Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
Hey, Mr. President: What’s the Counterterrorism Strategy for Afghanistan?
With the 20th anniversary of 9/11 almost here, I’m hoping someone in the Biden administration is giving some deep thought to the counterterrorism challenges we’ll likely face after the United States withdraws from Afghanistan. Our invasion, after all, was meant to prevent another 9/11. Unfortunately, under Taliban control or in areas outside Taliban control, Afghanistan could—once… -
opinion
California and the West Burn Again
Another dry, late summer in California, another year in which the state burns and towns get incinerated. Large, out-of-control fires have become a yearly occurrence in the Golden State. The fires may be so bad in 2021 that they run straight through the dry season and up until December, according to the U.S. Forest Service…. -
opinion
6 Ways Conservative College Students Can Maintain Their Voices and Sanity
As the school year begins for returning college students, it’s easy to lose the excitement and anticipation that comes with your first year in higher education. For conservative students especially, that first-year glow can fade even faster when intellectual curiosity collides with the reality of viewpoint discrimination. But no matter your experience, don’t resign yourself… -
opinion
Likely Long-Term Ripple Effects of Precipitous Pullout From Afghanistan
What has happened in Afghanistan will not stay in Afghanistan, but will have a ripple effect throughout the region and beyond. In remarks Friday at the White House, President Joe Biden again proved he is out of touch with reality. Responding to criticism that America’s credibility has been damaged due to his precipitous withdrawal of… -
opinion
Administrative Bloat at Universities Raises Costs Without Helping Students
The dramatic increase in noninstructional staff and spending at universities has driven tuition higher for decades. A new American Council of Trustees and Alumni study confirms the findings of earlier research that administrative bloat is raising costs without benefiting students. But the real danger of universities hiring staff who do not engage in teaching or… -
opinion
Afghan Women and Girls Were Left Behind. They Need Our Prayers.
Twenty years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaeda, with the aid and blessing of Afghan Taliban leaders, planned and carried out the horrifying murder of almost 3,000 Americans. This was not the first attack planned and carried out against Americans by its leader Osama bin Laden—since-killed, courtesy of SEAL Team 6. When our nation required… -
opinion
The Steep Cost of Mishandling Our Withdrawal From Afghanistan
In March 1975, an American president was fighting to save an American ally from being overrun by an implacable enemy. The North Vietnamese Army, mounting a massive conventional strike on the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, was plunging closer to Saigon. Gerald Ford urged the Democratic congressional majority to authorize military aid to South… -
opinion
Taliban Fighters Now Well-Equipped for Decades
As if it were not enough that the Taliban took complete control of Afghanistan—imposing its will and murderous tactics on innocent citizens; endangering Americans still present in the country; and complicating efforts to extract Afghans who provided important support, such as translators—it gets worse. The Taliban has also seized tens of billions of dollars of… -
opinion
World Must Not Finance Taliban’s Drive for Greater Power and Influence
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan last weekend, the International Monetary Fund made it clear that Afghanistan will not be able to access the IMF’s financial resources, at least in the short run. The IMF stated that “There is currently a lack of clarity within the international community regarding recognition of a government in Afghanistan,… -
opinion
A Shameful Attack on Conservatives for Supporting Afghan Women
A liberal male columnist and comedian says that conservatives are unqualified to fight for the rights of Afghan women—because they don’t believe women are oppressed here. “Afghan women’s rights are threatened—but the GOP isn’t their champion” was the headline Wednesday on Dean Obeidallah’s opinion column for MSNBC, as the world watched video of young Afghan… -
opinion
‘Latinx’ Unpopular With Actual Latin Americans, Poll Shows
A new Gallup poll shows just 5% of Hispanics prefer to use the term “Latinx” when asked how they would like to be called. The word “Latinx” represents an attempt by leftist academics and activists to make Spanish gender-neutral—in this case, to avoid using the masculine term “Latino” or feminine term “Latina.” These radicals, uncomfortable… -
opinion
Biden’s 5 Mistruths on Afghanistan
President Joe Biden hurriedly helicoptered back to Washington, D.C., from Camp David on Monday to attempt to explain the disaster that unfolded in Afghanistan, which is the direct result of his decision to remove all U.S. forces and support personnel. Instead of explaining what went wrong, Biden declared that he “did not regret” his decision,… -
opinion
A Court Victory in Texas Against Obamacare’s Transgender Mandate
The long march of gender ideology through our laws and government institutions lately seems more like a mad dash. But that advance hit a high hurdle last week in Texas. A federal district court judge blocked an Obama-era measure that forced medical professionals to participate in gender transition surgery and similar measures, even against their… -
opinion
Why Unilever Should Shed the Ben & Jerry’s Brand
Unilever PLC CEO Alan Jope said Ben & Jerry’s decision to stop selling ice cream in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has nothing to do with antisemitism. But based on Unilever’s antisemitic past, Jope may have to get rid of the Ben & Jerry’s brand to prove it. The trouble for the London-based firm… -
opinion
Beijing’s Bomb Buildup Continues as Third New ICBM Field Uncovered
Just when you think you’re starting to get over the latest shocking news involving the People’s Republic of China’s unprecedented military buildup, you get zapped with another hair-raising jolt of reporting. Indeed, after recent stories on two new Chinese intercontinental ballistic missile silo sites this summer, last week, a third—yes, a third—new, undeclared Chinese ICBM… -
opinion
Biden’s Afghanistan Exit Ignores Lessons From Iraq
President Joe Biden defended his decision to order a total United States withdrawal from Afghanistan, stating, “Our only vital national interest in Afghanistan remains today what it has always been: preventing a terrorist attack on American homeland.” Although that is true, it is also true that the U.S. has a vital interest in protecting American lives. Biden’s… -
opinion
Oregon Fails Disadvantaged Students With Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, discreetly signed a bill in July dispensing with the requirement that high school students must prove they can read, write, and do math before graduating. Although Brown signed Senate Bill 744 with little fanfare on July 14, she neglected to log the law into Oregon’s legislative database until July 29. The delay coupled with her departure from the usual bill signing ceremony indicated Brown wanted to keep Senate Bill 744 quiet. When it came… -
opinion
‘Kenosha Pleading for Help,’ Email to Wisconsin Governor Warned During Riots
MADISON, Wis.—The people of riot-ravaged Kenosha were pleading for help from Gov. Tony Evers with each passing day of chaos and destruction. When Wisconsin’s Democrat governor finally did act, the help he sent was too little and much too late. Emails from the nightmarish riots late last August paint a picture of a disconnected executive… -
opinion
Debacle in Afghanistan Symptom of Confusion at Home
President Joe Biden was right in his speech to the nation about our withdrawal from Afghanistan, that a long legacy of American involvement there preceded him. But across the board, in domestic as well as foreign policy, any new president inherits realities that precede him. The issue confronting every president is what principles and policies… -
news
Texas Supreme Court Rules That Democrats in Legislature Can Be Arrested to Compel Attendance
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Texas Constitution authorizes the state’s House of Representatives to arrest members who flee in order to break the quorum required to vote. The opinion states that “just as” Texas’ Constitution enables “‘quorum-breaking’ by a minority faction of the legislature, it likewise authorizes ‘quorum-forcing’ by the remaining members,” including by…