Libertarian: In Defense of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’
A statue honoring Francis Scott Key, author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was vandalized last week in Baltimore, apparently because of the perception that the national anthem is racist for usingᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ the following line in the rarely sung third verse: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave.” Some believe it’s a reference to freed slaves fighting for the British against America in the War of 1812, the subject andꦐ setting of the song. Not so fast, : In Key’s time, the word slave “had long functioned in English as a wide-ranging epithet, hurled at persons of any and all colors, nationalities, and conditions of servitude or otherwise.” Key never explained who he was referring to, Olson notes — and: “When we decide whether to give his words a reading that is charitable or otherwise, we make a choice too.”
Philosophy prof: Knowing Which Statues To Take Down
How do we know what statues and works of art to remove from public display due to insufficient sensitivity toward the issue of slavery? At CNN.com, . First, “Was the person’s or cultural artifact’s historical impact exclusively focused on slavery and racism?” Robert E. Lee’s was, but that wouldn’t apply to “Gone With the Wind,” McWhorter avers. Second, “Did the person insist on their support of segregation and racism even in the face of vigorous arguments otherwise?” George Washington and Thomas Jefferson wouldn’t meet this one; John C. Calhoun would. Third, “Is the monument an ever-present part of experience?” Statues and flags (like the Confederate flag), yes. But films, like “Gone With the Wind,” simply can𓃲’t be.
Campaign watcher: Trump, Immigration & the Midterms
President Trump “has thrown out the conventional political playbook less than a year into his presidency” by compromising on an issue as important to his base as illegal immigration, . That has implications for the midterms: “If Republicans cave on immigration, they’ll have absolutely nothing to show the populist base. And without legislative accomplishments on health care and tax reform . . . there’s nothing for more traditionalꩲ conservatives to celebrate.” That could dampen GOP turnout in 2018. But turnout is less of a challenge in presidential elections, and many GOPers are likely to fall back in line by then anyway: “Indeed, Trump may have unwittingly figured out a way to break the gridlock in Washington: Take on his party’s obstructionist wing, and watch them meekly follow in line.”
Asia expert: Understanding Suu Kyi’s Silence
Why isn’t Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy activist who isꦬ now Burma’s de facto leader, stepping in to defend the rights of the Muslim Rohingya minority suffering an ethnic cleansing in part of Burma? , for one reason, Suu Kyi has never shown real sympathy for the Rohingya, even tacitly denying their Burmese identity. For another, Suu Kyi believes the country’s economy 🎉and its ongoing peace talks with various militant groups are far more important uses of her time. Also, she’s stubborn, so she instinctively pushes back against foreign pressure. Nonetheless, says Kurlantzick: “Given her moral stature, her history and her power in Burma, Suu Kyi’s inaction has surely worsened affairs.”
— Compiled by Seth Mandel