A Modern History of 'Groomer' Politics
The social changes that paved the way for gay and trans acceptance have made pedophile acceptance less likely, not more.
February 2023
Don’t Underestimate Clarence Thomas
Justice Thomas' footprints are all over the Court's recently concluded term.
Features
Kamala Harris Is a Flop
The underwhelming vice presidency of an unpopular former prosecutor has created a succession problem for the Democrats.
Interview
Can Larry Krasner Fix Philly's Crime Problem?
Philadelphia's progressive district attorney tried to enact criminal justice reform—and got impeached for his trouble.
Topics
Chinese Protesters Use Their Bodies as Weapons Against the State
Standing with blank pages in hand, the protesters' goal is to make manifest the implied violence that authoritarian states use to keep order.
Argentina's Inflation Crisis
Annual inflation was reported at 88 percent in October, up from 50 percent in January 2022.
You Can Eat Better Than King Henry VIII, Thanks to Globalization and Burger King
Thanks to globalization, we plebes can pay just $6.49 for a whole Whopper meal fit for a 16th-century king.
Is It 'Treason' To Support Free Trade?
Shipping industry insiders floated a recommendation to charge critics of the Jones Act with treason, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The Courts Are Rejecting Biden's Antitrust Crusade
The Biden administration's antitrust efforts are being shut down by judges, except for a single successful case where best-selling authors were involved.
If China Invades, Taiwan Shouldn't Count on U.S. Support
Compared to Russia, war with China is a deeper nightmare.
The KKK's Push for Compulsory Schooling and a Federal Education Department
In the early 20th century, the Klan's virulent nativism and anti-Catholicism fueled its interest in education policy.
School Closures Still Link to Learning Loss, Nearly 3 Years Into Pandemic
Reading and math scores declined between 2020 to 2022, reversing two decades of improvement.
How Third Parties Die
This is what it looks like when a political party's branches start to go their own way.
Colorado Voters Delivered a Win for Pharmacological Freedom
A ballot initiative approved in November decriminalizes consumption of natural psychedelics.
Pundits Predicted a Backlash Against Criminal Justice Reform in the Midterms. What Happened?
While rising crime created headwinds for candidates who supported criminal justice reform, the apocalyptic storm never quite arrived.
Culture
Is There a Future for the City of Tomorrow?
The consequences of our obsession with urban dystopias and utopias
Books
How the Fed Redistributed Wealth and Encouraged Reckless Corporate Behavior
The Lords of Easy Money argues that the Fed created an economy with nearly irresistible incentives for foolish choices.
The Case for 50 Percent Open Borders
A call for restricting immigration in The Culture Transplant accidentally makes the case for radical liberalization.
Reviews
Review: Naomi Novik's Magic Math Actually Makes Sense
The Golden Enclaves is the third installment of Novik's best-selling Scholomance trilogy.
Review: Post-Roe America Is Unlikely To Resemble the One Seen in The Janes
An underground network in Chicago helped women terminate thousands of pregnancies amid abortion prohibition.
Review: Time Meddling Becomes Altruism in Amazon's The Peripheral
It's the story of a distant future where rich denizens meddle in the affairs of the past.
Review: God Forbid Chronicles Jerry Falwell Jr.'s Fall From Grace
Falwell and his wife engaged in extramarital trysts with a younger man and introduced him to powerful friends, such as future president Donald Trump.
Review: 'How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex'
Samantha Cole's book is marred by vague animosity toward tech companies.
Review: Even in Tolkien's Middle Earth, You Can't Escape Immigration Restrictions
Elves need not apply.
Review: 'Me So Horny' and 59 Other Songs That Explain the '90s
Podcaster and music critic Rob Harvilla reminds us of the debts we owe to the tunes of that often cringeworthy decade.
ETC.
Jennifer Sey Keeps Getting Canceled for Speaking Up
"I think the Democratic Party has severely underestimated how many people like me there are," says the 1986 USA Gymnastics national champion.
Brickbats: February 2023
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
