Category: Articles
-
By Selwyn Duke It was during the French Revolution, that bloody 10-year affair, that modern “leftism” was officially born. We’re seeing shades of it, too, in France currently, with widespread rioting, arson, vandalism, and looting. This is the result of what are called “protests,” ostensibly motivated by a desire for better school conditions. (And, of…
-
By Selwyn Duke “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” a woman asked Ben Franklin in 1787, at the Constitutional Convention’s close. “A republic, if you can keep it,” he sagely replied. This exchange has been quoted widely. So has a line written in 1798 by our second president, John Adams.…
-
By Selwyn Duke About 10 years after I graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, I drove by the old place to see how it was doing. The kids were out for lunch, and a profound difference was apparent. Asian-descent (AD) pupils, well represented already when I attended, appeared to be at least 50…
-
By Selwyn Duke Much of what governs how people vote isn’t reality, but perception of it. Just consider the economy. We’re supposedly experiencing an “affordability crisis.” It is true, too, that Iran-conflict disruptions have raised oil prices. Yet there’s also much good economic news — though you wouldn’t know it listening to the legacy media.
-
By Selwyn Duke A story in the news some days ago held that Noah’s ark’s resting place had been “100% confirmed.” This wasn’t actually true. What is, however, is that science is proving something else: “New Atheism’s” ship has sailed — and maybe even sunk. Almost a generation ago now, in 2006, biologist Richard Dawkins…
-
By Selwyn Duke Would you pay for your child to be “educated” with “Is the Rectum a Grave?” or “Sex in Public”? How about “Trans, Feminism: Or, Reading Like a Depressed Transsexual,” “Homonationalism in Queer Times,” or “AfroQueer Art Worlds”? No, this isn’t satire. The above are actual readings/courses in the University of Texas’ Department…
-
By Selwyn Duke “Men invent new ideals because they dare not attempt old ideals,” wrote philosopher G.K. Chesterton in 1910. “They look forward with enthusiasm, because they are afraid to look back.” Really, though, what gives worthwhile “old ideals” their value is not that they’re old — it’s that they’re eternal. So many in our…
-
By Selwyn Duke In the legendary 1957 film 12 Angry Men, one holdout juror initially prevents a conviction in a murder trial. “Juror 8” (played by Henry Fonda) says he’s just not yet convinced of the defendant’s guilt. Through persuasion, reasoned analysis, and a little shaming, he leads an effort that eventually results in a…
