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
This Little-Known Terror Group Poses a Greater Threat Than ISIS in Syria
The war in Syria is heating up again this week after recently subsiding from the front pages of newspapers. On Sunday, Russia claimed that rebels in northwestern Syria had fired shells filled with chlorine gas near the city of Aleppo. Although the rebels have not demonstrated such a chemical capability in the past, Syria’s Assad… -
news
California Democratic Chair Resigns After Sexual Misconduct Allegations
California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman announced his resignation Thursday after allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate workplace behavior. A Los Angeles Times report surfaced Wednesday that said 10 California Democratic Party staffers and political activists had accused him of making lewd, sexual comments to them in the workplace or that Bauman had touched them without their permission…. -
opinion
Giving a Raise to All Federal Employees Makes No Sense
The Senate’s 2019 budget contains an across-the-board salary hike of about 1.9 percent for all federal employees. That is not good news. Though modest and deficit-neutral—the bill requires agencies to reduce spending elsewhere to offset the hikes—this pay raise is a bad idea. A growing consensus of policy analysts agree that the federal pay system needs… -
news
Half of Young Americans Say US Is ‘Racist’ and ‘Sexist,’ Survey Finds
A basic knowledge of civics and belief in American exceptionalism are in startling decline among younger Americans, a new report suggests. About half of those surveyed under age 38 said they view the United States as a “sexist” or “racist” nation. More than 4 out of 10 Americans under 21 said the nation’s 44th president,… -
opinion
Here’s What Opponents of Criminal Justice Reform Get Wrong
Some arguments against the modest prison and sentencing reforms in the Senate’s First Step Act echo an influential claim from the 1970s attributed to the late sociologist Robert Martinson: When it comes to reducing recidivism rates among inmates, “nothing works.” Once taken out of its original context, that claim resounded in legislatures across the country… -
opinion
Palestinian Terrorist Organizations Continue to Stand in the Way of Middle East Progress
The nation of Israel once again witnessed horrific rocket attacks on innocent men, women, and children living near the Gaza Strip. The terrorist organization Hamas launched over 500 rockets targeting civilian territories, resulting in one Israeli death and wounding 70 others. Unsurprisingly, these attacks were not against military targets; rather, the rockets were indiscriminately fired… -
news
Chuck Grassley Scraps Votes on Judges as Jeff Flake Balks to Protect Mueller Probe
The Senate Judiciary Committee late on Wednesday canceled the committee’s votes on nearly two dozen judicial nominees scheduled for later in the week. The committee was expected to vote to advance six of President Donald Trump’s nominees to the circuit courts and 15 to district courts, as well as multiple bipartisan pieces of legislation, according… -
news
US Suicide Rate Hits 50-Year Record in 2017, Contributing to Lower Life Expectancy
The U.S. suicide rate hit a 50-year record in 2017, contributing to a lower life expectancy for Americans that’s part of a larger downward trend. More than 47,000 people died by suicide in 2017, compared to roughly 45,000 in 2016, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC released 2017 data on mortality in… -
opinion
How DC’s Mental Health Community Court Is Giving the Mentally Ill a More Hopeful Future
Mental illness is a very real problem that affects many aspects of our society. In the United States, as of 2016, an estimated 10.4 million adults suffer from a serious mental illness, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, for which there is no cure. One of the most complex societal aspects affected by mental illness… -
opinion
‘A Political Report Masquerading as Science’: The Truth About the New Climate Report
Each time an end-of-the-world prophecy is delivered—whether by a self-deluded preacher, a group of politicians, or scientists—we are told that we must believe. Never mind how many of their prophecies have been wrong in the past, this time they mean it. The latest prophecy of doom and planetary extinction comes from a government report authored… -
news
Pelosi Secures Democrats’ Nomination for House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi is on her way again to becoming speaker of the House of Representatives when Democrats regain control in the new year, after being nominated Wednesday by a 203-32 vote. House Democrats renominated Pelosi for the top spot, paving the way for a full House vote in January, despite the concerns of some that… -
opinion
Why the US Should Build on Its Role as Mongolia’s ‘Third Neighbor’
Mongolia, a landlocked nation of about 3 million people between China and Russia, has become an increasingly important geopolitical partner to the United States. America’s relationship with Mongolia is not insignificant and provides many opportunities for both countries. The United States established diplomatic relations with Mongolia in 1987. Since then, the U.S. has been firmly… -
news
Here’s Why Identity Politics Threaten America
Is there an answer to the problem of identity politics in America? For some, the “solution” is direct. “We need to take on the oppression narrative,” conservative commentator Heather Mac Donald said at a Heritage Foundation gathering on Capitol Hill. Americans need to “rebut” the idea “that every difference in American society today is the… -
news
Twitter Restores Conservative Pundit Jesse Kelly’s Account, Denies It Was a Permanent Ban
Twitter reinstated Houston-based conservative radio host and contributor Jesse Kelly’s account Tuesday after Sen.-elect Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for a congressional investigation of the tech giant. “The account was temporarily suspended for violating the Twitter Rules and has been reinstated,” a Twitter spokesperson told The Hill, adding: “We have communicated directly with the account owner.” Iraq… -
opinion
How Liberal Policy Keeps Black Kids From Succeeding
What do you think of the proposition that no black youngsters should be saved from educational rot until all can be saved? Black people cannot afford to accept such a proposition. Actions by the education establishment, black and white liberal politicians, and some civil rights organizations appear to support the proposition. Let’s look at it… -
opinion
The Gospel of Marx? Religious Leaders Call for ‘Redistribution,’ Denounce ‘Pathology of War’
Last month, several dozen religious leaders reaffirmed a number of radical economic propositions contained within the 1973 Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social Concern. “Before God and a billion hungry neighbors, we must rethink our values regarding our present standard of living,” proclaims the document. The document goes on to lament the “materialism of our culture… -
opinion
A Middle-Aged Career Woman on the Lies of Feminism She Learned Too Late
Every Wednesday, the second hour of my national radio show is the “Male/Female Hour.” A few weeks ago, a woman named Jennifer called in. For reasons of space, I have somewhat shortened her comments. Every young woman should read them. This is precisely what she said: “Dennis, I want to get right to it. I’m… -
opinion
Reform Underfunded Multiemployer Pension Plans. Don’t Make Taxpayers Bail Them Out.
Absent any congressional action, between 1 million and 10 million workers and retirees will lose most of their promised pension benefits over the coming decades. It would be unfair to stave off those losses with taxpayer bailouts, and doing so would establish the precedent that the federal government will stand behind pension promises that it… -
opinion
This New Rule Will Expand Telemedicine to More Medicare Advantage Users
Good news for Americans who use Medicare Advantage. The Trump administration is proposing a new Medicare rule that will enable more Medicare Advantage enrollees to access telemedicine, a form of health care delivery that uses information technology and telecommunications tools to deliver traditional medical care to patients. This is especially helpful to patients living in… -
news
Twitter Bans Misgendering Individuals as ‘Hateful,’ but Porn Accounts Tweet Freely
Twitter banned the use of biological pronouns to refer to transgender persons, adding a clause prohibiting the practice to its policy regarding hateful conduct. The social media platform updated its policies on hateful conduct in October, but the move wasn’t largely noticed until Friday and Saturday when users began commenting on the change, Pink News reported….