It seems there is no shortage of problems promising to plague Americans in the coming months. Like the six hundred in Tennyson’s Charge of the Light Brigade, there are (pardon the parody): “Riots to the right of them, ISIS to the left of them, Diving Wall Street in front of them” In the midst of
READ MOREHerodotus’ Histories is considered the first work of history produced in the Western world. Written around 450 B.C., it serves as a valuable source of information about the civilizations and cultures of the ancient world, and until recently, has been an important fixture in Western students’ education. The text of the Histories (in English translation)
READ MOREToday’s society openly advocates respect for those of various races, classes, and physical capabilities. Such was not always the case, however, particularly in the years before World War II when eugenics was popular. One fan of eugenics practices was leading feminist Margaret Sanger. The quotes below provide an interesting window into her views on the
READ MORE“Religion is redundant and irrelevant,” declared famed atheist Richard Dawkins in a debate three years ago. Dawkins’ opinion is shared by many others today, some of whom make up Intellectual Takeout’s Facebook audience. 😉 In an effort to combat the spread of this attitude, in addition to increased secularization and an aging membership, America’s Christian
READ MOREOn the issue of climate change, there’s one particular claim of its apologists that has always bothered me. And I don’t think I’m alone. It’s not the idea that we should take better care of the earth—I’m all for adopting a less utilitarian view toward it. It’s not the idea that taking better care
READ MORENext week – January 24-30 – marks the sixth annual National School Choice Week. Created to “raise awareness of quality K-12 education options for children and families in communities across the country,” the week features a whopping 16,140 events showcasing the importance of letting parents choose the education they believe best suits their child. In
READ MOREThe next Bobby Fischer may not come from the Muslim world. According to The Guardian, the token game of intellectuals now has a fatwa issued against it: “Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti has ruled that chess is forbidden in Islam, saying it encourages gambling and is a waste of time. Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh was answering a
READ MOREAn amusing citation from Margaret Thatcher reads: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” The socialists, however, were not the only ones who would run out of other people’s money. Democracies are quite capable of duplicating this feat. The question is this: What entitles us to acquire other
READ MOREMore people in Europe are dying than are being born, according to a new report in a major demography journal, Population and Development Review. In contrast, births exceed deaths, by significant margins, in the United States, with few exceptions. The researchers find that 17 European nations have more people dying in them than are being
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