The Outstater

January 5, 2026

A Word for our Times

solipsism | ˈsäləpˌsizəm | noun. The quality of being self-centered or selfish. In philosophy it is the view or theory that the self is all that can be known to exist.

“SOLIPSISM” IS A GOOD WORD. More use can be made of it. The late Charles Krauthammer  used it to characterize persons who assume that the whole world “works something like suburban Boston.” It can be expanded to describe those who think the world resembles one or another movie they’ve seen.

It also can be used to describe the motivations of a typical Statehouse legislator. You might assume he is in Indianapolis doing the people’s business as our friend and neighbor. More likely the self-realization struck him on election that he now has the best job of his life, cannot imagine getting a better one and intends to hold onto it at all costs (yours).

There was an instructive exchange during his weekend’s CBS “Face the Nation.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio was being grilled on the capture of Nicolás Maduro. The hostess was “confused” that others in the regime were not also arrested.

“You’re confused?” Rubio asked incredulously. “I don’t know why that’s confusing. It’s not easy to land helicopters in the middle of the largest military base in the country. He lived on a military base. Land in three minutes, kick down his door, arrest him, and read him his rights and leave without losing any American assets. You’re asking why didn’t we do that in five other places at the same time?”

Does anyone check the credentials of our network and cable experts other than to confirm they look good on camera and can be fitted with earphones? Do they read books? I thought not.

The reality, however much we wish it otherwise, is that beyond our borders there is no dependable justice but what we have the power to carry with us. There is no “international law” operating like a city code dispensing order and fairness in every corner of the globe because, thank God, there is no international authority that we must honor.

Look, antifa has had a good run but let’s try anti-solipsist for a while. — tcl

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