Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
-
opinion
Can One Resignation Save Seattle’s Police Force—and the City?
SEATTLE—After weeks of violent unrest, Seattle’s Black Lives Matter activists got their way. The City Council partially “defunded” the Seattle Police Department, and it will fire up to 100 police officers. Although the Seattle City Council stopped well short of the 50% budget defunding it initially promised, the council did significant damage to the police… -
opinion
How the US Government Should Respond to the Protests in Belarus
Belarus is in the midst of a national struggle that will determine its future geopolitical orientation: the Euro-Atlantic community or Moscow. On Aug. 9, Belarus held its presidential election. In the lead-up, the nation witnessed a vast change in its political climate. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, formerly a full-time stay-at-home mother, became the main opposition candidate against… -
news
American Journalist Abducted in Syria After Accusing Group of Torture
An American journalist and his driver were reportedly abducted by a militant group in northern Syria as they left a mosque on Aug. 13, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported. Bilal Abdul-Kareem, an independent American journalist, and his driver were reportedly taken in the Syrian town of Atmeh by armed, masked militants with Hayat Tahrir… -
opinion
Problematic Women: Planned Parenthood Ideology ‘Killing the Family,’ Ex-Volunteer Says
Planned Parenthood is a business. Simply put, America’s largest abortion provider loses profit if young people are not having sex. Monica Cline worked as a “comprehensive sex educator” and volunteer for Planned Parenthood for a decade before walking away to become a specialist in avoiding sexual risk and start an organization called It Takes a… -
opinion
Raising a Child in a World Obsessed With Transgender Contagion
In a column this week in The Washington Post headlined “Advice to parents on how to raise a happy and healthy LGBTQ child,” author Steven Petrow writes that only a small percentage of teenagers “identify” as lesbian, gay, or transgender. At the same time, Petrow acknowledges examples of tweens and teenagers struggling with sexual orientation… -
opinion
This Misguided Protectionism Would Harm All Americans, Including Farmers
Driving up food prices is a bad idea any time, especially during a pandemic. Yet a small subset of fruit and vegetable growers are pushing for government action that would do just that, hurting American families and other farmers growing the same exact commodities. Here’s what’s happening. This week, the Office of the United States… -
opinion
Should America Be Guided by ‘Narratives’ or Truth?
In a recent interview, Attorney General William Barr said of the dominant news media: They are projecting a narrative. When the word ‘narrative’ came into currency, I knew we were in trouble, because the word narrative suggests that there’s no objective truth. There’s no real story of what happened, it’s just everyone has their own… -
opinion
In a Flourishing Society, Should Safety Be a Means or an End?
COVID-19 has shown that many politicians and public figures believe in the ideology of safety over all else. They focus obsessively on keeping us safe, elevate that single idea above its proper place, and force all to bow down to it. Businesses, churches, and schools tout safety as they dramatically change longstanding policies. State governments… -
opinion
Why We Don’t Want to Import Weak Intellectual Property Systems
Much ink has been spilled describing the ill effects on innovation from proposed legislation that would import foreign price controls on patented medical treatments. Legislation pending in Congress, supported by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, would mandate creating an International Pricing Index to set the prices paid by the U.S. government for patented drugs and other… -
opinion
Heroes Died for What the Flag Represents. Here’s Why We Stand for It Today.
An American flag waves over the head of a black man. Surrounded by acts of injustice, rage, and violence, he wears a uniform tinged with red and kneels in the midst of a green field. A calling has led him to this place, a desire to “serve my God serving my country and my oppressed… -
news
Judge Blocks Idaho Law Preventing Transgender Athletes From Competing in Women’s Sports
U.S. District Judge David Nye of Idaho ordered a preliminary injunction on Monday temporarily halting a state law that prohibits transgender girls and women from competing in female athletics, The Idaho Statesman reported. Nye’s ruling will allow transgender girls and women to participate in women’s sports this upcoming fall at colleges and in secondary schools as the… -
opinion
How ‘Life Is Winning’ in 21st Century
How has the pro-life movement affected culture and politics? Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List, examines that impact in her new book “Life Is Winning: Inside the Fight for Unborn Children and Their Mothers.” She joins the podcast to discuss how the pro-life cause went from “an orphaned political problem” to a winning issue… -
news
Fired for Accidentally Calling a Transgender Student ‘She,’ Teacher Takes Case to Court
Peter Vlaming has two great passions—teaching and French. But a Virginia school district stripped the French teacher of the ability to impart these passions in high school classrooms when it fired him for not using pronouns preferred by a transgender student. “I explained to my principal that I couldn't in good conscience pronounce masculine pronouns… -
opinion
I’m a Former Teacher. Here’s How Your Children Are Getting Indoctrinated by Leftist Ideology.
Your children are being indoctrinated. The education system designed to teach them how to think critically has been weaponized by the radical left to push an anti-American agenda. As someone who has worked in education for four years, I have seen firsthand how your children are being ensnared by the left and their teachers. Want… -
opinion
George Soros: A Lifetime Fortune Spent on Liberal Influence
This week, billionaire financier George Soros celebrates his 90th birthday. That’s a big number, but it’s dwarfed by another Soros number: 708 million. That’s the cash his two principal foundations poured out just in 2018 (the latest year publicly known), and precious little went to any ballets, symphonies, or art museums. Instead, it went into… -
opinion
Secretary Mike Pompeo’s Ringing Call to Secure Human Rights and Liberty
In a recent speech to the senate of the Czech Republic , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted the importance of human rights and liberty to world order: Today you should know that after three decades of freedom, we can see the blessings of liberty here in the Czech Republic. Earlier today I met with… -
opinion
Israel’s Aid to Lebanon ‘Transcends Conflict’
Hours after the Aug. 4 explosion in Beirut’s port that killed at least 180 and injured over 6,000, offers of aid streamed in from countries around the world, including Israel. Though still technically at war with its Lebanese neighbor, a spokesman for Israel’s Defense Force said that Israel has been working through international diplomatic and… -
opinion
Beirut Explosion Accelerates Lebanon’s Descent into a Failed State
As Lebanon continues to struggle in the aftermath of the August 4 Beirut explosion, one thing is clear: The cause of the blast needs to be fully investigated by a credible authority. It is clear that Lebanon’s dysfunctional government, mistrusted by its own people, does not have the capability or credibility to do so. Lebanese… -
opinion
What Will Organized Criminal Violence Bring Next to Our Streets?
Organized riots. That sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s what we’re seeing in many cities in this season of COVID-19 and protests. I’m not talking about peaceful protests. Many of those have been conducted successfully since the death of George Floyd. Clearly, huge numbers of Americans have felt it important to march peacefully, in solidarity,… -
opinion
Liberal and Conservative Agree: Fathers Matter, Case Closed
America has witnessed months of civil unrest in cities around America following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many of the protesters decry income and net worth “inequality.” But the most serious “inequality” is the unequal percentage of fathers in black households, a phenomenon that has been encouraged by government policies that normalize and…