Recent Viewpoints

Kerby Anderson “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.” That’s a phrase we often use that has been attributed to Everett Dirksen, though it is doubtful he ever said it. But let me suggest a variation of it. “A regulation here, and a regulation there, and soon you are talking about real money.” Over the years, I have talked about the economic costs of more and more regulations. Recently, a consumer watchdog organization calculated…

Kerby Anderson The latest controversy at the United Nations over comments by the Secretary-General is a reminder of how many times the UN has taken an anti-Israel stance. Senator Ted Cruz believes the Secretary-General should resign and adds that “many aspects of the UN, like the Human Rights Council and UNRWA are either antisemitic or give cover for terrorism or both.” While there may be some debate about the recent comments, they come after decades of false accusations against Jews…

Kerby Anderson We need to confront antisemitism. Noah Rothman writes, “Your Turn, Democrats.” He explains that mainstream Republicans have confronted right-wing antisemitism, but the left has not done so. It is time for Democratic politicians and liberal thought leaders to do the same. Yesterday, I talked about the divide in America between those who were shocked at the brutality of Hamas terrorism and others who marched in the streets to support Hamas and oppose Israel. Add to that the increasing…

Kerby Anderson I think we all know that America is divided politically, but the greatest divide is between old and young. This was illustrated when young people took to the streets to support Hamas after the October 7 attack on Israel. A Harvard/Harris survey conducted in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel illustrated this demographic divide. Older Americans believed the US was justified in branding Hamas as a “terrorist group” and believed the attack was “genocidal.” Younger Americans…

Penna Dexter What is education even for? Not, it seems, for proficiency in core subjects. At least not in Oregon or in other states that have been ratcheting down their educational standards. Recently, the Oregon Board of Education, by unanimous vote, decided to drop state graduation requirements that students be proficient in math, reading and writing. The board’s statement announcing the move called the standards “burdensome to teachers and students.” Oregon suspended its proficiency requirement for graduation in 2020, a…

Kerby Anderson Has Christianity made a positive impact on Western civilization? That was a question I posed a few years ago in a commentary and provided a short list of atheists who would agree with that statement. Now, there are more atheists coming to that conclusion. Jonathon Van Maren writes about a number of atheists whom he calls “King Agrippa Christians.” After the Apostle Paul gave his testimony and the gospel to the king, he said he was nearly persuaded….

Kerby Anderson Free speech is an essential foundation for a free society. Unfortunately, authoritarians in this country and around the world want to stop the free exchange of ideas and information. That is why an eclectic group signed the “Westminster Declaration.” Among the signers are psychologist Jordan Peterson, British biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, former ACLU president and law professor Nadine Strossen, editor Julian Assange, journalist Matt Taibbi, and author and researcher Michael Shellenberger. I have…

Kerby Anderson When it comes to government economic numbers, you don’t know who to believe. A good example came from a recent TV interview with Janet Yellen. In case you aren’t familiar with her, she has been the Secretary of the Treasury since January 2021. Before that she was the chair of the Federal Reserve for four years. She was asked if America could afford a second war when the US debt-to-GDP was at 122%. Of course, she said America…

Kerby Anderson Yesterday I talked about the post Hamas world. I ended with an observation that many Americans have developed an even more negative opinion of our universities because presidents at these elite institutions could not condemn the evil actions by Hamas against Israel. Major donors are pulling their money from these elite schools, while administrators and professors with a conscience have taken to criticizing moral cowardice. Zeke Emanuel is the current vice provost at the University of Pennsylvania.  He…

Kerby Anderson Most events in history are mere footnotes in history books, but there is some reason to believe the Hamas attack on Israel will change just about everything. That includes everything from the current US policy on the Middle East to American attitudes towards university campuses. Victor Davis Hanson is one commentator convinced of the significant changes. He notes that it has been 22 years since we saw crowds in the Middle East celebrating the killing of 3,000 civilians….

Penna Dexter Israel’s critics have denounced even its very first efforts to defend itself against Hamas’s horrific massacre. These voices warn that any civilian casualties will be seen as war crimes. And it’s true: the deliberate targeting of civilians is a violation of international law and the laws of war. But unlike Hamas, Israel does not target civilians. Law Professor Eugene Kontorovich asks this question in a Wall Street Journal op-ed:“Does international law require a nation to choose between committing…