The Indispensable Man

 

Currently reading A War Like No Other by VDH about the Peloponnesian War.

VDH is Victor Davis Hanson, also known as one of the best military historians alive today. That might not be exactly right though. It’s not like I know a lot about the world of Military History and academia but he is well regarded. Plus I see him on YouTube discussing current events through a conservative lens. He’s written for National Review for years and it’s how I first discovered him. I’ve seen him on the Uncommon Knowledge show with Peter Robinson and heard him on a regular podcast I listen too, Ricochet. I used to think of him as stodgy old professor with no sense of humor and a straightforward approach to history. I still think a lot of that is true but he’s such a wellspring of information that his speeches and interviews beg to be heard. It’s his clear thinking that comes through on any topic.

You must settle your mind when you hear him though. He won’t tell jokes or lighten the mood with a hilarious antidote about mixing up the foreign language in another country and ordering a blanket when he wanted a whisky or something. He plows through the material but doesn’t waste words or get sidetracked; it works well with his dry delivery. No one would listen at all otherwise. He’s been a solid defender of Trump since 2016 which put him on the outs with a lot of his National Review colleagues. At least outwardly the editorial staff went hard against Trump while VDH demurred, even writing a book called The Case for Trump. I haven’t read it but I’ve heard enough of his arguments for Trump that I think I’ve got a handle on it. I wouldn’t call him a cheerleader for the president, he doesn’t fit the mold. But of he was at 51% before Trump before I think he’s gotten to 75% by now.

It’s just a feeling I get but his defense of the man is as consistent as ever. I wonder if the Mueller report and the impeachment hearings reinforced his decision that Trump was getting a raw deal. Like a good historian he always brings former presidents and their administrations into discussion about how different this president actually governs. The way it works is like this, some pundit or interviewer will mention some egregious thing the president did and Victor will put it in context. I remember a few months ago when Trump considered putting troops into Portland to quell the riots. Victor mentioned at least 3 incidents of modern presidents doing this exact thing. The question about what would Trump do was asked with “We’ve never been here before” exasperation. No incident is exactly like something from the past, but the past presents a framework by which to interpret future actions. Hanson possesses a deep understanding of American history and a love for its people, traditions and importance to the rest of the world.

As a farmer in California, a part of the country overrun with illegal immigration, he is uniquely suited to opine on it. Unlike a lot his more cosmopolitan brethren, his family is in the trenches trying to keep the land from being overrun by gangs and squatters. I’m not disparaging those from wealthier backgrounds or even those not accustomed to watching your life change dramatically through illegal immigration. But they aren’t in the trenches the way a lot of Californians are. Culture and borders matter to preserving freedom and the rule of law. If not the future looks bleak for America. Until we get serious about defending the law we’ll lose every time to foreign invasion. We can still have a vibrant immigration policy that honors the immigrant and keeps the scoundrels (coyotes and other opportunists) at bay.

Anytime the great man is slated to be on a podcast or TV show I sit down and listen. Now that the election is in freefall mode I’ll be waiting to hear his take. It sounds like AP just called the national race for Joe Biden. With the legal challenges from Trump in key states, this thing is just beginning.