President Obama and his administration’s spokespersons continue to explain the eruption of bombings and mass shootings as “lone wolf attacks” or “work place violence.” The cause, they often say, is too many guns in society. Their response is a further … Continue reading
Media & Culture
Trumpism and Elitism
In “The Myth of Sisyphus,” Albert Camus’s exploration of the role of suicide in the modern world, the philosopher of the Absurd states, “That universal reason, practical or ethical, that determinism, those categories that explain everything are enough to make … Continue reading
My Pervasive Egocentrism: I Am Possessed with Self
In “Pleading Guilty,” best-selling novelist Scott Turow wrote, “What kind of ethical social system takes as its fundamental precepts the words ‘I’ ‘me’ and ‘mine’? Our two-year-olds start like that and we spend the next twenty years trying to teach … Continue reading
Giving thanks at Thanksgiving … but not to God
In 1789, America’s first president proclaimed a “day of public thanksgiving and prayer.” George Washington implored the heavens to “pardon our national and other transgressions” and urged the citizenry to practice “true religion and virtue.” In 1863, Abraham Lincoln urged … Continue reading
Tears for Gosnell’s House of Horrors
I recently saw the documentary “3801 Lancaster: An American Tragedy.” I went home and cried. I don’t mean tears of joy. No, I cried. The last time I cried was when my dad died. The last time before that I can … Continue reading
Paris, Brussels, and 21st Century Europe
Some time ago a former student emailed me a video clip that I now show my Major European Governments course. It’s a five-minute news piece by Dale Hurd of CBN News, a conservative Christian outlet—the rare kind of place where … Continue reading
Why Missouri, Yale, and Rubio are Wrong About College
The recent campus absurdities at Missouri and Yale have justifiably been met with derision by critics and real concern by parents who are paying a great deal of money to send their children to college. But some conservatives like Senator Marco … Continue reading
Hollywood’s Blacklisted Communist: The Truth About Trumbo
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at Investor’s Business Daily. A long-touted motion picture on prominent Hollywood screenwriter and communist Dalton Trumbo debuts in theaters this weekend. I will see the film, but first I’d like to share some background … Continue reading
The New American Verb: To Concuss
Of course, it’s not a new verb; it’s in older dictionaries. I have been hearing it much more frequently, however, and I am becoming alarmed. We as a society are much more aware of the risks of being concussed, and … Continue reading
The Crucible You Never Knew … Arthur Miller at 100
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at The American Spectator. October 17, 2015 is the centenary of the birth of Arthur Miller, one of the literary left’s shining lights and righteous crusaders against some of liberals’ worst demons: Joe McCarthy, … Continue reading
Feeling Good About America on a Chilly Autumn Evening
Don’t you love it when something heartwarming happens to you unexpectedly? That happened to me on October 1. My friend Ron invited me to go with him to Cleveland to see the game that night between the Indians and the … Continue reading
Tracking America’s Suicide
Amidst a plethora of sensational news reports elbowing each other to seize first place in America’s national consciousness, there is a story that has lurked beneath media radar that teaches us much more about the status of our country than … Continue reading
Tethered to Technology—Escaping the IT Trap
Increasingly, we often expect each other to be smartphone-available nearly 24/7. Or we act as if this is the case. Over time, this can lead to feelings of exhaustion and a sense of entrapment. Time to just focus on our … Continue reading
Bernie Sanders’ America
The raucous welcomes and thundering applause that have greeted America’s newest (and oldest) political rock star, the septuagenarian Bernie Sanders, have launched a cottage industry of puzzled pundits trying to figure out the source of his appeal. Of course it’s … Continue reading
Cherry-Picking Pope Francis
While papal visits to the United States are increasingly common, what is uncommon is to see political-ideological battle lines drawn around a pope. The tendency this time is especially acute among liberals, who eagerly frame Francis as one of them—a … Continue reading
Black Pastors Protest Margaret Sanger at Smithsonian
Margaret Sanger is a saint in the feminist church. She is a charter member of the progressive hall of fame. Liberals revere this woman who preached “race improvement” and denounced what she called “human weeds,” “morons,” “idiots,” “imbeciles,” and the … Continue reading
A Faint Analogy of an Unimaginable Heaven
A pastor friend of mine, not trying to be irreverent or sacrilegious, once shared with me his own faint analogy of eternal hell—waking up every day and discovering yet again that it was moving day. I know that some will … Continue reading
“The Righteous Mind” – Understanding Conservatives and Liberals
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has cracked the code on why it’s so hard for liberals and conservatives to find common ground. That’s a big deal. But an even more important benefit of his book, “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People … Continue reading
Larry Flynt’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton: No Laughing Matter
“I’m endorsing Hillary Clinton for president.” So declared Larry Flynt, founder of the Hustler magazine empire that has made millions photographing nude women. Flynt proffered his enthusiastic endorsement in an interview with Bloomberg. Flynt’s endorsement of Mrs. Clinton, a feminist … Continue reading
STREAMING VIDEO – Dr. Paul Kengor discusses his book "Dupes" at The Institute of World Politics
On Monday June 29, Dr. Paul Kengor, executive director of The Center for Vision & Values, spoke at The Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. In this interesting video, Kengor discusses his book, “Dupes: How the Communist Left Has … Continue reading
