Conservatives Ought to Contend with Marcuse’s Ideas
The threat of totalitarianism is ubiquitous in modern political rhetoric. The term has almost become a banality. With everything from Tucker Carlson and his guests discussing the squad to the…
Politics
390 posts
On Being a Proud Indian
We are little men serving great causes, but because the cause is great, something of that greatness falls upon us also.—Jawaharlal Nehru, 1946. The resurgence of muscular Hindu ethnonationalism under…
The Case For Culture
I would like people to speak more openly about culture as a causal phenomenon. In addition to citing biological and socio-economic factors to help us make sense of the world,…
Weighing in on Abortion as a Man
The issue of abortion remains a key battleground in today’s culture wars. Whether you oppose or support abortion, you put yourself in the line of fire, especially as a man.…
Meet the New Conservatives, Same As the Old Conservatives
Someone unfamiliar with American political history might be forgiven for thinking that American social conservatives have historically been in favor of individualism and small government and have only recently embraced…
Does Everyone Really Need to Go to School?
A student of mine—let’s call him Jackson— is trapped in public education. He shuns school and receives many tickets for his truancy, but the law ushers him back in over…
How Religious Arguments Cheat in the Marketplace of Ideas
While the separation of church and state is a norm in many western societies, it is often inadequately upheld in the marketplace of ideas. Claims that the country is a…
Fascism and How to Fight It: A Letter Exchange
Gretchen Mullen is an award-winning journalist and the author of the blog Skeptic Review. Michael Isaacson has a PhD in economics. He is the cofounder of the Antifa group, Smash…
The Treaty on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians
Australia—like many other Commonwealth nations settled by colonial force—has a difficult relationship with its Indigenous peoples. In fact, Australia is the only Commonwealth nation lacking any kind of formal treaty…
That Mysterious Property, White Privilege
In Molière’s play Le Malade Imaginaire (1673), the president of the faculty of medicine poses the question “Quare opium facit dormire?” (“Why does opium induce sleep?”). The character Thomas Diafoirus…
In Defense of Liberal Feminism
Feminism is controversial, even among women themselves. Recent surveys have found that most young women in the US do not identify as feminists. Similar results were found in the UK. In Denmark,…
Andrew Yang’s “The War on Normal People.” Book Review
Tech entrepreneur and nonprofit aficionado Andrew Yang is by far the most interesting presidential candidate of recent memory—and there is not even a close second. After the two minutes of…
Roger Scruton’s “Conservatism: An Invitation to the Great Tradition.” Book Review.
Roger Scruton is arguably the world’s most famous conservative thinker. Currently teaching philosophy at the University of Buckingham, he is the author of dozens of books and countless articles for…
Abortion and Soundbites: Why Pro-Choice Arguments Are Harder to Make
Arguments are nowadays often presented as soundbites: as slogans, tweets, memes and even gifs. Arguments developed in detail often meet the response TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read). This is unfortunate—especially…
The Postmodern Labor Theory of Value and the Illusion of Exploitation
The US women’s soccer team has recently become the focus of a national debate over the apparent pay gap between the men’s and women’s teams. Many are pointing to this…
Why Postcolonial Theory Is Not Helping Hong Kong
It was a scene that seemed anachronistic and perplexing to Western observers. For a few brief moments on July 1st 2019, the 22nd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong…
America’s Persistent Problem with Equality
One of the most significant developments of the late modern period (post–1750) has been the replacement of ordered hierarchy as a social and political value by equality. Equality can take…
