Unfortunately, the Catholic Party’s ever-increasing prestige and successive victories did not prevent differences between its leaders. Indeed, these became sharper and deeper over time. This lack of much-needed cohesion severely hampered the campaign for freedom of education in nineteenth-century France. The Party contained Catholics of all shades and political tendencies. Thus, it … Read more
If there is an image that corresponds to the coronavirus crisis of our society, it would be that of the Diamond Princess cruise ship infected in mid-cruise. Before tragedy struck, it had every modern comfort and entertainment. The bands were playing, the theaters were full, the restaurants crowded, and its boutiques well-stocked. … Read more
So much that passes for culture is just entertainment. What people consider “culture” is an excuse to have fun. Everything must be full of novelty and excitement. It must be Facebookable and Instagram-friendly. While these fun activities may be popular, they do not constitute culture. They have no depth. For many, even … Read more
In the scramble to make sense out of the present election cycle, analysts have come up with all sorts of theories. One popular explanation claims that people are hardening in their positions. On the left and the right, all parties are holding rigidly to their agendas, forcing their will upon the rest … Read more
In the 2016 presidential election cycle, no single group, not even President Obama, has been the object of more contempt than “the establishment.” Nearly every candidate of both parties has attacked his or her rivals for supposedly belonging to the “establishment” while vehemently denying ever having belonged to it themselves. Large numbers … Read more
Perhaps it is best to start by saying there is no ideal presidential candidate now running in the race in either party. None of them has all the qualities that are presently needed, although some candidates may have a few of them. No candidate is proportional to the crisis that is coming. … Read more
There have been many attempts to apply socialism to the modern workplace. One of these was the program of former president of France François Mitterrand who sought to implement what he called self-managing socialism in 1981. Like all such schemes, it was a dismal failure. He could not make the moldy principles … Read more
Claude Newman was a twenty-year-old African-American who, in 1943, awaited execution in a prison in Mississippi. His crime was that of ambushing and shooting a man named Sid Cook, his beloved grandmother’s abusive second husband. One day, noticing a medal hanging around the neck of a fellow prisoner, Claude asked the young … Read more
Martha Boneta, a local farmer from Fauquier County, Virginia, has engaged in criminal behavior by hosting a birthday party on her farm for eight 10 year-old girls. Her crime was not obtaining a land-use permit, and she has been threatened with $5,000 in fines. The land-use permit Boneta did not obtain is … Read more
The media are all afire with sensational reports of Syrian atrocities and civilian casualties. There are calls for Western intervention to aid the opposition which are the latest protagonists in a new chapter of the “Arab Spring.” Syria is yet another opportunity to let democracy flower in the Middle Eastern desert. Granted … Read more