In its 1978 Bakke case, the Supreme Court created and condoned racial preference—“affirmative action” and “diversity”—in university admissions. Now the Court is hearing a fundamental challenge to this widespread and now ever-increasing practice in education and in society. As for the membership of the Court in what may turn out to be landmark decisions in [...]
In order to flourish, democracy must be firmly grounded in principle. In order to remain stable, power must be decentralized, and therefore liberty and equality under the law must be valued over abstract and ambiguous ideals such as “equality” or “progress.” I am a democrat because I believe in the Fall of Man. I think [...]
It is no mean feat to bring together the thought of Thucydides and Tocqueville when discussing the topic of equality, a concept seemingly so ancient and timeless. In her new book, Eva Brann has crafted a bridge beyond these revered sources onto the banks of newer, gleaned insights; it is a bridge that invites the [...]
Demands for statesmanship tend to hold up a model of greatness in political leadership that is profoundly dangerous. The desire to be “great” by upholding the interests of the nation as a political whole promotes a massive increase in the extent and centralization of political power. I recently attended a conference on statesmanship. Truth be [...]
Christians wish to assert the truth that each person is a unique individual whose eternal worth and meaning is greater than his sexual inclinations or gender choices. Some time ago on social media I asked an honest question: Why was it incorrect to refer to African Americans as “colored people” but it was okay to [...]
I am increasingly persuaded that the great divide in this country between right and left comes down to a divide between those on the right who think that the United States has essentially been a force for good in the world and those on the left who think this country has essentially been a force [...]
The real problem with the technocratic Charles Murray is his zeal for the pernicious “American creed” of radical individualism. Facing Reality: Two Truths About Race In America, by Charles Murray (168 pages, Encounter Books, 2021) Viewed from the right, Charles Murray is an almost tragic figure. A libertarian-leaning proponent of America as the first “proposition [...]
With the publication of "Homo Americanus," author Zbigniew Janowski has tentatively entered the dissidents' camp, and does so by following in the footsteps of Southern agrarian professor Mel Bradford, who warned us several decades ago about “the heresy of Equality." Homo Americanus: The Rise of Totalitarian Democracy in America, by Zbigniew Janowski (255 pages, St [...]
One of the administrators at my school recently asked faculty to contribute a “solidarity statement.” The email specified what was being sought: For your statement, we’re asking you to share how you personally will engage in the work of creating an inclusive and equitable campus community that truly values all. What, specifically, will you do [...]
The principal basis of the reparations, systemic racism, and Black Lives Matter policy agenda has been the planned and deliberate ignoring of the federal constitution (“any person”) and federal civil rights laws (“no person”), both of which create and guarantee the rights of individuals against racial discrimination by private and public institutions and programs. Now, [...]
The primary political problem to be addressed in a liberal democracy is how to ensure that a standing military does not become dangerous to the liberties of those they are to protect, especially guarding against the threat of military coups. The question is of ancient pedigree and caused much debate during the framing of the [...]
Fairness is an acknowledgement of just desserts, and therefore implies equality in dealings with similarly entitled partners. So it is indeed equality adjusted to circumstances that I desire. Thus there is an intimation that equality will come into play when justice is administered communally. Regarding the title: 1. The question mark expresses a genuine perplexity [...]
We seem to be up to our ears in race-based policies and race-based thinking. As a result, we seem to be further away than ever from Martin Luther King’s goal of a color-blind society. If our government won’t behave as Dr. King hoped it would, maybe the answer is for each of us to act [...]
American democracy has proven to be a success in its representation of interests but a failure in cultivating citizenship; it has protected some civil liberties while allowing others to erode away. One lesson we can draw from its history of successes and failures is this: For a republic to succeed, institutions are not enough; civic [...]