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
Pope Leo, AI, and Just War Theory
Pope Leo XIV’s “Magnifica Humanitas” warns that just war theory has too often been used to justify any kind of war and, in light of modern weapons and artificial intelligence, may be outdated. But is he correct? From Homer’s “Iliad” to our own constitutional order, civilization has understood that war is never morally self-authenticating. The… -
opinion
As Congress Works to Protect College Sports, Women Shouldn’t Pay the Price
When a piece of legislation includes the word “protect” in its title, most people assume it does what it says. But after years of fighting for fairness in women’s athletics—on the track, in the courtroom, and all the way to the Supreme Court—I’ve learned to read the fine print. The Protect College Sports Act as… -
opinion
The Unspoken Young Men Crisis: AI Girlfriends
Large-language models and artificial intelligence chatbots are changing how we approach work, leisure, relationships, and our very understanding of humanity. And now, AI companionship bots threaten to neuter an entire generation of young men. America’s young men are adrift on a rudderless ship. Today, many of them are denied moral formation, lack authentic masculine role… -
opinion
Anthony Fauci Held in Contempt of Senate Committee: Now What?
Now that the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has voted along party lines to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, the inevitable question is: What happens next? The answer is both straightforward and complicated. The statute is clear; the politics are not. And the history of contempt referrals teaches a familiar Washington… -
opinion
Conservative College Students Need Courage
It was freshman year at my small liberal arts college. I walked into my social psychology class and was immediately asked to share my “preferred pronouns.” I was appalled by the question. “Do I not look like a girl?” I thought to myself. I hoped that would be the most uncomfortable part of my first semester; I was blissfully unaware that I would soon spend three weeks trying to “unlearn my whiteness.” Growing up in a small, rural town in Pennsylvania, I had… -
opinion
Tipping the Scales: How Washington Pays Megafarms to Beat Family Farms
With food prices on the rise and Americans reassessing their monthly food budgets, the Senate Agriculture Committee is set to mark up the farm bill today. Packed with agriculture subsidies originating during the Great Depression, the farm bill has been informed by a belief that these subsidies “save the struggling family farm,” but the facts… -
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…