Many Americans tend to frame foreign policy debates according to Western standards. They assume the other side sees events just like Americans. They imagine key figures are motivated by the same passions and ambitions that Westerners might pursue. It is hard to think outside the Western box that has dominated world history for so long. … Read more
For years, reforming the Constitution has been a misguided conservative issue. Downplaying the danger of a runaway convention, impatient conservatives have campaigned to ask the states to call a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) to consider reforms and amendments that might address their many legitimate concerns. Now, liberals are appearing on the reform horizon, calling for major … Read more
Absorbing the surprising results of the November 2024 general election, the immediate sensation was one of relief. The media had prepared the country for a razor-close contest for president and Congress. Many did not expect an immediate outcome and thought the results would be both contested and take days to resolve. Fortunately, the winners received … Read more
A disturbing new trend is emerging in conservative politics in America. There is no other word to describe it. The move invites Christians to modify the focus of policies that have long defined Christian political action based on the Culture War, small government and morality. These Christian policies were powerfully motivated by a love of … Read more
In Question 137 of his Summa Theologiae, Saint Thomas Aquinas discusses perseverance. There, the Angelic Doctor quotes Saint Augustine, “We hold that perseverance is a gift of God, whereby we persevere unto the end, in Christ.” A Paragon of Perseverance Perseverance is difficult. No matter how eagerly sought at its inception, any noble goal eventually involves sacrifice. Yet, fallen … Read more
“We want to continue a major trade and investment relationship with China, just not…in the realm that might help them to leapfrog over us sometime in the next ten years in military technology.” The speaker was Nicholas Burns, the U.S. Ambassador to China in December 2023. His remarks pointed to the great China exit as … Read more
The phrase “housing shortage” is gaining traction in America’s political discourse. As it does, leftists have devised plans that they say will alleviate the “crisis.” Unsurprisingly, all these schemes feature a massive increase in the government’s role in this vital area of daily life. An Affordable American Dream? The goal of homeownership for all has … Read more
In today’s dangerous world scene, many populist and nationalist sectors call for walking away from world commitments and focusing on national problems. They see this isolationism as a Benedict option writ large. There are certainly enough national problems and expenses to occupy America and the nations of the world. Minding one’s own business has the … Read more
As nationalism and populist political philosophies gain traction, many Americans are adopting isolationist and noninterventionist positions. An America-first approach calls for focusing on national problems. The isolationist argument is that the burden of international commitments has weighed heavily upon the nation for too long. Let others deal with these problems and intervene. A Return to … Read more
As the present liberal order crumbles, many are proposing alternatives that call for major changes to the flawed, globalized structures that now shape the world. Some sectors of the public are turning to nationalist and populistic movements that turn inward and call for walking away from world commitments and focusing solely on local problems. In … Read more
