James Bascom 
Many North Americans, Latin Americans, and Europeans are justifiably skeptical of the global environmental movement. It shows many of the characteristics, not of a serious scientific movement, but of a political ideology or even a quasi-religious sect. The overwhelming majority of its leaders and foot soldiers espouse a not-so-hidden socialist ideology that … Read more
People concerned with the threat of radical environmentalism would be mistaken to assume that the Catholic Church’s upcoming Amazon Synod of Bishops, to be held in Rome in October 2019, is an internal affair dealing with pastoral matters. On the contrary, it will be a laboratory of ecological activism that promises, in … Read more
Upon his election in 1998, the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez launched a “Bolivarian Revolution” that would create “socialism for the twenty-first century” funded by billions of petrodollars. Chávez, an admirer of Fidel Castro, very clearly sought to transform Venezuela into a new Cuba. For the next twenty years, Venezuela has gotten … Read more
Looking back over 2018, three recent events in three different countries illustrate just how far the fortunes of climate change politics have fallen. The first event was the death of George H. W. Bush, forty-first president of the United States. His passing on November 30 at the age of 94 occasioned an … Read more
Few institutions today inspire more contempt among God-fearing Americans than Hollywood. Just the name of “Hollywood” conjures up images of glitzy, degenerate celebrities in gaudy outfits who use their wealth and influence to wage war on what remains of Christian morality. Much subtler than this sexual immorality, yet ultimately more damaging, is … Read more
Historical eras, like people, have their own defining traits. There is always a particular virtue or vice, hero or villain, war or revolution that indelibly marks a whole year, decade, or even century, making it easy to summarize these eras with a single phrase. The Ancien Régime , the period of French … Read more
Doctrinal and moral confusion reigns more than ever in both the Catholic Church and secular society. Fortunately, 2017 will commemorate four anniversaries of important historical events that are keys to understanding this crisis: the Lutheran revolt of 1517, the founding of Masonry in 1717, the Russian Revolution of 1917, and Our Lady’s … Read more
In the twenty-first century, the virtue of duty is paradoxically both greatly admired and shamefully despised. On the one hand, certain forms of duty, such as military service, are still widely appreciated. A common sight in airports, malls, and other public places is that of perfect strangers approaching soldiers in uniform and … Read more
The political left has always preferred to wage its battles in the terms and the imagery of symbols. Whether they be an image such as a Che Gueverra T-shirt, a slogan such as “the 99%,” an action such as Greenpeace photo-op stunt on a coal power plant, or a flesh and blood … Read more
We Americans are a people who are justifiably proud of our nation’s many heroes and achievements. Our history is full of great explorers, soldiers, statesmen, clergy, and civic leaders—George Washingtonian characters—who accomplished great deeds. Their legacy is a long, unbroken line of service, sacrifice, and honor that gives substance to our Fourth … Read more