America has recently seen the rise of a new type of contradiction: the radical conservative. It’s hard to pinpoint the beginning of this minority faction, but it is easy to pinpoint the end: Sarah Palin.  READ MORE

In Book VII of The Republic, Plato lays out his vision of the ideal governing structure. His hypothetical utopia, which he calls Kallipolis, is governed by a philosopher king who pays attention to “the seasons, the heavens, the stars, the winds, and everything proper to the craft if he is really to rule the ship.” Plato is on to something here, but I think we can improve on his idea.  READ MORE

In popular culture today, religion is seen as nothing more than a way of explaining life’s mysteries without using one’s brain. Many of society’s simplest people find it comforting to, in the words of Pontus Obama, “cling to guns or religion.” Eventually though, enough proof has lined up behind what was once a brand new idea. It is at this point that traditionalists need to accept defeat and move on.   READ MORE

Don't let the pontificators fool you. The blame for the financial crisis does not (entirely) rest on the shoulders of greedy Wall Street bankers. I know it's hard to wrap your mind around this fact. But don't let emotion cloud your judgment. True blame for the current financial mess lies squarely in the laps of the political leaders of both parties in Washington.   READ MORE

The same President who lauds the importance of his Supreme Court nominee’s private school education and who attended one of the best private schools in the country (Punahou) for some reason opted to shut down a program that has allowed 1,700 poor D.C. school children to escape the squalor of their government run schools. This begs the question: Why do Democrats hate school choice so much?   READ MORE

I recently had the displeasure of watching Wanda Sykes give a speech at the White House Correspondents’ dinner in Washington, D.C. Sykes's attacks on Limbaugh's patriotism were humorous not because she said anything funny (she didn't), but rather because of how hypocritical her statements were. But disregard the blatant hypocrisy, that is not the issue.  READ MORE