Do David Brooks and the New Right Share Common Threads?![]()
The Left - “The general public—and not the elite—is, in fact, the primary obstacle to the New Right’s political project.” 4/19/2022
The Left - “The general public—and not the elite—is, in fact, the primary obstacle to the New Right’s political project.” 4/19/2022Why Putin’s Russia and Xi’s China Are Cozy Bedfellows![]()
The Center - “Why is there this close bond? Why does China do nothing in response to President Putin’s bloodlust?” 4/18/2022
The Center - “Why is there this close bond? Why does China do nothing in response to President Putin’s bloodlust?” 4/18/2022Nuclear Iran—Why the Islamic Republic Is Not the Actor We Think It Is![]()
The Center - “As the only Western journalist allowed to enter Iran prior to its presidential elections back in 2017, I followed then-candidate Ebrahim Raisi on the campaign trail. Whatever illusions I had about Iran and its ambitions melted under the sheer brutality of his war rhetoric.” 3/30/2022
The Center - “As the only Western journalist allowed to enter Iran prior to its presidential elections back in 2017, I followed then-candidate Ebrahim Raisi on the campaign trail. Whatever illusions I had about Iran and its ambitions melted under the sheer brutality of his war rhetoric.” 3/30/2022Kids and the Coronavirus: Unintended Consequences Two Years Later![]()
The Center - “So, we have been living in two pandemics, but only one has dominated our public health discussions.” 3/12/2022
The Center - “So, we have been living in two pandemics, but only one has dominated our public health discussions.” 3/12/2022Ukraine and “The Fog of War”![]()
The Center - “Amid the memes and rhetoric, there has been much in the way of propaganda, unverifiable information, and outright lies that seem, at times, not to be appreciated for what they are.” 3/7/2022
The Center - “Amid the memes and rhetoric, there has been much in the way of propaganda, unverifiable information, and outright lies that seem, at times, not to be appreciated for what they are.” 3/7/2022What Whoopi Goldberg Got Wrong about the Holocaust—and Why It Matters![]()
The Center - “Only days before Goldberg made her ill-informed comments, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) changed its definition of racism to ‘The marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges white people.'” 2/5/2022
The Center - “Only days before Goldberg made her ill-informed comments, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) changed its definition of racism to ‘The marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges white people.'” 2/5/2022No to Money for Hostages![]()
The Center - “When I was imprisoned in Iran, I made it clear to the Swiss ambassador to let the Trump administration know not to offer any money in exchange for my release.” 2/4/2022
The Center - “When I was imprisoned in Iran, I made it clear to the Swiss ambassador to let the Trump administration know not to offer any money in exchange for my release.” 2/4/2022If the Pendulum Doesn’t Swing Back![]()
The Center - “The implication is that culture and politics can be thought of as the bob of a pendulum swinging back and forth mechanically between the political left and the right, and that, at the moment, we are simply at the leftward amplitude of such a process.” 2/3/2022
The Center - “The implication is that culture and politics can be thought of as the bob of a pendulum swinging back and forth mechanically between the political left and the right, and that, at the moment, we are simply at the leftward amplitude of such a process.” 2/3/2022When It Comes to Medical Aid-in-Dying, We Must Protect the Vulnerable![]()
The Center - “Many such persons will have internalized the idea that they constitute an inconvenient and expensive burden on loved ones, as well as the healthcare system. Legalizing MAID risks reinforcing that message.” 1/10/2022
The Center - “Many such persons will have internalized the idea that they constitute an inconvenient and expensive burden on loved ones, as well as the healthcare system. Legalizing MAID risks reinforcing that message.” 1/10/2022Why I Oppose the JCPOA![]()
The Center - “As a former political hostage in Iran, I oppose the efforts to revive the current agreement as it stands. I will explain my reasoning and what I believe is the best path forward.” 12/16/2021
The Center - “As a former political hostage in Iran, I oppose the efforts to revive the current agreement as it stands. I will explain my reasoning and what I believe is the best path forward.” 12/16/2021How the National Popular Vote Protects the Electoral College![]()
The Right - “Importantly, this state-based reform preserves and protects the Electoral College by having state legislatures determine the manner and method by which presidential elections are run and administered.” 10/29/2021
The Right - “Importantly, this state-based reform preserves and protects the Electoral College by having state legislatures determine the manner and method by which presidential elections are run and administered.” 10/29/2021A Question for Frances Haugen: Who Decides?![]()
The Center - “The question, however, remains: Would politically motivated government officials make better decisions than executives at these companies, and would these decisions be fairly applied to all users?” 10/18/2021
The Center - “The question, however, remains: Would politically motivated government officials make better decisions than executives at these companies, and would these decisions be fairly applied to all users?” 10/18/2021It’s Time to Move Away from Outward Markers of Jewish Belonging ![]()
The Center - “One thing I chose not to do was circumcise my child. While many of my secular compatriots still feel an affinity for this practice as a ‘tribal marking,’ I find it intellectually and ethically difficult to defend.” 10/8/2021
The Center - “One thing I chose not to do was circumcise my child. While many of my secular compatriots still feel an affinity for this practice as a ‘tribal marking,’ I find it intellectually and ethically difficult to defend.” 10/8/2021What Motivates Retail Cryptocurrency Investors?![]()
The Right - “Contrary to the Bitcoin apostles I met at the conference all those years ago, contemporary owners of cryptocurrency seem to be more interested in its speculative properties than its potential as an alternate currency or stable store of value.” 9/3/2021
The Right - “Contrary to the Bitcoin apostles I met at the conference all those years ago, contemporary owners of cryptocurrency seem to be more interested in its speculative properties than its potential as an alternate currency or stable store of value.” 9/3/2021Can Australians Trust the Americans after Kabul?![]()
The Center - “As a result of this debacle, it now seems reasonable to question whether Washington is competent enough to assure Australia’s security.” 8/31/2021
The Center - “As a result of this debacle, it now seems reasonable to question whether Washington is competent enough to assure Australia’s security.” 8/31/2021Letter to the Editor: In Reply to “Buy Out the Settlers”![]()
The Center - “Therefore, what possible reason is there to believe that simply bribing a few Jews out of a few homes in the West Bank will result in Hamas and Fatah making peace with Israel?” 8/4/2021
The Center - “Therefore, what possible reason is there to believe that simply bribing a few Jews out of a few homes in the West Bank will result in Hamas and Fatah making peace with Israel?” 8/4/2021Liberal Democracy Lives on the Page, Not the Screen![]()
The Center - “Here, I would like to reflect on the optimal mechanisms for sustaining the rational mindset that undergirds liberal democracy.” 7/8/2021
The Center - “Here, I would like to reflect on the optimal mechanisms for sustaining the rational mindset that undergirds liberal democracy.” 7/8/2021Are Cities Heading for a Fiscal Crunch?![]()
The Right - “Although they are run down, many still boast high local taxes. Sadly, this forms a vicious cycle of adverse selection, spiraling tax rates, and underfunding. “ 7/1/2021
The Right - “Although they are run down, many still boast high local taxes. Sadly, this forms a vicious cycle of adverse selection, spiraling tax rates, and underfunding. “ 7/1/2021Biden’s Tax Policies Would Hamstring Economic Recovery and Social Mobility![]()
The Right - “The recovery itself is likely to be the largest job creator this decade.” 5/25/2021
The Right - “The recovery itself is likely to be the largest job creator this decade.” 5/25/2021In a Future Driven by Artificial Intelligence, “Career Adjacency” Offers Humans Agency ![]()
The Center - “However trendy this new semantic shift, the word is more relevant than ever: “Career adjacency” is now the future of human work.” 5/24/2021
The Center - “However trendy this new semantic shift, the word is more relevant than ever: “Career adjacency” is now the future of human work.” 5/24/2021How the “New Atheists” Deradicalized Me![]()
The Center - “New Atheism had taught me always to demand evidence; and the evidence revealed that, historically, political radicalism had been a major source of violence and inhumanity…” 5/15/2021
The Center - “New Atheism had taught me always to demand evidence; and the evidence revealed that, historically, political radicalism had been a major source of violence and inhumanity…” 5/15/2021To Prevent Politics and Reality from Breaking Up, Keep It Local![]()
The Center - “Therefore, if we want to ward off a divorce between our political narratives and reality, perhaps the best thing we can do is bring political affairs as close as possible to our lived, everyday realities.” 5/13/2021
The Center - “Therefore, if we want to ward off a divorce between our political narratives and reality, perhaps the best thing we can do is bring political affairs as close as possible to our lived, everyday realities.” 5/13/2021Is Inflation Finally Going to Be a Problem?![]()
The Right - “Finally, the mere expectation of inflation can actually bring it to pass.” 5/2/2021
The Right - “Finally, the mere expectation of inflation can actually bring it to pass.” 5/2/2021The Facebook Oversight Board: How to Make It Actually Work![]()
The Center - “Accordingly, we believe that Facebook could streamline its appeals process by following the guidelines suggested above.” 4/23/2021
The Center - “Accordingly, we believe that Facebook could streamline its appeals process by following the guidelines suggested above.” 4/23/2021Why We’ve Committed Ourselves to Fighting Online Censorship![]()
The Center - “We believe this question of censorship is a non-partisan concern that will deeply affect the ability of our country to achieve fairness and progress going forward.” 4/9/2021
The Center - “We believe this question of censorship is a non-partisan concern that will deeply affect the ability of our country to achieve fairness and progress going forward.” 4/9/2021Is the National Debt Finally Going to Be a Problem?![]()
The Right - “As President Joe Biden unveils his own ambitious spending plans, it is worth asking if the national debt is finally going to have its moment.” 4/5/2021
The Right - “As President Joe Biden unveils his own ambitious spending plans, it is worth asking if the national debt is finally going to have its moment.” 4/5/2021Everybody’s Getting the Filibuster—and the Senate—All Wrong![]()
The Center - “But let us be clear: It is not fair to claim that the filibuster is a ‘relic of Jim Crow,’ either.” 3/31/2021
The Center - “But let us be clear: It is not fair to claim that the filibuster is a ‘relic of Jim Crow,’ either.” 3/31/2021Knowing Which “Hill to Die On”![]()
The Left - “Idealists, in order to change the systems in which they exist, must usually remain in that system.” 3/29/2021
The Left - “Idealists, in order to change the systems in which they exist, must usually remain in that system.” 3/29/2021Age Quod Agis![]()
The Center - “From Saint Ignatius, this short phrase’s message is straightforward yet powerful: Do what you are doing.” 3/28/2021
The Center - “From Saint Ignatius, this short phrase’s message is straightforward yet powerful: Do what you are doing.” 3/28/2021The Politicization of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”![]()
The Right - “Fixated and obsessed with Superman’s ‘whiteness,’ Phillips cannot appreciate a movie for what it is, content instead to completely misinterpret it in order to make her misguided social beliefs more palatable.” 3/22/2021
The Right - “Fixated and obsessed with Superman’s ‘whiteness,’ Phillips cannot appreciate a movie for what it is, content instead to completely misinterpret it in order to make her misguided social beliefs more palatable.” 3/22/2021Is Gen Z Really So Different?![]()
The Center - “Coming of age in the 1990s, the state of the world seemed every bit as dire to me as it does to many ‘Zoomers.'” 3/19/2021
The Center - “Coming of age in the 1990s, the state of the world seemed every bit as dire to me as it does to many ‘Zoomers.'” 3/19/2021Local Decision-Makers and Keeping Kids Active During the Pandemic![]()
The Center - “Yet, paradoxically, it appears as a nation that our collective response to the pandemic has exacerbated the pre-existing epidemic of physical inactivity amid efforts to protect people’s health.” 3/17/2021
The Center - “Yet, paradoxically, it appears as a nation that our collective response to the pandemic has exacerbated the pre-existing epidemic of physical inactivity amid efforts to protect people’s health.” 3/17/2021Confessions of a High School English Teacher![]()
The Center - “Because of the comments I had heard from people in the department and from our department head, I was scared my contract would be not be renewed if I revealed my political preferences.” 3/13/2021
The Center - “Because of the comments I had heard from people in the department and from our department head, I was scared my contract would be not be renewed if I revealed my political preferences.” 3/13/2021The Capitol and Democracy Both Qualify as “Sacred”![]()
The Right - “The immediate danger of the Capitol attack has ended. However, the work of repairing the tear in the fabric of our nation has only just begun, a task we neglect at our peril.” 2/26/2021
The Right - “The immediate danger of the Capitol attack has ended. However, the work of repairing the tear in the fabric of our nation has only just begun, a task we neglect at our peril.” 2/26/2021Taking an Oath upon the Constitution, Rather than the Bible![]()
The Left - “While laws do not and absolutely should not regulate a politician’s religious practices, the time and place for these practices is not when taking an oath of office.” 2/19/2021
The Left - “While laws do not and absolutely should not regulate a politician’s religious practices, the time and place for these practices is not when taking an oath of office.” 2/19/2021
