Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson Yesterday, I talked about the rising amount of national debt because we have increased the deficit over the last six months by $1 trillion. You might logically wonder if the government could find some ways to save some money by cutting spending. Let me illustrate how difficult that has been by taking us back to last year when Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency tried cutting spending. A few months ago, the New York Times did…

Kerby Anderson War is costly. After more than three weeks of military engagement in Iran, critics and even many supporters want to know the costs. The cost in lives has been minimal, though any person who dies in a war is a tragedy. But previous war games done by the Defense Department estimated a much greater loss of life and military hardware. And it’s reasonable to assume that Iran’s military will not be able to threaten its neighbors anytime in…

Penna Dexter Planned Parenthood affiliates are getting creative in the face of the loss of taxpayer funding. In a 6-3 decision last June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can exclude Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid programs on the basis that the organization provides abortions. This imperils the organization’s presence in conservative states. Soon thereafter Congress passed and the president signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act which bars Medicaid funding for tax exempt organizations that perform abortions. For…

Kerby Anderson Ben Shapiro believes there is “a growing sense of frustration coursing through American politics, and it is no longer confined to one party or ideology.” It began with the frustration over the pandemic, politics, and fears about artificial intelligence. But, he argues, it has mutated into something darker: nihilism. This form of nihilism, he explains, is built on an enormous lie. “It tells people that America’s problems are unsolvable, that their personal struggles are not the result of…

Kerby Anderson In previous commentaries, I have talked about the declining birth rates in most developed countries. People are not having as many children as they used to. John Goodman explains why there is a birth dearth. First, there is the opportunity cost of motherhood. He explains that “for most of the 20th century, a typical woman aspired to be a housewife and mother. In the interim, she chose occupations that accommodated her husband’s career. Teaching, nursing, and secretarial work,…

Kerby Anderson Christianity these days can been seen through a good news/bad news perspective. The good news is that Bible sales are soaring. But the bad news is that for so many Christians, identity is more symbolic than behavioral. That is the conclusion of the latest SALT Index survey done by Back to the Bible. In case, you are wondering SALT stands for “Scripture Absorption and Life Transformation.” Arnie Cole is the CEO and was on my program to talk…

Kerby Anderson Many people are letting artificial intelligence make most of their decisions. Social scientists have referred to it as AI complacency. A recent court case illustrates my point. A woman was directed by her smartphone to take a route that cut across a four-lane highway with no shoulder, crosswalks, or traffic lights. When crossing, she was injured. As you might imagine, she sued the provider of the instructions, but the court ruled against her because she should have understood…

Kerby Anderson Will artificial intelligence replace your job? The answer to that important question depends on the type of job you have and how fast AI is implemented in society. Mario Loyola reminds us of a Karl Marx quote: “The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.” He lived through the industrial revolution and saw menial jobs being replaced by machines. The AI revolution could replace a significant percentage of entry-level jobs. Personal computers have…

Penna Dexter We’re in the thick of Lent, the period of 40 days, which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar. Lent is a time of preparation for Easter, and, in many Christian traditions, a season of remorse. Lent can serve a good purpose even for people who are not in liturgical churches and don’t observe or think about it much. Christians are often uncomfortable with a whole lot of lament and remorse. But something has gone wrong. It’s called…

Kerby Anderson How do crazy and destructive ideas become mainstream in America? Victor Davis Hanson explains the process in a recent commentary. The first step begins with left-leaning researchers in elite universities. It may be a warning about the scorching planet or the need for radical sex-reassignment surgeries. The next step is the media springing into action to persuade a skeptical public. It castigates any doubters as “conspiracy theorists” who spread “disinformation” or “misinformation.” Third, liberal foundations begin funding more…

Kerby Anderson Every few months I do a commentary on marijuana because of new research that has been published about its potential dangers. The occasion this time is an editorial by The New York Times admitting they were wrong. You don’t see such an admission very often. The editors said, “It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem.” They had accepted the view that marijuana “was a harmless drug that might even bring net health benefits”…