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
Japan’s Shifting National Security Strategy—and America’s Role in It
For decades after World War II, Japan maintained a defense policy shaped by pacifism and strict restrictions on the use of military force. That era is coming to an end, and the United States should embrace that change as Japan faces an increasingly dangerous security environment. China has dramatically expanded its military capabilities while becoming… -
opinion
Franco-German Cooperation on Nuclear Deterrence Is a Good Sign
On July 17, the leaders of France and Germany announced that Germany would be participating in a French nuclear exercise later this year. The exercise, titled Poker, is a recurring part of France’s nuclear operations and is a full-scale rehearsal of France’s airborne nuclear capabilities. The announcement at the Franco-German Defense and Security Council at… -
opinion
Mamdani Backtracks on IDs for Marxist Marts
New York City’s Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani is on a crusade for government control in his latest push for government-run grocery stores. Such stores have been attempted and failed before, and no amount of government subsidization will change the fact that these Marxist Marts are a taxpayer-financed disaster. Like any public program, they will… -
opinion
The Hidden Health Risk in College Dorms
Every student knows the smell. The musty odor from an air vent. The dark stain spreading across a dorm ceiling. The damp corner of a communal bathroom. Most students barely notice it. Others joke about it. What many do not realize is that mold is more than an ugly stain or an unpleasant odor. Federal… -
opinion
4th Circuit Ducked the Real Question in Pronoun Case
A Maryland school district can order a substitute teacher to use a student’s chosen pronouns and, according to the same policy, forbid her from telling that student’s parents. Kimberly Polk sued Montgomery County Public Schools over that combination, and in January the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against her, 2-1. The panel’s reasoning… -
opinion
2 Ways to Fix Inflation
Housing affordability is awful, and it looks set to get worse. Unless, of course, we take corrective action, especially on immigration and war. Here’s the harsh current reality: Inflation continues to bedevil far too many Americans. Other than owners of substantial assets, wage earners have struggled in this economy for five years, ever since the… -
opinion
Texans Can Have Data Centers and Affordable Energy Too
There is no need to choose between winning the AI race and having affordable electricity. Data centers consume a lot of electricity and will therefore raise electricity demand across the country, but demand alone does not determine whether household rates rise. Texas’ data centers can strengthen the state’s economy without forcing households to pay higher… -
opinion
Millionaires and Billionaires Are Blooming Like Red Roses
America’s Big Tech companies are turning Karl Marx’s 19th-century nightmare into a 21st-century dream come true for regular workers. Far-left Democrats—and far-far-left democratic socialists—love to rail against the evils of the super wealthy. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., relentlessly grumbles his cranky incantation about “millionaires and billionaires.” “You can’t earn a billion dollars,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., insists…. -
opinion
Our Ally Albania Is in Trouble, and Americans Should Pay Attention
The nation of Albania is in a crisis; America should be paying attention. Many will ask, “Why?” or “Where is Albania anyway, and why should America care?” Not only should Americans care, but we should be acting. What is happening there is a warning about what we might face here if socialism continues to rise…. -
opinion
Social Security’s Countdown Clock Just Got Louder
Somewhere inside the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget this week, an analyst hit “publish” on a paper that should have led the evening news. The finding: no single change to how Washington taxes Social Security benefits will save the program. Reforming benefit taxation could help, the group said, in its July 30 paper on the subject, but only as… -
opinion
Was America Built on Slavery and Racism? The Confederacy’s ‘Cornerstone’ Gives the Answer
Welcome to the sixth in our series, Landmark Speeches in American History. We are celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with articles by prominent authors about how some of the greatest speeches in our history—by celebrated orators like Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr.—honored the vision of our founding document, the Declaration of Independence…. -
opinion
Cracker Barrel and Its Shadow
One of Aesop’s best-known and most-beloved fables is the story of “The Dog and the Shadow,” which goes like this: “It happened that a Dog had got a piece of meat and was carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. Now on his way home he had to cross a plank… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: The Socialist Monster Awakens
Who caused unaffordability? Fear about “affordability” supposedly fueled the new, strident socialism. Yet annual inflation during former President Joe Biden’s four years averaged almost 5%. It peaked at over 9%, while prices for some key staples rose by 30% over his tenure—all to silence from the Left. (By contrast, annual inflation during Trump’s first term… -
opinion
‘Transgender’ Language Is a Lie
I discovered from my own personal experience identifying as a woman for eight years that attempting to change from male to female is a form of self-harm, even self-destruction. Many people claim that “transgender” language is “gender-affirming.” It is hard to square that claim with medical procedures that ruin healthy genital organs. Though I once… -
opinion
Cut Flowers: The Democratic Socialist Rising Class
A generation of socialist candidates—Ivy-educated and meritocracy-perfected—has turned the ladder it climbed into a weapon against the country that provided it. A civilization can be measured not only by what it produces, but by what its beneficiaries choose to do with what they have received. America has produced a generation of political candidates who represent… -
opinion
Beware the Red Wave of Chinese Military Activity
We are over halfway through the year, and Chinese military activity has been uncharacteristically low in the Taiwan Strait. This trend is unlikely to continue. Previous analyses by The Heritage Foundation allow us to make a prediction based on past events: Be prepared for the possibility of an increase in Chinese military activity. Over the… -
opinion
JD Vance Is Right: American Homelessness Is ‘Third World’
This month on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Vice President JD Vance discussed Israel, Jeffrey Epstein, and aliens, topics that have lit up public conversation. Largely overlooked, however, were his thought-provoking remarks about America’s homelessness crisis, which highlight the harmful results of present policies in some of our largest cities and the need to enact new… -
opinion
Fauci’s Return Is a Timely Reminder Liberty Requires Eternal Vigilance
Anthony Fauci, prime architect of government tyranny during COVID-19, made a spluttering return to Capitol Hill. A far cry from the rockstar persona he cultivated during the pandemic, Fauci appeared deflated as his authoritarianism was laid bare before a furious American people. But though Fauci has been appropriately marked as a tyrant, his domineering ilk… -
opinion
The Reason Deported Haitians Will Be OK
Conniption fits are convulsing liberal pundits, Democratic Party candidates, and Republican serf-labor advocates over the idea that President Donald Trump is now, finally, cleared to deport some 340,000 Haitians. On Tuesday, the administration followed through on a Supreme Court decision allowing it to terminate the Temporary Protected Status designation for Haitian nationals. Their advocates claim… -
opinion
Florida Takes Bolds Step in Teacher Preparation Standards
Eight months after becoming the first state in the nation to formally adopt the Phoenix Declaration, Florida’s State Board of Education has taken its most concrete step yet toward turning that document’s seven guiding principles into classroom practice. At its July 22 meeting, the board approved sweeping revisions to the state’s teacher preparation framework—amending the…