Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
Today marks the 74th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously called “a date which will live in infamy.” On this day, we should remember the resolve that our military and the American citizens displayed to the world in response to this attack. The surprise attack killed over…
Reports that the White House will declare that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has committed genocide against Iraqi Yazidis, but not against Christians, are of grave concern. Omitting Christians would be a strategic mistake, because ISIS’ spiritual legitimacy depends on their promise to cleanse the “caliphate” of infidel Christians. The U.S. must…
Legislative and municipal elections this weekend might give Venezuelans a chance to get out from under the oppressive reign of corruption and criminality that have been the hallmarks of the government of President Nicolás Maduro. But don’t hold your breath. Maduro has warned that he will not “surrender the revolution” to an opposition victory, and…
The following is a speech given by Bill Walton to the Center for Constructive Alternatives at Hillsdale College on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015: I have spent most of my career on Wall Street and in business. I was CEO of a publicly traded NYSE private equity firm for about 14 years from 1997 to 2010. We were highly…
As Congress figures out what policy riders, provisions in appropriations bills that prohibit or direct the use of funds for certain purposes, will be included in any omnibus appropriations bill, there are several that should make the list, including one to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from using funds to…
There has been a lot of attention given to China at the climate conference in Paris. As the largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, a lot depends on what China will do—or more accurately what it won’t do. Lots of media reports have commended China for its sudden commitment to climate change. But…
Belgium is a lovely country. Flanders, in the north, has some of the prettiest towns in Europe. Wallonia, to the south, has lush forests and picturesque valleys. This partition, alas, also comes with an ethno-linguistic segregation that has torn Belgium apart and may have even helped make it an epicenter of terrorism. Americans, take heed….
After the rage and mourning over the Paris terrorist attacks came fears of another Paris—in another city. Nowhere has the debate about how to keep terrorists “over there” from coming over here been waged more vigorously than in the United States. That comes as no surprise. Few doubt that America is on the ISIS hit list….
You’ll find charts galore in the 2016 Index of U.S. Military Strength, but two at the start of the detailed report are particularly troubling. One shows the overall state of our military. It’s not “very strong” or even “strong,” according to the foreign-policy experts who wrote the index, but “marginal” for all branches except one—the…
The barrage of cyber-attacks against U.S. companies continued in 2015. Some were spectacularly successful, costing the victimized companies—as well as their workers and customers—millions. Americans can expect more of the same in 2016. The bad guys still want to steal commercial secrets, as well as your Social Security numbers, birth dates, home addresses, financial records,…
The House of Representatives recently voted to the lift a decades-long ban on exporting crude oil. Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate would do the same. Lifting the ban would generate more jobs for Americans, supply the United States and the world with more affordable energy, and provide important geopolitical benefits for Washington and its…
The holiday season is fast upon us—that time of year when Americans across the country gather ’round the warm glow of their computer screens and try to figure out how on earth they are going to balance their budgets. Political debates can seem a long way away when you’re in a room alone with your…
Despite the deep erudition of this newspaper’s readers—especially of this column—we suggest everyone take a deep breath over their concerns about the possibility of terrorism here aided and abetted by the visa waiver program. Everybody: In with the good air; out with the bad. Great! Now, the current worry is that Europeans who have traveled…
By restoring the corporate welfare doled out by the Export-Import Bank, a majority of Congress on Thursday demonstrated yet again their stubborn allegiance to special interests over the public interest. But the bank won’t be back to business as usual—i.e., financing foreign deals for some of America’s most successful conglomerates—until a vacancy on the board…
Politicians and bureaucrats from nearly 200 nations are gathered in Paris for an international global warming agreement. In his opening statements, President Barack Obama claimed that “there is such a thing as being too late. And when it comes to climate change, that hour is almost upon us.” In the midst of such self-induced high-pressure…
The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the labor market continued to grow steadily in November. Employers added 211,000 net new jobs, while the unemployment rate remained constant. Across the economy, most labor market indicators either improved or remained constant. The household survey showed that the unemployment rate remained at 5 percent in November. However,…
The annual ritual is upon us. Congress is busy at work crafting a bill to extend the approximately 50 tax-reducing policies that expire each year, popularly known as the tax extenders. If reports about the impending package are accurate, the bill will fall short of achieving meaningful policy improvements. The tax extenders expired at the…
Nick Loris wrote earlier this week on the president's opening remarks at the Paris climate conference: President Obama’s opening remarks at the Paris climate agreement were effectively an apology for industrial progress. At the kickoff of the talks, Obama remarked, “I’ve come here personally, as the leader of the world’s largest economy and the second-largest emitter,…
In the aftermath of the massacre in Paris and the shooting this week in San Bernardino, Calif., the debate over the threat of Islamic terrorism is again front and center. Many political leaders, including President Barack Obama, refuse to make the connection between the terrorist acts of groups like ISIS and the religion of Islam….
The intent of the Islamic State (ISIS) is to eradicate all Christians from their self-declared “caliphate.” This past May, ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi released a video that made very clear their intent to destroy individuals who self-identify as Christians through whatever means possible, by death or forced removal. He stated that “coexistence with Jews…