Blog 3 Columns

Is the Racial Gap in Suspensions Due to Racism?0
- Culture
- February 25, 2019
Black students are suspended from school at a higher rate than white students. To many people, this might seem unremarkable, given the higher black crime rate, and the fact that black kids are more likely to come from struggling single-parent households that fail to instill discipline. As even the liberal Brookings Institution has noted, “black
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Do You Want Fries With That? Thoughts on a Liberal Arts Major 0
- Culture
- February 25, 2019
Over the past two decades, the liberal arts have taken a beating. University students in droves have backed away from taking degrees in English literature, history, and philosophy, turning instead to what they regard as more marketable majors such as business, mathematics, computer science, and even fitness training. In many cases, professors and entire academic
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Alexandra Tolstoy and the Appeal of a Simple Life 0
- Culture
- February 25, 2019
“Have you ever heard of Alexandra Tolstoy?” Responding to this question with a bit of a blank stare, my friend flourished his smartphone and began showing me a few pictures from Tolstoy’s Instagram page. One was of Tolstoy and her small daughter posing hand-in-hand. “Cute dress,” I responded. “My wife loves following her,” my friend
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Is There a Threat to English?0
- Culture
- February 22, 2019
For decades, immigration enthusiasts have offered conflicting assurances to skeptics who perceive a lack of assimilation among newcomers. Multiculturalism is a great gift to the United States, so why worry? Also, assimilation is proceeding apace, so, again, why worry? The former assurance is generally directed at liberals, and the latter is directed at conservatives, but
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How #BelieveAllWomen Could End Up Hurting Women 0
- Culture
- February 22, 2019
Feminists often argue that women are inherently subjugated to men due to men’s average larger strength and size. The ##MeToo movement (with its other hash tags #believewomen #believevictims) seems to imply that the presumption of innocence should be set aside in accusations of rape or sexual assault. The reasoning appears to be: Why wouldn’t a
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Canada’s Universal Child Care Program Suggests Elizabeth Warren’s Plan Would Be Disastrous for Children 0
- Economics
- February 22, 2019
The state does such a stellar job of nurturing and educating children from preschool through high school, we should expand its role from birth onward. That’s the new proposition unveiled this week by US Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. On Tuesday, the Democratic presidential candidate outlined a vast federal program of free and subsidized child
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‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ and the Rise of Moral Nihilism 0
- Culture
- February 22, 2019
They Shall Not Grow Old is an extremely painful film to watch. I’ve seen most of the major war films but I can’t recall one that is more powerful overall – powerful in the sense that it shakes you to your spiritual core. This film puts you right there as a middle-class Briton in the
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Why the Minimum Wage Shouldn’t Be a Family Wage 0
- Economics
- February 21, 2019
Nostalgia is a powerful drug, and one that seems to a have particular potent effect on politicians. Consider, for example, a recent tweet by Massachusetts’s senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. Last Saturday she said: Back when I was a kid, a minimum-wage job could support a family of three. Today, a full-time minimum-wage
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Why Positive Thinking Doesn’t Work 0
- February 21, 2019
Imagine that you’re about to give a presentation in front of your entire organization. If you have ever been anxious in a situation where the stakes are high, you’ve probably received well-meaning advice: Calm down. Take deep breaths. Think positively, and you will nail this. What happens if you can’t calm down? You might be
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Is the Racial Gap in Suspensions Due to Racism?0