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Blog 3 Columns

  • Are You in America’s Middle Class?

    Are You in America’s Middle Class?0

    After reading Charles Murray’s writings the last few days, my mind has been fixated on some of the changes in America’s class structure and our (mis)perception of those changes. It made me wonder: Where exactly do I fall in the class stratosphere? Are my current perceptions accurate or are they way off? While Americans like

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  • America Is Losing Its Sense of Humor

    America Is Losing Its Sense of Humor0

    I often remark to my acquaintances that Americans no longer tell jokes. Growing up, as a child, I was in possession of a healthy arsenal of jokes that I gleaned from my parents, relatives, and friends, and that I would eagerly relay to others when the opportunity arose. Decades later, I can’t remember a single

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  • Questioning ‘Diversity’ is the New Blasphemy

    Questioning ‘Diversity’ is the New Blasphemy0

    I’ve been watching for a couple weeks now the saga of Paul Griffiths, Warren Professor of Catholic Theology at Duke University. For those unfamiliar, in February, Griffiths, an esteemed scholar who has taught at Notre Dame, the University of Chicago, and numerous other colleges, sent an email to colleagues urging them to not accept the

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  • ‘The Middle’ Doesn’t Always Equal ‘True’

    ‘The Middle’ Doesn’t Always Equal ‘True’0

    We live in an age in which our media frequently frames issues up as a choice between two extremes. In such an age, it’s tempting for those who consider themselves educated to consistently take the via media—the “middle way”—and to assume that the truth always amounts to a balanced compromise between the two sides of

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  • When You Stop Blaming, Real Change Begins

    When You Stop Blaming, Real Change Begins0

     “A lot of people don’t do well simply because they major in minor things,” explains entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn.  Many of us major in the practice of blaming. We spend so much time on the “who’s to blame” question that we have little mental bandwidth left to be effective. President Trump recently proclaimed his

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  • We May Be Entering a ‘Post-Secular’ Age

    We May Be Entering a ‘Post-Secular’ Age0

    The common narrative we hear today is that the world is becoming increasingly secularized, and that traditional religion is becoming a relic of the past. But there’s a counter-narrative that’s gaining currency, namely, that secularism is in crisis, and that the world is on the cusp of becoming more religious. The spiritual head of the

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  • The Key to Happiness: Focus on what’s within your control

    The Key to Happiness: Focus on what’s within your control0

    God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference. This is the Serenity Prayer, originally written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr around 1934, and commonly used by Alcoholics Anonymous and similar organisations. It is not just a key

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  • Bashar al-Assad: the Abraham Lincoln of Syria

    Bashar al-Assad: the Abraham Lincoln of Syria0

    Among the great iconic political leaders of America, few are treated with greater veneration (or, in some circles, vilification) than Abraham Lincoln. He appeals to many parts of our national mythology, and he was a ‘war leader’ during a time of great national crisis who melded toughness and tenacity with a firm vision for what

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  • 6 Statistics That Show How Much America Has Changed in a Half-Century

    6 Statistics That Show How Much America Has Changed in a Half-Century0

    Since the political scientist Charles Murray will be speaking at Intellectual Takeout’s upcoming gala, I thought it fitting to read his best-selling 2012 book, Coming Apart. Drawing on five decades of statistics, anecdotes, and other research, Murray sets out to make the case that America is, well, coming apart—economically, socially, and culturally. It’s a fascinating

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