They say a rising tide lifts all boats. The same might be said for many things in life. When standards are raised high, everyone benefits. The contrary is also true: Lower standards pull everyone down. A curious example of this doctrine is the sorry state of domestic air travel these days. Traveling … Read more
The Ecological Turn of “Postmodernity” When compared to yesterday’s culture a few decades ago, today’s “postmodern” culture has some rather surprising differences. One such difference is its ecologist tendency to rediscover, re-evaluate and propose models that are backward, primitive, wild and tribal. In yesterday’s culture, man was acclaimed as the master of … Read more
As the next national elections loom on the horizon, many liberal candidates are calling for urgent measures to help the American family. There is impassioned talk about poverty, wage stagnation, and health care. There are yet more pleas for money and programs for those who suffer from want. There is nothing wrong … Read more
After the 2016 elections, many tried to explain what happened. Some theories are not convincing since they seem to hide a darker reality of which we dare not speak. Others appear a bit too simplified to explain what we experience in daily life. To start the process of understanding our crisis, we … Read more
The Holy Roman Catholic Church is the natural enemy of the secular left. Battles between these two forces have gone on for centuries—long before the term “secular left” came into common usage. In those struggles, the left has employed every weapon it could find to use against the Church. All too often, … Read more
In the year 49 B.C., Julius Caesar moved his forces into Italy over a small insignificant stream called the Rubicon. In so doing, he violated the law that forbade generals to move troops out of their assigned provinces. Caesar realized the seriousness of his decision by declaring “The die is cast!” The … Read more
When I was much younger, I remember listening to a song from the band REM which begins with the words: The world is collapsing around my ears I turned up the radio but I can’t hear it… Nearly thirty years ago, in the idylls of the fading century, that song was poetry. … Read more
Little remains of the vast edifice of family, community and faith relationships that once unified and anchored the American way of life. These things have not disappeared from the horizon. They are still important, but they have deteriorated. There is no more consensus about what they mean, and they no longer serve … Read more
Nationalism is one of those vague terms that appears when a social order is not anchored in moral certainties. The term can take on many meanings, some good, others bad because when nothing is certain, a climate of anxiety takes hold that distorts the national debate. This climate is found in today’s … Read more
It is no secret that emotions rule in America. The more sensational the news, the more impact it has. The media need to make things dramatic if stories are to survive in today’s short news cycles. The reason why emotions rule is because society has become shallow and impulsive. Feelings prevail over … Read more