Eva Brann's lifelong quest to understand American history affirmed that there was something unique about the country worth preserving and perpetuating.
What We Are Reading: March 2025
Short reviews of "A Worthy Company" by M. E. Bradford, and "Intelligence in Danger of Death" by Marcel De Corte.
The Religion of Secular Doomsayers
"American Spirit or Great Awokening?" carefully decodes the hidden religious elements of wokeism’s fascination with climate apocalypticism and trans identity. This little book, however, makes some significant missteps.
The Prime Minister Who Loved the Market Too Much
Former PM Liz Truss's book doubles as a memoir and a stale neo-Thatcherite policy paper. Her politics haven't changed much since the '90s.
The Great America First Conspiracy
Jacob Heilbrunn's "America Last" attempts to undermine the MAGA movement and encourage "the resistance" by discrediting the intellectual history of the America-First right.
Books in Brief: March 2025
Short reviews of 'America First,' by H. W. Brands, and 'The Movement' by Clara Bingham.
Trudeau: Government by Luck and Gimmick
Justin Trudeau's political failure mirrors the general inability of leftist ideologues to prepare for that moment when their luck runs out and reality knocks on the door.
The Hazards of Viewpoint Diversity
The honest liberal who strives for neutrality is soon outgunned by ideologues who view academia not as a marketplace of ideas but as an institution that must be controlled.
A Visual Feast that Fails to Frighten
Though visually dazzling, Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" collapses into caricature and fails to give the audience a good scare.
Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
The penny is on the chopping block today, but other casualties will follow as we traverse down the road of progress.
Creating Our Own Four Horsemen
Conservatives must use what time remains for the republic's survival to establish their own institutions and heroes who will help them stave off left-wing cultural dominance.
The Death of the UK Conservative Party
The Tories had 14 years in power to undo Liberal power structures. Instead, they capitulated and became a pathetic leftist party.
Europe’s Patriots Enthused by Trump
Donald Trump has inspired a patriotic movement well beyond America's borders. "Make America Great Again" has birthed "Make Europe Great Again!"
Promethean Fire in the Age of AI
Completely outsourcing creativity to algorithms would be a grave mistake and nothing short of a betrayal of what makes us human. It also doesn’t make much sense if you consider yourself a culture warrior.
Maugham the Master
W. Somerset Maugham was envied for his wealth, ability to travel in style everywhere in the world, and the fact that everything he wrote sold like hotcakes.
The FBI’s New York Field Office Appears To Be Hiding Something
The office was ordered but apparently failed to deliver the full set of documents in the infamous Jeffrey Epstein case.
Florida Provides a Blueprint for U.S. Arts Leadership
Organizations that refuse to give in to cancel culture or put politics ahead of the arts are proving themselves financial as well as artistic success stories.
Conservative Stewardship Versus the Libertarian Tech Bros
Trump’s new Silicon Valley allies want to create high-tech ultra-capitalist economic zones, at the expense of conserving nature and the quality of life.
Cheering On Trump’s Masculine ‘Reign of Destruction’
It’s time to end the longstanding nonsense feminist academics imposed on both the campus and the wider culture in their efforts to undermine men.
The Striking Silence Surrounding July 13
There is a wall of silence surrounding both the unknown and the known lessons of the Trump assassination attempt last summer.
The Unmatched Bigotry of Joy Reid
The former MSNBC host finally met the media storm she could not weather: low ratings.
Trump Ending Benefits to Illegals Is a Game Changer
More than any other policy change, this order disincentivizes illegal border crossings and encourages lawbreakers to go home.
Henry Hyde’s Monuments
The decision to remove the late congressman’s name from a judicial building in his home state can’t touch Hyde’s most lasting legacy.
Getting Schooled
The absence of imagination and faith explains everything wrong with American education today.
A Plea to DOGE: Please Keep Those Axes Sharp and Swinging
A taxpayer’s lament for government overspending.
Born American? A Look at ‘Birthright Citizenship’
Does the U.S. Constitution demand that virtually everyone born on our soil be considered a citizen by birth?
How Trump Makes Europe Stronger
Eight decades after World War II, Europe needs to invest in its own moral, material, and intellectual defense.
The Vulgarization of Ideology
The work of Gonzalo Fernández de la Mora y Mon explores how rational men can be consumed by the totalitarian impulse.
Trump is Right About Ukraine
Western ideologues are animated by a fantasy about Ukraine’s prospects in the war. Trump is dealing in reality.
Trump’s Week That Shook the World
In just a week, Trump has transformed American foreign policy as it applies to the Russia-Ukraine War and all of Europe.
Making the Arts Great Again
Trump’s takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is an extraordinary opportunity to gift excellence to the nation through the arts.
Vance in Munich and Foreign Policy Realism for the Modern World
Nationalism and realism are the way forward in the 21st century. Europe needs to get with the program.
Museum Spat With Turkey Reveals the Superiority of Western Culture
Turkey’s demand for the U.S. to return so-called Turkish artifacts reveals little more than that nation’s resentment of the West.
Trump’s DEI Reforms Are a Great Start—More Is Needed
Reformers of the administrative state underestimate just how ingrained in our government these bad ideas are.
The Founding Fathers Funded Government Through Tariffs
If government were reduced to the size intended, tariffs could once again serve as the primary source of federal government revenue.
U.S. Attorney Sassoon’s Dubious ‘Principled Resignation’
Former federal prosecutor Danielle Sassoon’s stated reasons for resigning rather than dropping charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams are legally suspect.
An NYT Journalist Melts Down on Musk
Maureen Dowd, who once gushed over Elon Musk, now gives in to her Trump derangement and renounces her former self.
The Civil Service’s Partisanship Problem
No matter who voters elect to the presidency, they get a Democratic bureaucracy.
Democratic Con Artists, the ‘Dads Caucus,’ and the Transgender Agenda
Democrats mask their radical agenda for transforming American culture with language of concern for the poor—but their actions betray them.
Raising a Glass to George Washington’s Birthday—Not ‘President’s Day’
Officially, the celebration is still one to honor the father of our country and there is no more crucial time than the present to recall his many virtues.
The Kritarchy Strikes Back
Judicial partisans undermine the rule of law and the separation of powers by attempting to stymie Trump’s executive orders.
DOGE Has Exposed the Anti-Borders Cash Pipeline
DOGE is exposing how government under Biden was funding both half-hearted efforts to enforce immigration laws and massive efforts to evade them.
Beware the Centrist
The departure of Pamela Paul from the pages of The New York Times is an occasion to reflect on the destructiveness of so-called centrist commentary.
Reparations Are Indefensible on Factual and Rational Grounds
An examination of the real consequences of American slavery do not demonstrate what the proponents of reparations say they do.
The Judicial ‘Resistance’ Is Setting Itself Up for an Epic Smackdown
The Trump administration is going to prevail in the separation-of-powers battle royale against the obstinate lower courts.
There Is No ‘Virtue’ in Supporting Open Borders
Democrats continue to insist that their support for illegal immigration is a signal of their superior virtue and concern for humanity.
NYT Reporter Who Regrets Kavanaugh Hit Writes Book Defending the Media
The internal logic of the book David Enrich just wrote does not square with his statements about his own conduct.
The Eternal Spring of Spring Training
For well over a century, American sports fans have nurtured their hopes in the eternal spring of baseball’s spring training.
Birthright Citizenship Excluded Illegals From Day One
It is by no means clear that the Court will reject President Trump’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment.