How the Political Spectrum Turned Inside Out
From 9/11 to the COVID-19 pandemic, crisis moments keep reshaping the political landscape.
Barack Obama
How Did Immigration Politics Get So Toxic?
Changing migration patterns, outdated policy tools, and growing presidential power made it inevitable.
Jane Coaston: What Is 'Freedom' to Democrats?
The New York Times contributor discusses the Democratic National Convention and the rhetoric of "freedom" on Just Asking Questions.
Nobody Cared About Bernie's Speech
Plus: Obama endorses building more housing, why CEOs are paid so much, and more...
Democrats Just Can't Quit Saving Our Souls
Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton bring millenarianism—and messianism—back.
The 9/11 Plotters Should Have Been Found Guilty in a Real Court
War on Terror fears and the CIA’s torture program kept Khalid Sheikh Mohammed out of civilian courts—and prevented true justice from being served.
RFK Jr. Pays Lip Service to the Debt While Pushing Policies That Would Increase It
It's good to hear a candidate actually talk about our spending problem. But his campaign promises would exacerbate it.
The National Debt Is Now So High That Every American Essentially Owes $100,000
We could grow our way out of our debt burden if politicians would limit spending increases to just below America's average yearly economic growth. But they won't even do that.
They Said They Didn't Want War With Iran. Now They're Cheering on War With Iran.
Many of the Washington hawks calling for war with Iran had sworn up and down that more pressure was not a path to war.
Say No to This: America's Fiscal Norms Are in Decline
Despite their informal nature, those norms have historically constrained U.S. fiscal policy. But they're eroding.
How Obama Gave Trump the 'Military-Age Males' Talking Point
The same tactics used to justify drone strikes are now being used to demonize immigrant men.
Democrats Say They're Fighting Inequality. But Many of Their Policies Favor the Rich.
Over the last several years, they have worked nonstop to ease the tax burden of their high-income constituents.
Banning Criminal Background Checks Will Lead To More Housing Discrimination, Not Less
The best reforms would correct the real problems of overcriminalization and overincarceration, as well as removing all artificial barriers to building more homes.
Congress Is Still Using 'Emergency Spending' on Non-Emergencies
Since Congress won't cut spending, an independent commission may be the only way to rein in the debt.
The Sticky Spaghetti School of Constitutional Law
Politicians are throwing laws at the wall and seeing what sticks.
The Southern Poverty Law Center Makes Millions Trafficking Hate
The Center has gotten rich in part thanks to its "hate map," which smears many good people.
The Two Faces of Ron DeSantis
Sometimes he calls for freedom, and sometimes he preaches something darker.
Republicans' and Democrats' Refusal To Reform Social Security and Medicare Is Political Malpractice
In 10 years, the programs' funds will be insolvent. Over the next 30 years, they will run a $116 trillion shortfall.
The Real Political Scandal Is That Too Many Documents Are Classified
Many Democrats and Republicans were outraged when Trump and Biden respectively were found with classified documents. But both sides are missing the point.
The Political Lies That Really Matter
From George Santos to Joe Biden, résumé padding is unacceptable. But it's all the lies about legislation we can't afford.
'The Hypocrisy Hurts': Enes Kanter Freedom on Standing Up to China in the NBA
"When it comes to problems happening in America, [the NBA is] the first organization saying, 'This is wrong,'" says the former professional basketball player. But then they're silent for victims of torture.
Presidents Bush and Obama Mistakenly Think We Need Their Warnings About Disinformation
Thanks, but we lived through the lies of their administrations that they used to sell us war and intrusive government meddling in health care.
Netflix Teams Up With the Obamas To Produce Big Government Propaganda
The G Word, a new documentary, only occasionally covers serious issues. But it opts not to do honest reporting.
Review: Barack Obama and Adam Conover Want To Shift the Blame for Government Failures
Netflix's The G Word tries and fails to restore faith in big government.
The Biden Administration Is Taking From the Poor and Giving to the Rich
From student debt cancellation to green subsidies, the White House is giving handouts paid for by hardworking lower-wage Americans.
Elected Leaders Daydream About Being Dictators. They Shouldn't.
"If government is big enough to give you anything, it's big enough to take everything away from you."
Pete Buttigieg Is Moving to Michigan. He Should Take the Transportation Department With Him.
It would signal that the transportation future involves decentralization and rapid change rather than Washington-style command-and-control.
The G Word Begs Americans To Fall Back in Love with Uncle Sam
Adam Conover and President Barack Obama want to unruin the federal government. But they’re not really willing to truly consider that it’s too big and too wasteful.
Biden Says the Deficit Is Falling. Actually, It's Rising.
Under Biden, Trump, and Obama, government federal spending almost doubled.
Trudeau Took a Page From Obama When He Froze Protesters' Bank Accounts
When governments can de-bank you, you are not really free.
The Perverse Incentives of Puerto Rico's Debt Deal
Habitual debt busts are one Latin American export that is better left on the dock.
Let Trade Topple Cuba's Tyranny
Biden should denounce Cuba’s communist tyranny while pushing for more free trade with Cubans.
If Democrats Truly Wanted To Level the Playing Field, They'd End Crony Corporate Handouts
They give an edge to big companies that have no problems accessing capital and whose executives are often well-connected with politicians.
Biden Won't End the Warfare-Surveillance State
National security reporter Spencer Ackerman on 9/11, mass surveillance at home, and failed wars abroad.
Stephen Wertheim: 9/11, Afghanistan, and Failed Foreign Policy
"You don’t get to lose a war and expect the result to look like you won it," says the author of Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy.
Why It Took So Long To Leave Afghanistan: Antiwar.com's Scott Horton
The foreign policy author and podcast host discusses Joe Biden's withdrawal and how to fix U.S. foreign policy.
Nothing Was Gained From 20 Years in Afghanistan
Why did it take presidents so long to realize this?
Keystone Pipeline's Cancellation Shows How Arbitrary Presidential Power Subverts the Rule of Law
Citizens and companies increasingly cannot count on the stability of the law when making decisions about their lives and businesses.
Biden Won't Close the 'Tax Gap,' but He Will Snoop on Your Bank Records
Another new Democratic administration, another hollow promise to discover hundreds of billions of unreported tax obligations under the national mattress.
The U.S. Doesn't Have a Labor Shortage. It Has an Incentive Shortage.
The government's coronavirus-related unemployment benefits are encouraging some to stay unemployed.
Beware of Big Presidential Speeches During Times of Crisis
Biden tonight, like LBJ in 1964, Ford in 1975, Reagan in 1981, and Obama in 2009, is ready to make some terraforming asks to a pliant Congress.
Obama Official Still Defends Doctrine That Led to Disastrous Libya Strikes
Anne-Marie Slaughter hasn’t given up on intervention and the “responsibility to protect” doctrine.
Presidential Mercy Is a Woefully Inadequate Remedy for Injustice
The controversy over Trump’s pardons and commutations highlights longstanding problems with clemency.
Joe Biden Doesn't Want to Be Another 'Deporter in Chief'
The new president issued a 100-day moratorium on deportations.
Obama Knocks 'Defund the Police' Activists for Valuing 'Feel Good' Sloganeering Over Practical Reforms
Efforts to push for substantial police reforms many people would support instead became a political battlefield.
The Best Thing About a Trump Loss Is Stephen Miller Leaving the White House
Just about everyone—conservatives, progressives, libertarians—should be glad to say goodbye to this cruel approach to immigration policy.
Trump Takes Credit for Food Aid in Letter to Needy Families. Sound Familiar?
The president has been criticized for politicizing aid as the election draws closer.
