There was a time when riots were a civic catastrophe. Now they’re a content vertical. That’s the first thing that makes this story more relevant Continue Reading
When Principle Needs a Breathalyzer and Trump Still Passes the Iran Test
Here’s the part nobody wants to say out loud because it ruins the cocktail party. Iran did not become a threat to the United States the moment Donald Continue Reading
The Self-Righteous and the Restless Fists
The rotten miracle of modern public life is that people can act like a street gang and still think of themselves as the safety committee. That is Continue Reading
The Halo Is Just a Ring Light
Our public life is now run by the exact species of person who used to get shoved off the student council for being too obviously fake. Not too Continue Reading
Sermons From Behind the Bodyguard
There is no creature on Earth more comical than the modern respectable person calling power vulgar while enjoying the quiet luxury of being guarded by Continue Reading
Burning the Lifeboat to Boo the Captain
There is a species of American political actor who would oppose penicillin if Trump handed out the prescription. That is not principle. That is not Continue Reading
America Runs on Fraud and Calls It Growth
Here's the first rule of modern American economics: if you can light taxpayer money on fire and warm three adjacent zip codes, somebody in a navy suit Continue Reading
The Alibi Factory
The cleverest racket in public life is not corruption. Corruption is almost refreshingly honest. It leaves fingerprints, invoices, cousins on payroll, Continue Reading
Compassion, Now in Luxury Trim
Nothing in America is more profitable than a sacred category with a billing code. Give a scheme the right moral costume and half the country will Continue Reading
Communism With Better Branding
For an ideology that allegedly died in disgrace, communism’s had a fantastic second act. Not a comeback exactly. More like a wardrobe change, a media Continue Reading
The Costume Shop for Moral Outrage
If you want to understand modern politics, stop looking at policy and start looking at costumes. Everyone is auditioning for the role of Continue Reading
Europe Can’t Keep Calling Dad
Europe has spent years pretending that dependency is a sophisticated moral posture. It isn’t. It’s dependency. Put a silk scarf on it, seat it on a Continue Reading