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
‘Stories of Pain and Misery’ Moved Lawmaker to Take Action on Childhood Gender Transition
State Rep. Fred Deutsch didn’t set out to be a trailblazer. He just wanted to protect kids. But if his South Dakota bill stops children from being mutilated, then all of the nasty emails will have been worth it. At least in one state, hurting teens will have a chance at a normal life—not the… -
opinion
America’s Expiration Date
I love definitions because they help focus the mind. For decades, we are said to have been in a culture war. As in any war, it helps to know one’s enemy. One online dictionary defines culture this way: “the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as… -
opinion
Israel-US Model Is Unconventional, and Successful
Whether by accident or by deliberate osmosis, Israel and the U.S. have adopted similar solutions to their existential problems. Before 2002, during the various Palestinian intifadas, Israel suffered hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries from suicide bombers freely crossing from the West Bank and Gaza into Israel. In response, Israel planned a vast border… -
news
Reforming Journalism Requires ‘Street Reporting,’ Not ‘Suite Reporting,’ World Editor Olasky Says
Reforming journalism is about making good journalism that is factual and original, a renowned magazine editor and author says. “We like being flies on the wall, watching and listening,” Marvin Olasky, editor-in-chief of World magazine, said Wednesday at an event at The Heritage Foundation, adding: We don’t want to make ourselves the center of attention… -
opinion
‘Greedy’ Businesses Responsible for Constant Improvements
Reporters complain about business. We overlook the constant improvements in our lives made possible by greedy businesses competing for your money. Think about how our access to entertainment has improved. “When I was a kid,” says Sean Malone in a new video for the Foundation for Economic Education, “my TV broadcast options were PBS, Fox,… -
opinion
Why So Many Young People Are Unhappy
Here are some unhappy statistics: —In America between 1946 and 2006, the suicide rate quadrupled for males ages 15 to 24 and doubled for females the same age. —In 1950, the suicide rate per 100,000 Americans was 11.4. In 2017, it was 14. —According to Grant Duwe, director of research and evaluation at the Minnesota… -
news
Sending Unsolicited Nudes in Texts, Online Soon Could Be Illegal in California
Californians who send unwelcome sexual images to others online without expressed invitation soon could face legal repercussions for such unwanted sexting. A proposed bill in the California Senate would make sending unsolicited, sexually explicit images via text, email, social media, or dating apps illegal. The Preventing Indecent Content Sharing Act was introduced Jan. 6 by… -
opinion
The Show Trial Begins
The contrast could not have been starker. One picture showed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi smiling as she signed (with numerous pens) two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. She passed out the pens like souvenirs to fellow Democrats. They were embossed in gold with her signature and rested on silver trays. The other picture… -
news
‘It’s Not Fair’: Idaho Lawmaker to Introduce Bill Barring Biological Males From Girls Sports
An Idaho state legislator plans to introduce a bill that would require biologically male athletes to compete on boys sports teams, regardless of whether they identify as a transgender girl or not. Idaho state Rep. Barbara Ehardt is the latest Republican lawmaker across the country to introduce legislation ensuring girls aren’t forced to compete against… -
news
San Francisco DA Touts Progressive Ambitions for Already Troubled City
Chesa Boudin spent his childhood influenced by members of a radical left and violent domestic terrorist organization. During college, he worked as an English translator for Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. Today, Boudin is the top prosecutor in one of America’s largest cities, gaining laudatory endorsements from a U.S. Supreme Court justice and a U.S. senator,… -
news
Faith, Family, Football: Why Patriots Tight End Benjamin Watson Champions Life
Benjamin Watson is not only a starting tight end for the New England Patriots—he’s also the father of seven children, a man of faith, a commentator, and an advocate for life. The 39-year-old football player, who formerly played for the Baltimore Ravens, the New Orleans Saints, and the Cleveland Browns, told The Daily Caller News… -
opinion
How MLK Channeled the Spirit of 1776
Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday when it was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. As Americans celebrate MLK Day, it’s important to recognize the contributions of King and the tradition of ideas he espoused that put him in the pantheon of great Americans. The federal holiday may have… -
opinion
Europe Has Free College. Here’s How It’s Working Out.
Free college sounds great! Who doesn’t like free stuff? To make the idea sound even more appealing, advocates continuously cite Europe as an example of success. Many European countries offer their citizens tuition-free higher education, so why can’t America? The truth is that free college in Europe is no success story. Rather, it should serve… -
news
4 Things to Know About Lev Parnas, the Left’s New Hero
An associate of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, one of the president’s personal lawyers, is the left’s new hero going into the Senate impeachment trial. He is a native of Ukraine named Lev Parnas, and he and his business partner were arrested in October as they appeared to try to leave the country while… -
opinion
Why ‘1917’ Is Such a Good Movie
Yes, it’s up for this year’s “Best Picture” Oscar, but that hasn’t stopped critics delivering decidedly mixed reviews to “1917.” The plot is the stuff of a standard action/adventure flick: two soldiers on a desperate mission to stop a British unit from charging into a trap. At a more substantive level, however, it’s a movie… -
opinion
Here’s Why the Killing of Suleimani Was Legal
Since the U.S. killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani in a drone strike on Jan. 2, talk has turned to whether the strike was legal if the general could not be proven to have posed an imminent threat. But, as I said on Jan. 6 on Fox News and for the reasons explained below, the… -
opinion
Is Iran Headed for Regime Change?
It’s fine for astrologers and bookmakers to make predictions, but there’s no absolute certainty about what the future holds. That’s true regarding matters of national security—and there the stakes are truly high. Consider Iran. There is no more risky business than predicting when an authoritarian regime will collapse under the weight of its own putrefaction. Natan Sharansky… -
opinion
Another Women’s Sport Is Letting Biological Males Compete
I’m no professional athlete, but years after my sex reassignment surgery and the near-elimination of testosterone from my system, my beginner’s tennis serve easily overpowered and dismayed the female participants when I took a junior college introductory women’s tennis course in my 40s. The stark truth on display on that tennis court was that my… -
opinion
Iranian Missile Attacks Offer Insights Into Tehran’s Intentions, Capabilities
Iran fired missiles at two U.S. bases in Iraq on Jan. 8, setting off a wave of speculation in the American media. Now that the dust has settled, analyzing the strikes can provide important insights into Iran’s intentions and capabilities—and how the United States should respond. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, many commentators… -
opinion
New Study Claims ‘Trans’ Kids Know Their Real Gender Identity. Here’s Why It’s Flawed.
Young children can know that they are transgender. At least, that’s what some researchers are now claiming. A December report released in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims to show that transgender children sense their true “gender identity” and even align with clothing and toy preferences of that gender at a young…