Lions of Iran • On the fight for liberation and the moral failure of Western media and leftist activists

William F. Buckley's greatest lesson • On the call to civility in our divided times

Trump speaks to Venezuelans • Trump's speech on capturing Maduro and reactions

After Maduro • On the most evil Latin American dictator of our day—and the future of Venezuela

A year of noticing • Highlights and lowlights from 2025

Bravo, Shapiro • On Ben Shapiro's speech at TPUSA

A few bad men • Reiner's murder, Trump's response, and decency in leadership

Somaliapolis • How a quarter-million Americans became a national Rorschach test

Palestinians bring Christmas cheer to Brussels • Belgium is failing to learn an important lesson—and paying the price

A brief season of civility • NYT mocked the Trump-Mamdani meeting while Fox saw a lesson in civic virtue

How WaPo makes woke parents look good • They rigged the data for their guide on where to raise one's family

On the government shutdown • Random thoughts about state failure and the origins of democracy

Summer of my discontent • A review of Thomas Chatterton Williams’ Summer of Our Discontent

Why blue-collar culture matters • It exemplifies indispensable virtues: dignity through work, independence through skill, and humility through service.

Antifa is not an organization, it's worse • But Trump still cannot formally label them a terrorist group

The progressive retreat from American life • What Katie Porter's disastrous CBS interview signifies

How meditation helps you think • By teaching you what you really are

Love and garbage • On the death and legacy of Ivan Klíma

Why the left has no Charlie Kirk • And how to solve the problem

The barbarians are inside the gates • On the Manchester synagogue attack

Why does Chinese alcohol taste so awful? • China’s baijiu gets a bad rap for its powerful flavor, but it’s a wonderfully complex drink

Ta-Nehisi Coates is harnessing hate toward political ends • And praise for Ezra Klein's new political project

On the meaning of faith • It's not irrational, but it is misunderstood

The execution gap in American diplomacy • The problem is the messenger, not the message

Commonplace thoughts • What do I read in my free time