A disturbing development in contemporary political debate is the stratagem of condemning our adversaries as “haters,” individuals whose depravity places their opinions beyond the pale of civilized discourse. Demonizing our rivals is an enormously convenient ploy, one much favoured by totalitarian regimes. It proclaims our superior moral virtue while sparing us the tedious requirement of providing reasons and evidence in support of our views. Theodore Dalrymple, writing in Taki Mag, reminds us that hate is a universal emotion and fulfills a primary human need. Attempts to censor hate speech may arise from noble intentions, but they can only proceed by defining what constitutes an expression of hatred, an almost impossible task.
A Dictator is Schooled in Energy Dominance
Who produces vastly more energy than it needs right now? The United States. So who needs Venezuela’s oil? Basically, nobody. That cold fact, writes Ben Cahill in Barron’s, is enabling the Trump Administration to further squeeze dictator Nicolas Maduro by blockading the nation’s oil exports. For decades, other countries used oil as a weapon against the U.S. Today the tables are turned and, Cahill notes, Venezuela’s decrepit industry is the one crying out for reinvestment.
