It has become fashionable to attack “the West.” The term no longer expresses the certainties it once did. Thus, it has proven to be a ready scapegoat to blame for so many of the world’s ills. Both the left and right share this criticism. Gone is the secure, unified world it once represented. Instead, the … Read more
The crisis inside liberalism has prompted many to admit its numerous problems. However, most people accept liberalism as a default because they find nothing better to replace it. Few know how to answer the stinging question: What comes after liberalism? Most replies either devise some plan within the liberal box (usually meaning more liberalism) or … Read more
One thing that characterizes the Class of 2024 is that it has suffered from continual interruptions. Big interruptions, small interruptions, cultural interruptions, and i-interruptions seemed to conspire to deprive this class of the constancy that others enjoyed. Several such interruptions come to mind. Order Today: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic … Read more
In the aftermath of the COVID crisis, massive civil unrest and economic disruption, Americans are looking for guidance. They want to know how to navigate these uncertain waters. The solution must go beyond securing material prosperity. It must involve turning to a moral compass to return America to order. To address this need, the American … Read more
Two things are evident about how homelessness is addressed in America today. The problem is growing, and the present remedies are not working. The failure does not come from a lack of will since many Americans feel compassion for the homeless. Our Lord’s parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-35) shows the Christian way … Read more
All culture wars involve a clash of symbols. Symbols say a lot with a little. All it takes is a piece of cloth or an extraordinary object to transmit a world of ideas. They convey identity, impact and mood. One sinister symbol, appearing in the riots and disturbances, is the guillotine. In picking this device, … Read more
Some time ago, I visited the magnificent equestrian statue of Saint Louis IX that towers over Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. In the right hand of the holy king is an inverted sword, held out as a cross, signifying his desire to defend the Catholic Faith against all adversaries. As a descendant of Saint … Read more
In today’s polarized America, Supreme Court cases are rarely decided unanimously. Rarer yet is a case that is a defeat for the left. However, this is what happened in the case of United States v. Sineneng-Smith. Evelyn Sineneng-Smith operated an “immigration counseling firm” in San Jose, California. Even though she was not a lawyer, her … Read more
Anyone who thinks that the coronavirus crisis represented a truce in the raging culture war is very mistaken. The war is only going to accelerate. Likewise, anyone who thinks there is a need to construct complex conspiracy theories to explain what is happening is also mistaken. Free Book: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy … Read more
Over the Christmas holidays, I — and thousands of others — visited the Biltmore Estate near Asheville, North Carolina. Built by George Washington Vanderbilt in the waning days of the nineteenth century, it is America’s largest privately-owned dwelling. Mr. Vanderbilt’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren have dedicated themselves to preserving it and opening it to the public. … Read more
