had a stress fracture on one of her shins because it apparently hurt like hell). When I was out of the room the nurses kept asking her if I had been beating her. “It’s OK, you can tell us the truth. He won’t be able to hurt you anymore.” etc., etc. Apparently the idea that a woman would get hurt doing something like sparring in TKD was a totally foreign idea to those dipshits.

              That’s not the only time that’s happened either. Pretty much any bruise and it’s “Are you OK? Is it your husband? You don’t have to put up with this.” etc., etc. It’s probably only a matter of time until someone makes an anonomous report to the police.

              1. That is bad. My wife has particularly sensitive skin. She’ll bruise from anything at all. And if she vomits she breaks all manner of blood vessels in her face, specifically around her eyes, and it looks like she’s been hit.

                She gets the same treatment from others as you describe above.

          2. Women are now the “deciders” when it comes to the family car. This is why we once had chrome, fins and growling V-8s and now we have Camrys, minivans and VeeDub TDIs.

            1. I have a fucking Tundra.

              End of story.

        3. The trope is averted in the show “Psych”; Henry Spencer is a hard-nose, but he’s competent and fair-minded, and he instilled in Shawn the capacity to be so freakishly good at noticing details. In most shows, Shawn has to (reluctantly) go ask his dad’s advice, who gives it to him, but still allows Shawn to make his own decisions.

      3. I thought that was about a new drive-assist feature VW was offering for epileptics.*

        *I had mute on because, you know, Phil Simms.

        1. You probably missed out on some of that Phil Simms wisdom Tulpa seems to crave.

          1. Tulpa was actually bitching yesterday that he could only hear every other word from Simms yesterday because his TV was acting up.

            1. Phil Simms (LAOL-CBS)

        2. We are now kindred spirits, sloopy. My hatred for Simms has no bounds. He is a QB knob slobbering bafoon.

          1. I can mute Simms. How do you get rid of Ray Lewis’ penchant for histrionics every time a camera is nearby?

            1. Turn it off as soon as the clock hits 0:00.

              1. can’t. He does it all game long. His instinct for finding cameras is even better than for finding ball carriers.

                1. Or losing suits and knives.

                2. Not to defend anything Ray Lewis does or has ever done, but is he going out his way to find the cameras, or are the cameras going out of their way to find him? The level of adulation that fucker is getting is simply nauseating. I hope the Niners pound the shit out of the Ravens, and I hope that Kaepernick or Frank Gore run over Ray Lewis for at least a couple of TDs.

                  1. Loki,
                    at best, it’s equal parts. Sure, the cameras find him but it’s because he gives them shooting to shoot. I don’t see Flacco or Boldin or Suggs or Ed Reed doing things that attract attention on the sidelines.

                    1. Sure, the cameras find him but it’s because he gives them shooting to shoot

                      Hmmm, Freudian slip?

                  2. If the 49ers win, Randy Moss gets a Super Bowl ring. Do you really want that?

        3. I listened to the game on the radio for the most part.

          About two hours in to the Kuznetsova-Wozniacki match I tuned into that and flipped back and forth between the last half out of the tennis and the football game.

      4. OT but I threw like crap my whole childhood, only to realize as an adult that the assumption I throw left-handed was unfounded.

        1. Hmmm, I wonder if that could explain Tim Tebow’s problem? Maybe he’s not really a lefty afterall?

      5. As a friend of mine said, “This is exactly the type of man I expect to own a VW.” Not sure that’s what they were shooting for.

        1. I think that that may actually be what they are shooting for. It seems like that has been their advertising angle for quite some time now.

        2. the phrase “too clever by half” comes to mind. Now, the ads with the prolonged test drive were actually pretty good.

          I just don’t get who thinks that making fun of people is solid marketing.

          1. I just don’t get who thinks that making fun of people is solid marketing.

            Would you be more likely to buy a product if their advertising made fun of Barack Obama?

    2. Meh. Making any celebrity your roll model is dumb.

      1. Pretty much. Witness the nationwide butthurt whenever one goes down in fames.

    3. I’m sure it was always Michael Strahan’s dream to be doing daytime TV. Or… it keeps his time and wallet full and he enjoys meeting hotties regularly.


    Please take my guns. I am just too irresponsible and unstable!!

    1. Gladly. What’s your address? Or can I find it on the map of registered gun owners released by anti-gun propaganda statists?

      1. I have a friend who actually owns guns but is a dem and is now convinced the AR 15 is the devil. I was finally reduced to just telling him to stop othering the AR 15

        1. You should have pulled yours out and let him know that it’s okay. You keep it chained up in the safe just to be safe. You know how they jump out in the middle of the night and go shoot random people with no provocation or human assistance at all.

          1. He walked right into my riff on Archie Bunker after he linked to a story about some kid who killed his family with an AR. Would you feel better if he had used a shotgun?

            1. I gave someone I know a 30-round G-18 mag for his Glock years ago and now he looks forward to turning it in to the government for a hefty “buy-back” payment. He owns about 6 guns but would happily turn them all in for the children.

    2. Freedom is sooooo hard. I have no doubt that she made that entire story up so she could get published in the times. I wonder why she admits to having free will. If she wanted to really drive home her argument she would have bought the gun anyways like some crack addict who can’t resist their own better judgment and the next time she cried watching Lifetime she blew her brains out. I still wouldn’t be convinced but think of what a good little liberal martyr she would become. Maybe her lord abd savior Obama would speak at her funeral. It’s not too late honey.

    3. But since most people like me are more likely to harm ourselves than to turn into mass-murdering monsters, our leaders should do more to keep us safe from ourselves.

      Then they should lock you the fuck up and leave the rest of the us the fuck alone. You fucking bitch.

      1. Or, you know, just don’t get a gun if you think you are likely to kill yourself with it.

        1. She should ask the Japanese on tips to kill themselves. They are quite capable of doing it in great numbers without guns.

          1. We could offer her help on her death haiku too.

    4. did I misread the Second? Is there a line in it requiring gun ownership?

      What a waste of news space on a 750 words of psychobabble. It never dawned on her that had the assailable been able to break in, the role of the police may well have been to draw a nice outline of her body in chalk and notify relatives.

      1. Or the fact that most people don’t live just down the street from a police station and probably would have had to wait long enough for the guy to break down the door.

      2. I’m pretty sure ACA has paved the way for legally requiring gun ownership, as long as the government is willing to provide guns to those who can’t afford them.

    5. My depression appeared for the first time in the late ’90s, right before I began writing for politicians … I had an episode when my depression did come back in full force in the early winter of 2009, after I made a career-ending decision and isolated myself too much; on a January night in 2010; and again in May 2012, after testifying in the federal criminal trial of John Edwards, my former boss.

      I think I see a pattern. Maybe she should be locked up, for her own safety.

      1. you would think the depression would have cleared itself up with her testimony. That it would have been the really-come-to-jesus of come-to-jesus moments when the whole display of light bulbs went off and she realized that helping shit-heel statists was NOT a honorable way to make a living.

        I get the notion of some depression when you realize that you were part of something vile, but the testimony should have had the cleaning strength of the most powerful of baptisms, the one where you shed the cult of Team and become a better person.

      2. “My depression appeared for the first time in the late ’90s, right before I began writing for politicians”

        Nothing like being around a bunch of politicians to make you feel better about yourself.

    6. Moral: Be sure to live just down the street from a police station, so in case anyone tries to break into your house the police can get there quickly and arrest the person.

      1. Even if the police were next door, would they get to your house quickly?

        (Only if they knew there was a dog to shoot, I suppose.)

  11. OT:

    I’m stuck at my mom’s house for the day. She adores Obama, and has told me it’s okay when Obama does things when she hated Bush for doing them because “Bush is an idiot”.

    She’s watching the inauguration. On NBC.

    There isn’t enough alcohol in the world.

    1. If you want to piss off your mom, bring up some pictures of drone-maimed kids or something else horrible that Obama’s done. Or better yet, just go for a walk.

    2. Here’s an antidote:

      1) Sign up for Netflix

      2) Search for Shaun the Sheep or Archer.

      3) Watch them until Potus is gone.

      1. +1 recommendation for Archer; it’s hilarious.

        1. I’ve watched every episode several times; it’s one of my favorites of all time. But it’s always a good idea to watch again. I’ll do that.

    3. Do me a favor: go kick your mom in the taco really fucking hard. Thanks.


        I can’t think of another forum in which this is a perfectly legitimate comment. I love reason.

    4. This is actually worse than I would’ve guessed.

      I’m waiting for the Party slogans to come up on the screen, followed by the face of Osama Bin Laden for Two Minutes’ Hate.

      1. I did the prep work for the inauguration but am thankfully off today. They were doing the “National Day of Service” on Saturday. They had these huge signs with the profile of Obama and “UNITE” written under them. They only way they would have been creepier is if they had said “Obey”. But I guess they figured that goes without saying with their supporters.

        1. To those fuckers “UNITE” = “OBEY”. IOW, “UNITE” the nation in total unquestioning OBEDIENCE to the rule of the Dear Leader.

          1. I’m waiting for “arbeit macht frei”.

        2. ” They had these huge signs with the profile of Obama and “UNITE” written under them.”

          I’m guessing the “Workers of the world…” part is just understood these days.


        3. You need the sunglasses to see the “Obey” sign.


    They’re just copying Acura.

  13. Ordered Domino’s Pizza last night. First time in years. That is some vile shit. It’s like the Chef Boyardee? of pizza.

    1. It depends:

      The Domino’s near my house is owned by a Turkish guy and staffed entirely by guys from the old country. It’s much better than any of the other pizza joints in the town, I suspect because the guys working there know how to cook.

      1. ^This. I’ve actually had some decent pizza from Domino’s as well.

        That being said, I’m not a foodie and don’t mind some Chef Boyardee products so maybe it’s just me.

    2. Chef Boyardee boxed pizza kits are actually very good. Tips: Knead the dough a bit after fork-mixing it, let it rise longer than package states, cook for 2-3 minutes at 500 before adding sauce and toppings, remove from pan and place directly on the oven rack for the last 2-3 minutes.

      1. Topping tips: Add about 4 ozs of cheese along with the dry stuff in the package and go easy on the toppings. I recommend onions, green olives and either pepperoni, sausage, anchovy or hamburger.
        Too many/much vegetables will make it soggy.

  14. Holy fucking shit.

    That Wendy Button thing is just too precious. She wanted to kill herself for what was probably the only decent and honorable thing she ever did in her life, which was to testify against that scumbag John Edwards.

    Fuck, I’d loan her one of my guns if I thought she’d actually do herself in with it.

    1. She spoke out against the Party Brooks. You can’t ever be forgiven for that kind of thing.


    Reason likes to pick on the easy target.


    This guy is going to clone a neanderthal. That strikes me as wildly unethical. He is creating a human freak. What kind of a life will such a person have?

    1. What if the neanderthal doesn’t have the same sense of morality and conscience we have? What if he is creating a killer?

      1. This is sarcasm, right? I think my detector might be off today.

        1. No it is not. We have no idea what the Neanderthals were actually like. But we do know they didn’t develop higher social structures and that is probably why humans won out.

          Assume for a moment that there is a genetic and evolutionary element to morality. It is entirely possible that Neanderthals never developed a sense of morality or emotional connection to other members of their species and that is why they didn’t develop higher social structures. So yeah, they really could all be born killers.

          1. You know there are currently billions of people on the planet who don’t share moral values. There are also many killers who supposedly do have some sense of morality.

            1. Sure but those are the exceptions not the rule. Because they exist doesn’t mean it is a good idea to create more.

              1. He’s trying to get a homo sapiens woman to give birth to a neanderthal baby. I suspect that, if the baby actually turns out to be a neanderthal, it would have whatever moral values its parents taught it.

                1. That is assuming that there is no evolutionary or genetic component to human morality. That is a rather big assumption.

                  1. Domesticated dogs don’t behave like feral dogs. Even if the neanderthal doesn’t follow the moral values of the parents, it would still be domesticated.

                  2. It’s assuming there is no genetic component, which I don’t think is much of an assumption at all.

                    His parents would presumably been the beneficiaries of the evolutionary bit, if it exists, and will pass that along to him as he is raised.


                      Once again, I give you The Groovy Law —

                      “Nature v. Nuture: The question that will never answered and is continually confounded by exception.”

                      Dr. Groovus Maximus, DO

                    2. Dr. Groovus Maximus, DO

                      What is the DO for? Orthopedic doctor? You’re just a foot doctor, aren’t you? I hate foot doctors.

                    3. Doctor of Osteopathy. You’re thinking of a podiatrist, which is a specialty of orthopaedics (Yes, Elaine, podiatrists are *real* doctors).

                    4. Doctor of Osteopathy

                      So, a chiropractor then. That’s even worse than a foot doctor.

                    5. No, that would be a DC (Doctor of Chiropractic).

                    6. No, that would be a DC (Doctor of Chiropractic).

                      If you’re playing the straight man, I can only push the joke so far. If you’re actually correcting me, IT’S A JOKE!

                    7. It could be worse: he could be a homeopath.

                    8. It could be worse: he could be a homeopath.

                      Well, he’s got a girlfriend now so at least that’s ruled out.

      2. At least one band of Neanderthals burried their dead with flowers, and they did keep around a woman who had been disabled by a stroke years before her death, so I think your fears are a bit overblown, John.

        Plus, Neanderthals can’t run very well (the torques at the attachment between the spine and skull are too high) and require massive amounts of protein to survive.

        I suspect if they ever get off the reservation we Homo Saps can hunt them down and kill them even more easily than before. Or we can deport them to the Pyrenees.


          This explains MUCH about The STEVE SMITH and why his approach is so…furtive.

        2. But they were incredibly strong. Would they be allowed in sports like wrestling or MMA?

          1. I think you’re on to something here. Imagine if this cloning works as expected, we could breed thousands of them to perform for our entertainment.

            1. Nothing debased about that future.

              1. Nothing debased about that future.

                Don’t be so gloomy. It would be like the circus, but better.


              Thank you, Jimmy the Greek.

          2. Why not? Should Samoans be allowed to compete in Sumo wrestling?

            Seriously, if a putative population of Neanderthals turns out to be a bunch of dangerous Manpanzees, I doubt people would keep them around.

            My guess is that they will turn out to be weird humans, and settle in nicely into modern society. My link to the Basques are descendants of Neanderthals was humorous, but I think there’s a good chance that the guy who wrote that is right. Unless a huge purebred population is created, my guess is that within 100 years interbreeding will result in the second extinction of the race as once again it is subsumed into Homo Sap.

            1. “My link to the Basques are descendants of Neanderthals was humorous”

              This dude from the ETA sitting out here with a bomb ain’t laughing.

      3. Loverly. Just what we need, another aggrieved minority. The first thing it’ll probably do is hire a lawyer and sue for reparations for displacing it’s ancestors in Europe 30,000 ago.

      4. What if he is creating a killer?

        He isn’t making a gun, John. Sheesh. Don’t you have your talking points in order?

    2. What kind of a life will such a person have?

      I am mightily resisting the push to offer a few examples. They would likely be seen as being in poor taste.

      1. Warty don’t mind.

      2. Well, he or she can always run for the PA legislature. He or she would be considered a saintly brainiac in that august body.

    3. No more unethical than IVF or many of the other fertility treatments. I could pose an argument that is less immoral and unethical to use those techniques to make a Neanderthal baby.

    4. “They could even create a new neo-Neanderthal culture and become a political force.”

      He’s setting out to create a new race of progressive Democrats.

    5. Science always has risks. It’s probably more likely that the child would be semi-autistic: amazingly adept at some things, completely incompetent at others. We’re already part Neanderthal anyway

    6. And all social mammals have some sense of “morality”, even if it is just enough to stop them from randomly killing other members of their pack/herd/whatever. I doubt the Neanderthals were any more violent than “modern” humans.

    7. What kind of life does Warty have?

  17. During my thirty second Morning Joke drive-by, as they were babbling about some idiotic nonsense or other, Mike Fluffzinski expressed her fervent desire to talk about the “pageantry” of Ascension Part II.

    Some tiny pretense of reality based analysis might be nice.

    1. It is a totally different vibe this time than last. In 09, the whole country seemed to have gone full retard. Now, no one seems particularly excited or interested. The media people who are pretending otherwise and trying to pretend even Big Daddy’s supporters are excited are particularly pathetic.

  18. What kind of a life will such a person have?

    If he can’t make it as an insurance company spokesman, he can be a real estate salesman.

    1. It is like a real life Pig Man Seinfeld episode. No matter how weird something is, there is always some woman out there who will get into it.

    2. Since he’s not unfrozen, I guess lawyer is out.

    3. Didn’t Brendan Frazier and Pauly Shore already cover this dilemma?

  19. This isn’t particularly related to the current inauguration, but if you want some inauguration barf have a look here.

  20. I don’t smoke weed, but I’m not against those that do. More power to you folks. And I would decriminalize all the other drugs too. Even the hardcore, seriously bad for you crap.

      1. Slip me some skin Bro!

  21. If the Neanderthal is willing in intentionally muff a few answers on the test, he can get a job on a big-city police force.

    1. And marry Morgan Fairchild.

      1. Can Neanderthals surf?

  22. Schumer just said “America Prevails”. Unintentional irony from V for Vendetta not noted apparently.

    1. But it is not fascist when we do it. At what point during the next four years are they going to start calling Biden Brother Number 1.

    2. …But the Chancellor from V for Vendetta was clearly, CLEARLY intended to be BOOOOSH!!!11!!!! I mean, the great and omnipotent Dear Leader would never go full totalitarian. I mean, that’s only those evul rethuglicans and KOCHPORASHUNZ that are like that, right? Right???

      1. I’ll be concerned for a miracle cure for the flu/cancer/gayness shows up in the next couple weeks.

  23. I’m still thinking about the dumb cunt in the NYT. I wonder if she wants the government to ban choco-tinis because every time she throws down a few she wakes up in the Senate Cloak Room with splooge all over her face.

    1. No. Just pay for her birth control and abortions.

    2. Not ban, but no doubt wants WARNING LABELZ on said choco-tinis (SOD-damn that sounds horrible!)

      And a support group.

    3. I’m still thinking about the dumb cunt in the NYT.

      Paging, Ken. Ken, you have a call on the courtesy phone.


    Here’s the deal: she’s one of the enlightened ones and if she can’t be trusted with a gun then it’s a given that the lower class can’t.

  25. Fuck, I’d loan her one of my guns if I thought she’d actually do herself in with it.

    This just made me think of another bonus to selling guns to depressed people. Think of how glorious the world would be if it wasn’t cluttered up with millions of depressed people.

    1. Someone as whinny and narcissistic as that bitch would never actually do it. What is the point of getting all of that attention if you are dead and can’t enjoy it. She is the type who would make half hearted attempts as suicide so she could get the attention. No way does she use a gun or something she knows would actually work.

      1. Yeah, you’re probably right. She’s probably against voluntary suicide for those near end-of-life in great pain too.

    2. agreed Sparky. It’s funny I usally read badass of the week right after post secrets on Sunday. The difference in mindset is just amazing.

  26. Supply and demand were at equilibrium in Dr. King’s sex life.

  27. Watching the inauguration right now. It’s like watching a funeral for my America. It is watching the America that Americans built, on the white marble grounds of Washington, occupied by forces hostile to America. It is occupied by the minorities, the women, the faggots, no white Americans need mentioned except as oppressors. A Christian preacher advocates sodomy, what would people from 20 or even 10 years ago would have said about this? White Americans built this country, and it has been given away, we can’t do anything about it without being a “nazi.” It is mourning in America, and as the sun comes up we’ll see what it looks like.

    1. Re: Liberty,


      I bet you now have a very clear idea of how they felt.

  28. Racist troll haz a sad.

  29. I’m a King critic, a critic of that socialist, even though he’s a fucking “person of color.” Can we go one day without another cosmo rant? Without whining about the “prison industrial complex?” I oppose the drug war, but not for stupid liberal reasons. Not because I think that the savages in prison would start a business and “build that” if they were let out. A few people mght but not the vast majority. They’d just commit more crimes and if King were here he’d blame capitalism. Fuck him.

    1. The fact that you call yourself Liberty is just another symbol of what’s really gone wrong with the world.

      1. The fact that the word “libertarian” means “republican with herpes” in the minds of many people is yet another symbol of what’s wrong with the world.

        1. Why don’t you stop calling yourself a libertarian then? I’m sure that will make the actual libertarians happy. Maybe start calling yourself something closer to the truth, like “piece of shit racist scumbag.”

          1. I support a libertarian system within the context of the historical American nation. International libertarianism could never work.

            1. So you like the kind of libertarianism that killed the natives and enslaved the blacks. Well, what could be more free than that?

              1. Of course, that’s what America is about to you fucking cosmos. You hate America. Fuck you.

                1. Oh slappy, how we’ve missed you. We are all flattered that you would take time out of your busy schedule of mountain dew drinking, sheep fucking and sniffin’ yer sister’s panties, but I think your livestock is getting lonely. You had better tend to them, or they may start questioning the morality of inter-species erotic relations.


                  I hate what America has become because of shit-stains like you. I have the smallest shred of hope that it could be saved, but I’m not going to kid myself.

    2. Can someone help me out?

      I know we outed Liberty, but I can’t remember is its yet another Mary Stack puppet or it’s Slappy in disguise.

      Does anyone remember who this is?

      1. I thought it was agreed it was Slappy – haz white superioriteeze.

  30. And here come the damn Grand Old Fucking Party, while the nation is being replaced and we are 16 trillion in debt, they are whining that one guy is an “anti-Semite” for admitting that there is a “Jewish lobby.”

    1. You’ll get people whining about the same shit here.

  31. All snark and stupid jokes aside, this would be fascinating…..woman.html

    It’d be interesting to see how a Neanderthal specimen would adapt to modern life. Their brain size was larger than ours

    1. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I’m just a caveman…

    2. Whales have larger brains than humans, IIRC. I believe brain mass : body mass is key to intelligence.

      1. I meant in relation to body mass. But I could be wrong,. I was fascinated by human subspecies in high scool

  32. The troubling thing about King’s legacy is that it is mixed. He was an inspiring leader against a genuine civil rights problem. But in his later years he became and increasingly radical socialist, advocating guarenteed incomes and nationalization of industry.

    It would have been great if he hadn’t been assassinated, because then we might be able to have an honest discussion about his legacy. For one thing, he would have had more of one, and it might have not all been good. Instead, by rendering him a martyr, they made all of his words sacrosanct, even the parts that are retarded socialist drivel.

    As a result it’s verboten to bring up the fact that King advocated some pretty terrible economic policies, unless you’re actually advocating those policies, and then you get to say “well MARTIN LUTHER KING was in favor of a guarenteed income, so there!”

    1. Agree with this wholeheartedly. King has been so lionized that you can’t utter a syllable of criticism without “RACIST!!!!!”, and there are aspects of his philosophy that should be open to legitimate criticism.

      1. You’re both right. It could be argued that the problem with any martyr is that they are remebered only for their deeds that still resonate with popularity. Had “insert charismatic socialist name here” not been deposed, he would be canonized by his loyal constituents too. Although King’s freedom sermons were absolutely valid and correct, we did not get to see his behavoir if he had lived to ascend to power. It is clear in this country that achieving one’s political goals is never enough. I think it is safe to say that, had he lived, he would have been right there with LBJ happily creating ther great society and not advocating that minorities should not depend on governemt but rather take their new-found freedom and exploit it.
        Regarding the things he desired from the Birmingham jail, all those wishes came true and yet we still hear the constant drone of oppression coming from the same chorus of sheep. Who is oppressed in this country except true free market capitalists?

    2. Name anyone of note whose legacy isn?t mixed. King was not the only one to advocate a social wage or universal dole. Hayek did as well.

  33. Why does this dude get a holiday? It jsut doesnt make any sense.

    1. You try getting shot in the head when you’re 39 and see if it’s a holiday.

  34. Let’s look at the reality of what has transpired as a result of the civil rights movement, as opposed to the lofty rhetoric:

    * Censorship under the aegis of political correctness.
    * A federal war on poverty, with the creation of the welfare state in direct response to civil rights agitation (see the Kerner Commission Report).
    * Court ordered busing, a judicial usurpation of the legislative function resulting in the conscription of children for social engineering.
    * Affirmative action (i.e., discrimination based on color-of-skin).
    * An explosion in governmental bureaucracy to enforce equal opportunities laws.
    * The banning of the Confederate battle flag (how does that sit with the frequent libertarian denunciations of President Lincoln?).
    * US support for sanctions against Rhodesia, leading to that country becoming ruled by an anti-capitalist, anti-liberty Marxist strongman.
    * The Orwellian rewriting of American history to demonize the Founding Fathers re slavery, and the USA as a whole prior to the civil rights movement for tolerating segregation.

    We can add:

    * The destruction of the black family by the aforementioned war on poverty, and the incarceration of growing numbers of black men while everyone sings hallelujahs over MLK.

    How’s all that working for liberty?

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