https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/10/14/inboxemail/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usThu, 11 Jun 2026 14:01:25 -0400<![CDATA[The email inbox has been busy this last few days. Many of the messages have a common theme. From Yaacov Ben Moshe, there&#8217;s a reflection on the 1930s movie Duck Soup. &#8220;In this 1933 Marx Brothers film, the mythical country of Freedonia is broke and on the verge of revolution. Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), Freedonia&#8217;s principal benefactress, will lend the country 20 million dollars if the president withdraws and places the government in the hands of the &#8220;fearless, progressive&#8221; Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx). At his inauguration, Firefly shows up late, insults everyone in sight, and sings a song about how he intends to abuse his power. Naturally, the crowd cheers wildly.&#8221;  Illusion is a powerful concept.  And it is sometimes hard to tell whether what&#8217;s before us is hope or illusion.]]>Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:28:42 -0400<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2008/10/14/inboxemail-n186255