January 6

Happy Birthday, Earl Scruggs.

EDITORIAL

Dates have different meanings to different people. The sixth of January 2024 is the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Earl Scruggs, the man who reinvented the banjo and, with help from his musical friends, created modern bluegrass music.

But most of us are, perhaps strangely, more concerned with the riot at the Capitol in 2021, an event that actually changed nothing whatsoever. In a hundred years, any importance we now attach to it will be considered inexplicable. Much sooner, a generation will graduate from college that neither remembers it nor cares.

But was it important? What’s the actual truth of the matter?

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When Is Voter Suppression OK?

EDITORIAL

I’ve been known on occasion to display my militantly moderate tendencies to the unwary.

It happens. I know it’s still considered impolite to discuss politics in public, but, in fairness, where else could we possibly talk about them? It’s like what Willie Sutton said about why he robbed banks: ’cause that’s where the money is. The people are in public, so I talk to them in public.

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The Irrelevant In The Room

One of the things that very much doesn’t matter, and I can’t stress this enough, is Donald Trump’s opinion on anything.

After five years of being a windbag who dominated the press, he has been silenced. His last messages were “Go down to Congress and tell them…” followed by “We love you; you’re special; go home.” He is now off Twitter, off Facebook, and if Parler were still functioning— but of course it’s not.

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