And speaking of language, a nice quick note from John Derbyshire in his latest NRO bit about conservatives and the subjunctive. There is no more distinctive marker of the conservative sensibility than accurate use of the subjunctive mood in speech. Outside we few, we happy few conservative intellectuals, use of the subjunctive in spoken speech has pretty much died out. (Would it were otherwise!) But at least we have this tiny verbal marker with which to identify each other, like a Masonic handshake. Apparently, it is a good way to get a right-thinking date.

I am a proud, if unconscious, user of the subjunctive mood. Did you know there was a website bent on its preservation? But of course!

Patronize God Save the Subjunctive! Heaven forfend it passes away!