Human beings have always yearned to know the future, and there have always been other human beings who claimed they could predict it. The ancient Greeks consulted the sibyls, female oracles of great age who under divine inspiration uttered verses given them by the gods of the famous shrines they . . . . Continue Reading »
Our over-reliance on data in politics and economics has come at a cost. Continue Reading »
The case going before Ireland’s High Court this week will be the most important in the history of the country. Continue Reading »
We used to walk to church together, Susan and I, she a junior at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, I a freshman. It was a couple of miles down to the Episcopal church, a couple of miles back—our conversations on these walks were how we got to know each other. I remember her saying, as we . . . . Continue Reading »
Without quite meaning to, most Western countries have acquired large and growing numbers of Muslim minorities. The idea has slowly sunk in not only that Muslims are here to stay, but also that they remain committed to their faith. For many Muslims, this entails hostility to a Western culture still . . . . Continue Reading »
In June 2015, Donald Trump rode down a golden escalator and declared, “The American Dream is dead.” Now, nearly five years on, Michael Strain has responded with The American Dream Is Not Dead (But Populism Could Kill It). Touché. Strain, the director of economic policy studies at the . . . . Continue Reading »
Economists make a point of speaking in conditionals, not categoricals. They never just say: “Do this!” They say: “Do this, if you want that. If these are your ends, this is what you must do to secure them. As for those ends themselves, they’re up to you.” This modesty is, paradoxically, . . . . Continue Reading »
In the midst of a Haydn concert in London in June 1794, the young Clemens von Metternich spotted his one-time teacher, Andreas Hofmann, in the audience. Rather than renewing old acquaintance, the future Prince of Diplomats immediately denounced Hofmann to the authorities as a dangerous subversive. . . . . Continue Reading »
The non-negotiable nature of abortion rights in today’s Democratic politics has put a target on the backs of recalcitrant pro-lifers like Congressman Dan Lipinski. Continue Reading »
Our liberal establishment is not averse to the use of threats and intimidation—and even violence—in defense of its causes. Continue Reading »
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