Not according to economist Ben Powell, and I’m with him (in the abstract).  Of course there are specific cases we should have outrage, but we can’t simply wish that all of the world was wealthy enough for no children to have to work.  Indeed, children working has been part of the human experience since the […]

Charlotte Allen had a very thought-provoking article in the latest First Things, entitled “Punching Down” (see it here http://www.firstthings.com/article/2016/06/punching-down).  The article begins with the saga of the all but forgotten Kim Davis, the hapless county clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky who refused to sign homosexual marriage licenses and also forbad her assistant from doing so.  […]

We have another podcast for you, this one on the 3rd party issues that seem so relevant right now. I hope you enjoy. If you have questions, feel free to leave them here (or find us on Twitter or our Facebook page) and we may address them in future podcasts.  

Today is Bernard Lewis’ 100th birthday, quite a milestone for anyone.  Lewis is a long-time (and I mean that literally) of Middle Eastern Islam and history and has gained a new hearing since 9/11 with his prescient work.  He is currently Emeritus Professor at Princeton.  His works are legion but many easily accessible to the […]

Well, has it come to this or am I reading something from The Onion?  I did verify its truth.  If you look here (http://theweek.com/speedreads/626361/oberlin-students-want-abolish-midterms-grades-below-c, it seems that at least 1,300 students at Oberlin College are demanding that no grade below a C be given and that mid-term examination be eliminated.  Why?  So the students will […]

Seemingly forever ago, Dr. Clauson and I sat down to record a podcast. This is it. Does it sound as if produced by amateurs? Why yes, yes it does. Appropriate, I think, given that I am the technological guru of the group–which shows the extraordinarily low bar I managed to clear to be designated as […]

  its getting serious.  News reports continue daily on the deteriorating state of dysfunctionality called government in Venezuela.  Not only is food shortage a significant problem for many, but basic protection and law and order functions are missing in action.  This is leading to vigilante justice, with some suspected criminals being burned alive on the […]

The following is just a little briefing that focuses our attention on some important recent issues (or at least what I think is interesting): Full disclosure: I am not a prolific user of social media, and I sometimes look down (secretly) on those who are—maybe I am really just jealous and I certainly am technologically […]

“Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world . . . But for Wales!” Thomas More, Act 2, A Man for All Seasons Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency, yesterday released a list of Supreme Court prospects that might fill Antonin Scalia’s vacated seat. The […]

What do we mean by the term “liberal arts”?  By a “liberal arts college” or a “commitment to the liberal arts”?  The definition is important, but even more important is why we should care that a college has a commitment (at the least) to the liberal arts?  Moreover, what is the difference between simply liberal […]