Monthly Archives: December 2016

Truth, Imagination and Imperfection…

Posted on December 29, 2016 by bsixsmith

An early essay in The Halls of Uselessness, Pierre Ryckmans’ elegant and enlightening collection of a prose, is a review of Christopher Hitchens’ The Missionary Position. That venomous tract, bearing a title no dignified publisher should have accepted, reminds Ryckmans … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Literature, Reviews | 5 Comments

The Year of Dead Celebrities…

Posted on December 26, 2016 by bsixsmith

I would be lying if I claimed to have been affected by the celebrity deaths of 2016. I rarely listened to Bowie, Prince or George Michael. It had been years since I had watched a Gene Wilder film. I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Personal | 2 Comments

Merry Christmas…

Posted on December 25, 2016 by bsixsmith

A small song by yours truly.

Posted in Personal | Leave a comment

Reverend Fraser and the Cult of Giles…

Posted on December 23, 2016 by bsixsmith

I feel sure that Giles Fraser, the Church of England priest and Guardian columnist, is a nice man: a loving husband, a devoted father and a loyal friend. But with such authority it is not enough to be nice, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain, Religion | 8 Comments

Orwell Against Modernity…

Posted on December 23, 2016 by bsixsmith

The ubiquity of George Orwell in British and American culture has much to do with his being the secular saint of journalists. If the media was run by Mormons, Joseph Smith would be as famous. He embodies their romantic illusions … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Conservatism, History, Literature | 2 Comments

Mein Weltanschauung…

Posted on December 20, 2016 by bsixsmith

Ben Southwood, Sam Bowman and Anonymous Mugwump have written on their influences. I felt like doing the same: partly because it is diverting and partly because it makes some sense of what has lead me, after strange adventures in liberal … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Personal, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Conservatism and Classics…

Posted on December 19, 2016 by bsixsmith

Donna Zuckerberg of Eidolon writes on the interest of the “alt-right” in antiquity, and, specifically, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. “It is time,” she says, “For Classics as a discipline to say to these men: we will not give you … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatism, History | 3 Comments

The Lukewarm War…

Posted on December 17, 2016 by bsixsmith

The Cold War, to a great extent a farcical display of bumbling and brutality, was at least about something. The Soviet Union represented nationalisation while the United States defended the free market. The Soviet Union supported dictatorships while the US … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | 5 Comments

Great Gambles of the Twenty-First Century…

Posted on December 15, 2016 by bsixsmith

In many ways the 21st Century is a fortunate time to be alive. We have money. We have food. We have shelter. We have medicine. We have little risk of dying in battle or being murdered. Yet this relative peace … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatism | Leave a comment

Cheating is Still Bad…

Posted on December 13, 2016 by bsixsmith

I don’t want to sound too cynical but love? It isn’t perfect. Relationships? They are hard. This has always been the case. Even in more traditional times a lot of marriages survived because of privately or implicitly acknowledged unfaithfulness. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Sex | 2 Comments