Glenn Reynolds

Glenn Harlan Reynolds (born 27 August 1960) is an American academic. He is a Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee College of Law, and is known for his American politics weblog, Instapundit.

2010s

 * [W]e have, in many ways, the worst political class in our country's history.
 * As quoted in "Constitutional convention call gains traction" (12 December 2011), by James O'Toole, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


 * I'd like to live in a world in which happily married gay people have closets full of assault weapons to protect their pot.
 * As quoted in "Irrepressible Contratian" (18 November 2014) by Brooks Clark, Quest, Tennessee: University of Tennessee at Knoxville


 * [R]iots aren't peaceful protest. And blocking interstates and trapping people in their cars is not peaceful protest — it's threatening and dangerous, especially against the background of people rioting, cops being injured, civilian-on-civilian shootings, and so on. I wouldn't actually aim for people blocking the road, but I wouldn't stop because I'd fear for my safety, as I think any reasonable person would.
 * As quoted in "'Instapundit' Glenn Reynolds defends 'Run them down' tweet during Charlotte unrest'" (22 September 2016), by Erik Wemple, The Washington Post


 * [D]rivers who feel their lives are in danger from a violent mob should not stop their vehicles. I remember Reginald Denny, a truck driver who was beaten nearly to death by a mob during the 1992 Los Angeles riots... I have always supported peaceful protests, speaking out against police militarization and excessive police violence.
 * "Statement from Glenn Reynolds" (22 September 2016), USA Today

Socialism not as hot as its spokesman (2016)

 * "Socialism not as hot as its spokesman" (11 February 2016), USA Today


 * A socialist is someone who wants politicians to decide who gets what; a "democratic socialist" wants the politicians to at least stand for election first.


 * [S]ocialism does have a siren call — essentially, the promise that if you vote for socialists, they’ll take stuff away from other people and give it to you. Since many people would rather have free stuff given to them in the name of “fairness” than have to work to get their own stuff, it’s never hard to round up votes with that approach. As the saying goes, a government that robs Peter to pay Paul can count on getting Paul’s vote.


 * [T]he history of the 20th century was basically that of the swath of destruction left across the globe by socialist ideas, from the international socialism of the Bolsheviks and the Soviet Union to the national socialism of Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist German Workers' Party.


 * Want real socialism? Look at Venezuela, an oil-exporting nation that is now dead broke even as the family of its socialist dictator, Hugo Chavez, reportedly somehow inherited billions at his death in 2013. Redistribution of wealth often seems to involve redistributing most of it to the people on top of the socialist pyramid.


 * Given the failure of the two party establishments, it’s not entirely surprising that young people are looking elsewhere. Their votes are up for grabs, for those who are willing and able to offer something different. For the sake of the country, let’s hope those votes are won by people who are able to offer something different, and constructive, at the same time.

2020

 * Think of the press as a psychological warfare operation aimed at normal Americans and you won’t go far wrong.
 * Instapundit, July 6, 2020