“But the hard fact is that the Vatican’s vast untaxed riches—and the Church’s tax-exempt status in many countries—make it impossible for [Pope Francis] to avoid charges of hypocrisy.”
Interviews
Tag: op-ed
“The American People”—a Phrase Worth Discarding
“…there are perhaps a few other aspects of the phrase that ought to make it first on the chopping block when considering which expressions really out to be expunged immediately from our national discourse.”
Don’t Blame Free Speech for Extremism
“Free speech does not enable extremism. Quite the contrary: It is the primary means to challenge wrongheaded attitudes, ideologies, and belief systems.”
The Grift That Keeps on Grifting: the Troubling Issue on Campus
“One of the most common questions posed by those trying to fight this is: What can we do to stop this? As someone who works in education and higher learning, I can provide three potential options…”
“Systemic Racism”: a Popular Illusion
“These slavery and race theorists are correct about the existence of the stain but wrong about it being indelible.”
Bob Woodward and “Citizen Trump”
“President Trump was acting as the United States’ cheerleader, his Republican supporters argue. He was derelict in his duty to protect the American public, charge his Democratic opponents.”
Searching for Common Meaning in the Age of Polarization
“It is not between Red and Blue states; it is a battle about whether there is meaning outside of politics.”
When the Press Is Just as Guilty of “Election Interference”
“As for now, journalists of Goldberg’s type are simply in the electoral interference business; and they just so happen to be doing it from within the United States’ own borders and from beneath the mastheads of once-respected magazines.”
Secretary Mattis and “Meditations” on Trump
“Secretary Mattis’ words are a warning and a reminder that our roots were born not of anger but of a deeply felt awareness of human limitation.”
In Gratitude for the Executive Order on Critical Race Theory
“The Melting Pot is a quaint notion now perhaps (and no longer widely taught to curious young boys and girls), but I find it useful as a basic counterimage to the sophisticated, academic concept of Critical Race Theory now being taught.”
“Holding the Powerful Accountable”—Empty Words?
“The holding the powerful accountable phrase resonates as it does—and, presumably, is chosen by the news media’s back-patters—because it is, indeed, precisely what a news media should be doing.”
How Looting Destroyed Venezuela: a Cautionary Tale
“And one particular author, Vicky Osterweil, has shamelessly written a book entitled In Defense of Looting.”
For This Black Woman, the GOP Feels Like Home
“Suddenly, the Grand Old Party was no longer seen as white, privileged, and wealthy. Instead, it was truly the party of social justice, freedom, economic opportunity, and the American Dream.”
Don’t Run Away, Conservatives
“But it feels myopic to interpret this as a larger victory or cheer for more of the same, especially if the ultimate goal is to restore some sense of ideological pluralism to mainstream institutions.”
When the Media Is Far from Being an “Arbiter of Truth”
“And when anyone sees past the illusion of impartiality, thereby revealing the propaganda’s true form, the media recovers with yet more gaslighting: You are merely imagining things.”