by Bruce S. Thornton // FrontPage Magazine Progressives and liberals love William James’s idea of a “moral equivalent of war.” As Jonah Goldberg defines this concept, “The core idea, expressed in myriad different ways, is that normal democratic capitalism is insufficient. Society needs an organizing principle that causes the citizenry to drop their individual pursuits, petty ambitions, […]
Winners and Losers in the War on Poverty Read More »
The massaging of critical data undermines our society. by Victor Davis Hanson // National Review Online Transparency and truth are the fuels that run sophisticated civilizations. Without them, the state grinds to a halt. Lack of trust — not barbarians on the frontier, global warming or cooling, or even epidemics — doomed civilizations of the past,
Untruthful and Untrustworthy Government Read More »
We are no more partisan today than we were at the nation’s founding. by Bruce S. Thornton // Defining Ideas Are we more “polarized” and “partisan” than we were in the past? Political commentators think so. In a recentAtlantic profile, conservative pollster Frank Luntz attributed his cynicism about American politics to the unprecedented polarization of the American
Class Warfare, An American Tradition Read More »
by Victor Davis Hanson // PJ Media The new millennium has also given us a new American profile — the hip richeral. Richerals are, of course, well off. But they are even more cool and liberal. The two facts are not so much incompatible, as complementary. For some, big money allows three things: wealth’s cocoon enables
Meet the Richerals Read More »
For Obama’s supporters, what matters is not what he does, but what he says and represents. by Victor Davis Hanson // National Review Online Losing a job is freedom from job lock. A budget deficit larger than in any previous administration is austerity. A mean right-wing video caused the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi. Al-Qaeda
When Failure Is Success Read More »
by Bruce S. Thornton // FrontPage Magazine California is in the third year of a drought, but the problem isn’t a lack of water. The snowfall in the Sierra provides enough to help us ride out the years of drought. All we need to do is store it. But California hasn’t built a new dam in
The Costs of the Environmentalism Cult Read More »
by Victor David Hanson // Tribune Content Agency All presidents at one time have fudged on the truth. Most politicians pad their resumes and airbrush away their sins. But what is new about political lying is the present notion that lies are not necessarily lies anymore — a reflection of the relativism that infects our entire
The Poison of Postmodern Lying Read More »
To put equality ahead of liberty is to war against human nature. by Victor Davis Hanson // National Review Online “There is, in fact, a manly and lawful passion for equality which excites men to wish all to be powerful and honored. This passion tends to elevate the humble to the rank of the great; but
The Idol of Equality Read More »
by Victor Davis Hanson // PJ Media Recent polls suggest Barack Obama has become a turn-off. Why? In part, all presidents wear on Americans. Their presence has become as ubiquitous in our lives as the busts of the emperor Augustus dotting the Mediterranean world. So who wouldn’t annoy after speaking and appearing on our screens 24/7
Crashing and Burning in 2013 Read More »
Obama, and left-wing causes, had a bad 2013. by Victor Davis Hanson // National Review Online Lots of things that should have happened in 2013 did not. We were supposed to have long ago reached “peak oil” and an age of always-higher gas prices. Wind and solar power — and a reduced lifestyle — were our
The Year of the Dud Read More »