Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson During the presidential campaign, we didn’t hear too much from the two candidates about our nation’s debt and liabilities. But we cannot ignore all of this debt and our liabilities. So, let me try to put some of this in perspective. Our current national debt is around $20 trillion. But you get quite different estimates when you begin to talk about our liabilities. I have seen all sorts of numbers depending on how much you count. Even just…

Kerby Anderson Donald Trump wants Congress to pass legislation that will implement tax simplification. We all know how complicated income tax forms can be, so let me give you a brief history provided in an op-ed by John Steele Gordon. After the Civil War, nearly all the taxes (including the nation’s first income tax) were repealed, and the federal government relied mostly on tariffs for revenues. This income was more than enough to run the government and generated significant surpluses….

Kerby Anderson The recent election is another reminder that Americans still value their culture of free enterprise that was established by the founders of this country. Arthur Brooks (American Enterprise Institute) comes to this conclusion in his book, The Battle. The founders promoted a free market where Americans were able to enjoy their political and economic liberty. Thomas Jefferson famously said this in his first inaugural address. “A wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another,…

Kerby Anderson No doubt you have heard the phrase, “politics is downstream from culture.” It is a way of explaining that what is at stake in our world often begins upstream in the culture. Popular culture is all around us and delivered to us through broadcast media and social media. We perceive the world through news reports, through movies, through entertainment programs, and through music. Every form of communication has a message. Sometimes it is blatant and intentional. Often it…

Kerby Anderson The election of Donald Trump now brings questions about what a Trump administration will look like next year. We can begin to speculate who will be in the cabinet, but we don’t have to speculate what will be his administration’s priorities. A few weeks ago, Donald Trump released his Contract with the American Voter. This document was modeled on the 1994 Contract with America written by Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey. There are four parts to Donald Trump’s…

A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Without hesitation, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Kerby Anderson The election is over, and it is time to bring the country together. But is that possible? Every four years we see a map of red and blue states showing the vote for president. But there is growing evidence that we aren’t just a divided country. We are essentially two countries within the same border. Bill Bishop made this case many years ago in his book, The Big Sort. Americans have sorted themselves into various enclaves that are…

Kerby Anderson Will pastors be required to turn in their sermon notes to government officials? That question probably sounds odd unless you have been paying attention to what has been happening right here in America. Two years ago, the mayor of Houston, Texas subpoenaed the sermons of five pastors who opposed the city’s transgender bathroom ordinance. After some controversy, the mayor and the city backed down. Now the Attorney General of Georgia requested the “sermon notes and/or transcripts” from Dr….

Kerby Anderson One of the issues that the next president and the next Congress must address is health care and insurance. Most Americans are facing sticker shock as many of them discover that their premiums have increased and their coverage has decreased. A few weeks ago we saw headlines reporting that ObamaCare premiums will soar 25 percent on average next year. Actually, it was worse than the headlines might indicate. The rate spike was for the cheaper “silver” plans. Moreover,…

Kerby Anderson Today is Election Day, and two important questions should be resolved very soon. The first question is: Who will win the election? Unless there is some glitch in election reporting, we should know that in a few hours. The second question is: How peaceful will be our transition of power? In the past we have had a few bumps in the road. Back in 1960, there was some question about whether John F. Kennedy won the presidency fairly….

Kerby Anderson Tomorrow is the election. You may have already voted, like tens of millions of Americans. But if you haven’t voted, I encourage you to vote because your vote might make the difference. In the past, many groups circulated articles and e-mails talking about the importance of one vote. In the last few elections, we haven’t needed these reminders because the some of the elections in the last few decades provide numerous illustrations. For example, George W. Bush won…