Just got back from Victor Davis Hanson's live appearance in Toronto. Quite gratifying to see several hundred people there - it was an ideologically diverse crowd, and he addressed it very well. None of the things he said were news to me, but how he built his case and the points he emphasized were very educational. I'm pleased to report that he's a very nice man in person, utterly gracious and patient in the after-speech scrum at the end of what must have been a very long day.
Irshad Manji also showed up, and was asked to give the closing "thank you" on a somewhat impromptu basis. She did a fine job. If you haven't read or listened to her, you should.
It was pretty funny in a way to have a leftist lesbian feminist give the closing thank you to an unapologetic right-wing traditionalist - but 100% appropriate given the enemy they both confront. I have tremendous respect for them both; had I known Ms. Manji was coming, I would have brought her book, too.
Still, a fine event and a newly-autographed copy of "Carnage and Culture" was a good way to end a crappy Monday. More later.
Sounds like it was an event worthy of remembrance. Fascinating to have two people of rather dissimilar backgrounds at the same event, I take it as a good sign.
Too bad I heard about this too late to change my plans. I saw David Frum at Holy Blossom during his book tour for An End to Evil. Do you know if they have a mailing list for these events?
I was also there (actually I was sitting right beside Joe). It was a great talk. VDH was able to simply word some complex arguments.
Victor Davis Hanson is a registered Democrat.
Funny how seeing the war clearly makes you a person of the "Right."
blaster,
Being right is not a matter of registration. It's a state of mind.
Lurker,
Here, here. My father, whose politics is somewhere between conservative and reactionary, is a registered Democrat. He is because until fairly recently in Louisiana democratic primaries pretty much amounted to the election, and only registered democrats were allowed to vote in Democratic primaries. As my dad put it, those not registered Democrats "don't get to vote until after the election."
I was at the lecture too. VDH claims he's a life-long democrat (as opposed to just 'registered'), so i too question labeling him 'unapologetic right-wing traditionalist', Also, Irshad is difficult to categorize in today's world. but who cares - they're just labels anyway.
Holy Blossom has brochures for all their lectures and classes, but their mailing list is certainly limited to their members and 'friends'. It also advertises when prominent speakers are brought in; e.g. VDH's speech was advertised in the Globe and the Post.
Yeah, I sent an email to VDH a few months ago taking issue with a couple of specific points in one of his articles and he sent a very nice email back - but he took severe umbrage at what he perceived (wrongly actually) as my suggestion that he was "right wing". He wasn't having that at all - which is fair enough.
Plus, although he is obviously highly critical of policy during the Clinton administration he has also distanced himself from the sort of personal demonisation that became the stock-in-trade of many conservatives when it came to the Clinton issue. There aren't many NRO stalwarts who'd care to do that.
I hope there will be a transcript at some point.