The Left-Right Spectrum Is Mostly Meaningless
The political landscape doesn’t fit on a simple map.
June 2023
Storks Don't Take Orders From the State
Falling birthrates, pro-natalist policies, and the limits of population control
Features
Will 2024 Bring the Return of the Neocons?
The GOP nominee can forge a humbler path on foreign policy—or turn back to failed neoconservatism.
How an Ill-Informed Internet Mob Ruined a UVA Student's Life
Morgan Bettinger was accused on social media of telling protesters they would make good "speed bumps." It was more than a year before investigations cleared her.
Interview
Marc Andreessen on A.I., Bitcoin, and Billionaires
Is the A.I. breakthrough for real this time?
Topics
TikTok Goes From Silly to Serious
The Chinese app has become a magnet for every possible cultural concern.
Biden Has Added 220 Million Hours of Regulatory Paperwork Since His Inauguration
It equates to "roughly 25,000 years" of filling out forms and other compliance tasks, reports American Action Forum's Dan Goldbeck.
Will Separation of Powers Doom Biden's Student Debt Plan?
Biden v. Nebraska has far-reaching implications for presidential power.
New York Legalized Marijuana, but a Legal Typo Is Hindering Implementation
Correcting the error will require new legislation.
The Biomedical Testing Revolution Promises a Theranos That Actually Works
Most cancer diagnoses and deaths are due to cancers for which there are no recommended screening tests.
Failing to Reform Social Security Means Mandatory Cuts
Social Security will become insolvent in the early 2030s if Congress does nothing.
Don't Mix Rare Bourbon With State Power
Oregon liquor regulators were caught diverting prized whiskey for personal use.
State Department To Bring Back Domestic Visa Renewal for Some Foreign Workers
Until 2004, all foreign workers could renew their visas without leaving the United States.
Salt Lake City Suspended Use of Police K9s and Nothing Bad Happened, Study Shows
Retire the paw patrol.
The Rise of Right-Progressivism
The post-liberal conservatives who disparage "right-liberalism" are unapologetic proponents of actual left-wing policies.
Culture
What Do Gadsden Flags and Pride Flags Have in Common?
Sexual minorities aren't the only ones who love to wave identity flags.
Books
Who Owns Your Brain Data?
Nita A. Farahany's The Battle for Your Brain shows how neurotech can help, or hurt, human liberty.
Oppression in the South Was Not an Expression of Freedom
Freedom's Dominion argues Southern history was animated by "racialized radical anti-statism." The case is lacking.
Beware the 'Christian Prince'
The Case for Christian Nationalism advocates for an ethnically uniform nation ruled by a "Christian prince."
Reviews
Review: Animal Control Pokes Fun at Real-World Policing Problems
Asset forfeiture isn't funny—but what if it involves tripping bunnies and psychedelic mushrooms?
Review: National Shrine Celebrates St. John Paul II as a Freedom Fighter
Too few remember the pope's opposition to Polish building regulation.
Review: The Man Who Hacked the World Captures the Chaos of John McAfee
Author Alex Cody Foster went deep with McAfee for months in an ill-fated attempt to ghostwrite his memoir.
Review: Bragg Brothers' Pinball Depicts Repeal of the Game's Ban in New York City
Politicians in the last century accused pinball of being mob activity.
Review: Everything I Need I Get from You Gives a Fangirl's View of the Internet
Author Kaitlyn Tiffany offers a history of fandoms.
Review: Imperfect Victims Documents Women Who Are Prosecuted for Defending Themselves
Author Leigh Goodmark's end goals of abolishing prisons and defunding police are hard to swallow.
Review: Poker Face Puts a Modern Spin on Old-School Detective Shows
Knives Out director Rian Johnson offers a twisted vision of the American economy as one populated by makers and moochers.
ETC.
D.C. Smoke Shop Owner: 'I Know I'm Doing the Right Thing.'
Thanks to the city's Initiative 71, Lit City Smoke Shop is part of D.C.'s thriving weed-gifting industry.
Brickbats: June 2023
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
