Men Without Chests by C.S. Lewis Doodle

Men Without Chests by C.S. Lewis Doodle

In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.

This is another video, but it is a reading from The Abolition of Man, so I think it technically counts as a Word of the Day. It is long (almost a half an hour) but it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It almost brings tears to my eyes because of the beauty of Lewis' ideas. However, it cannot be watched when distracted. It must be savored, paused, reflected upon, and digested. It's a full-course meal for the mind.

Why It’s Impossible For Any Group To Be ‘Inclusive’ by Matthew Petrusek

Why It’s Impossible For Any Group To Be ‘Inclusive’ by Matthew Petrusek

This is precisely the problem with “inclusiveness” if it is defined as a community’s highest value. No matter what specific community you have in mind, a totally inclusive community—that is, a community that defines itself by the standard of inclusion—is incoherent and self-defeating.

It is so easy for the Left to tie itself up into incoherent knots of contradiction.

Harvard Professor Accidentally Illustrates How His Kind Has Destroyed The Humanities by Ryan Hammill

Harvard Professor Accidentally Illustrates How His Kind Has Destroyed The Humanities by Ryan Hammill

With this sentence, Simpson supplies the asinine creed for the modern study of the humanities. The purpose of art, he says, is to “hear the voices repressed by official forms of a given culture.” That’s not a side benefit. It’s not an occasional consequence of studying art. It’s the whole point. One could wonder why Simpson is taking such half-measures at Harvard. If hearing repressed voices is truly the central purpose of literature and art, should not Simpson ensure that every Harvard class in the humanities fulfills the “marginalization requirement”?

This professor perfectly C.S. Lewis admonition about trying to "look through" everything. We look through windows to see what's beyond. But what if we looked through the window as well. Pretty soon we are left with nothing material. Everything is translucent. We end up in bizarro world. Pretty much where we are now.

The Deconstruction of the West by ANDREW A. MICHTA

The Deconstruction of the West  by ANDREW A. MICHTA

The problem, rather, is the West’s growing inability to agree on how it should be defined as a civilization. At the core of the deepening dysfunction in the West is the self-induced deconstruction of Western culture and, with it, the glue that for two centuries kept Europe and the United States at the center of the international system. The nation-state has been arguably the most enduring and successful idea that Western culture has produced. It offers a recipe to achieve security, economic growth, and individual freedom at levels unmatched in human history. This concept of a historically anchored and territorially defined national homeland, having absorbed the principles of liberal democracy, the right to private property and liberty bound by the rule of law, has been the core building block of the West’s global success and of whatever “order” has ever existed in the so-called international order.

We stand to lose a great deal when we overthrow Western Civilization. What are we thinking? We're not.

The Poison of Subjectivism by C.S. Lewis Doodle

The Poison of Subjectivism by C.S. Lewis Doodle

If "good" means only the local ideology, how can those who invent the local ideology be guided by any idea of good themselves? The very idea of freedom presupposes some objective moral law which overarches rulers and ruled alike. Subjectivism about values is eternally incompatible with democracy. We and our rulers are of one kind only so long as we are subject to one law. But if there is no Law of Nature, the ethos of any society is the creation of its rulers, educators and conditioners; and every creator stands above and outside his creation.

I know this is not an "article" per se. But it is based on a published essay so it counts. C.S. Lewis called it a half century ago. We are now living in the world he predicted.

How Utah Keeps the American Dream Alive by Megan McArdle

How Utah Keeps the American Dream Alive by Megan McArdle

Utah’s incredible levels of integration, of community solidarity and support, of trust in government and in each other, enable it to build something unique in America, something a bit like Sweden might be, if it were run by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Where the best ideas of conservatives and liberals came together in one delicious package: business friendly, opportunity friendly, but also highly committed to caring for the needy and helping them get back on their feet.

Although it's the Mormons she praises, their values are the values of all Christians. Imagine if we actually lived them. You're imagining Utah.

Read Literature to Learn and Love the Truth by Anthony Esolen

Read Literature to Learn and Love the Truth by Anthony Esolen

“Truth sometimes comes to us in a flannel shirt and denim trousers.” But only if we set our hearts upon the truth will we suspect that the farmer over there, who does not have sociological studies at his fingertips, is speaking it. The trick is to raise people who will not give the field over to the academics, the experts, the well-heeled recipients of grants for discovering what they knew they had damned well better discover in order to justify the grant. Academe is a cauldron of eels. It is stuffed full of poseurs and liars. The trick is to raise people sagacious enough to distinguish between a falsehood even if propped up by sophistication, and a truth even if naively or poorly expressed.

This guy writes of such beautiful ideas, I could almost cry for the sheer joy or reading his words.

Celebrating Transgender Diversity Requires Solid Gender Roles by Leslie Loftis

Celebrating Transgender Diversity Requires Solid Gender Roles by Leslie Loftis

Without notions of feminine or masculine dress, roles, and affectations, what basis would transgender men or women use for claiming to feel like the other gender?  Or more practically stated: how would we distinguish between a transgender boy and a tomboy?

Will feminists ever recognize that the transgendered epitomize the gender stereotypes they fought so hard to escape?

The Humanities Move Off Campus by Victor Davis Hanson

The Humanities Move Off Campus by Victor Davis Hanson

But in recent decades, classical and traditional liberal arts education has begun to erode, and a variety of unexpected consequences have followed. The academic battle has now gone beyond the in-house “culture wars” of the 1980s. Though the argument over politically correct curricula, controversial faculty appointments, and the traditional mission of the university is ongoing, the university now finds itself being bypassed technologically, conceptually, and culturally, in ways both welcome and disturbing.

He paints both a glorious picture of what education is supposed to be and a dire warning of what it is. Is anyone listening?

How Late-Night Comedy Fueled the Rise of Trump by Caitlin Flanagan

How Late-Night Comedy Fueled the Rise of Trump by Caitlin Flanagan

Though aimed at blue-state sophisticates, these shows are an unintended but powerful form of propaganda for conservatives. When Republicans see these harsh jokes—which echo down through the morning news shows and the chattering day’s worth of viral clips, along with those of Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyers—they don’t just see a handful of comics mocking them. They see HBO, Comedy Central, TBS, ABC, CBS, and NBC. In other words, they see exactly what Donald Trump has taught them: that the entire media landscape loathes them, their values, their family, and their religion. It is hardly a reach for them to further imagine that the legitimate news shows on these channels are run by similarly partisan players—nor is it at all illogical.

I wonder when the left will realize they caused all that they hate about Donald Trump. They have accused the right of being sexist, intolerant, xenophobic, homophobic, islamophobic, racist, and bigoted. It was only a matter of time before conservatives said enough.

Why Are So Many Lesbians Getting Pregnant? by Glenn Stanton

Why Are So Many Lesbians Getting Pregnant? by Glenn Stanton

First, what’s going on in the emotional lives of these particular youths that has them behaving in such a hyper-sexualized manner? What emptiness are they seeking to fill? Their own dignity demands honest investigation, free of ideological assumptions. Insisting it’s simply a lack of good sex education or social affirmation is nothing short of malpractice. Second, do these identities we call “gay” and “lesbian” actually exist in the way we assume they do? They certainly exist as political or social identities. But in functional reality, that seems less clear.

Absolutely fascinating article on a topic that has gotten almost no traction. To my mind this IS the conversation that should be happening.

Why Colin Kaepernick’s Protest Failed by Kyle Smith

Why Colin Kaepernick’s Protest Failed by Kyle Smith

Rather, the flag stands for the American ideal, and while we can all disagree about how well we have lived up to the principles comprising that ideal, only extremists would decry the principles themselves. Kaepernick said he took a knee during the National Anthem as a gesture of solidarity for, and concern about, black Americans mistreated by police. His error was in conflating the actions of a few errant police officers with America itself. His protest was therefore rightly seen by many football fans as outrageous...

So glad he is paying a price for disrespecting all Americans and the ideals we hold. 

He Is Not Here by Kevin Williamson

He Is Not Here by Kevin Williamson

Pilate’s position must be familiar to anyone who works in or around politics. He was a mostly apolitical administrator, a man who believed in good government, which meant keeping the peace in Jerusalem during Passover. But there was trouble, a street preacher who must surely have seemed like a crackpot to Pilate: Jesus was not the first resurrection deity worshiped in the spring by the ceremonial eating of bread (think of the pagan goddess Ceres the next time you are offered a slice of wedding cake), nor were his followers the first Dionysian mystery cult organized around the ceremonial drinking of wine. Pilate was used to this sort of thing, which he must have seen a thousand times before...

When this guy writes on religious topics, he is particularly insightful.

Why Are Black College Graduates Less Wealthy Than Other College Grads? by Mona Charon

Why Are Black College Graduates Less Wealthy Than Other College Grads? by Mona Charon

As I feared though, he avoided what I consider to be a key factor in the black/white difference. The great divide in wealth accumulation in America is founded on marriage. Married couples accumulate much more wealth than divorced or never married people do. A study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the median married couple in their sixties had ten times more wealth than a typical single person. 

This breaks my heart. We are so afraid of telling people the truth. It feels too judgmental. And yet, not knowing the truth is a huge handicap.

How Target Botched Its Response to the North Carolina Bathroom Law By Khadeeja Safdar

How Target Botched Its Response to the North Carolina Bathroom Law By Khadeeja Safdar

Mr. Cornell, who was out of the office addressing vendors the day the post was published, returned to assess the damage. Retracting the statement wasn't an option, he decided—that might have worse consequences than standing by it. Left-leaning areas such as Los Angeles are among Target’s fastest-growing markets. 

Inside the company, executives predicted the backlash would die down. It didn’t, and foot traffic in several markets, particularly in the South, declined considerably in the months following the announcement.

Why businesses should stay out of politics.

Communism for Kids By Bini Adamczak

Communism for Kids By Bini Adamczak

Once upon a time, people yearned to be free of the misery of capitalism. How could their dreams come true? This little book proposes a different kind of communism, one that is true to its ideals and free from authoritarianism. Offering relief for many who have been numbed by Marxist exegesis and given headaches by the earnest pompousness of socialist politics, it presents political theory in the simple terms of a children’s story, accompanied by illustrations of lovable little revolutionaries experiencing their political awakening.

Wow. Just wow.

Anchor to Windward: On seminars and searching for Higher Things by Siobhan O'Rourke

Anchor to Windward: On seminars and searching for Higher Things by Siobhan O'Rourke

Since this discussion, I have told this story to friends, some of whom are teachers and some of whom are not. It brings me close to tears every time. The tears are not because I am proud of my students (though I am), nor because they worked hard and one person finally put into words a correct answer (even though that was what happened). The tears are because my students are buying into the project of pursuing what is true, good, and beautiful. At ten years old, my students are searching for answers to timeless questions. They beg for more seminars, and they are so excited that the next eight years of school mean they get to discuss ideas like this each day. They are becoming a part of the Great Conversation, and they are starting to see the ways it can affect their lives.

This is what it is all about!

Warrior for Truth and Beauty: Anthony Esolen’s stout defense of Western culture and civilization by Edward Short

Warrior for Truth and Beauty: Anthony Esolen’s stout defense of Western culture and civilization by Edward Short

Yet Esolen rightly sees what the aesthete in James misses—that before our speech can be “developed, delicate, flexible, rich,” it must first be true. And here is where the social prophet in the author comes to the fore. “We have no choice now,” he tells his readers bluntly, “but to live in a world whose governments and most successful businesses are mills for the mass production of deceit.” George Orwell could not have put the matter more precisely, but it is what Esolen exhorts his readers to do in response that sets him apart: “We must not only refuse to give credit to the lie. We—and our children—must refuse to utter the lie, or to use its language.”

I was introduced to Anthony Esolen when I read his translation of Dante's Inferno. Since then, I have heard he will be the commencement speaker at Hillsdale this year. In addition I have heard him interviewed about this book. The guy is everywhere. And that's a good thing!

The Long Shadow of Roe Haunts the Supreme Court Debate by David French

The Long Shadow of Roe Haunts the Supreme Court Debate by David French

It is difficult to overstate the legal and moral consequences of the Supreme Court’s decisions, rendered inevitable in 1965, formalized in 1973, and reaffirmed in 1992, to dishonestly create and illegitimately protect a “constitutional” right to abortion. In a series of strokes, the Court declared that the text and history of the Constitution — even reason and logic itself — were inconsequential compared with the presumed social justice of the outcome. This was the “living constitution” turned into a child-devouring monster.

This so clearly states the damage to the Supreme Court and the nation as a whole when the Court gets away from the actual text of the Constitution.

Soon You'll be Able to go to Work in a Flying Taxi by Richard Whittle

Soon You'll be Able to go to Work in a Flying Taxi by Richard Whittle

It may sound like an episode of “The Jetsons,” but electric air taxis are a form of transportation that is coming to Dubai in just a few months. And investors hope American cities aren’t much far behind.

It's not exactly the flying cars I had hoped for, but drones to whisk you from place to place are pretty cool as well. 

Why Men and Women Can Never Be ‘Just Friends’ by Hans Fiene

Why Men and Women Can Never Be ‘Just Friends’ by Hans Fiene

Accept the truth, ladies. You don’t have any guy friends. You can’t have any guy friends. And because America can no longer afford to have its young adults waste their fertile years thinking otherwise, the time has come to tear down the Friend Zone and set free every man trapped within its confines.

I hate that it's true... but it is... We girls love our guy friends. Apparently they love us too... just too much.

To Really Fix Health Care, Republicans Must Get At What Spurred Obamacare by Willis L. Krumholz

To Really Fix Health Care, Republicans Must Get At What Spurred Obamacare by Willis L. Krumholz

...the thing that would actually reduce the cost of American’s healthcare bills, increase the quality of healthcare, and boost take-home pay—would be to begin to phase out all subsidies that give the third-party payment system its lifeblood, not to make sure that everybody is subsidized.

This piece explains everything that is wrong with how we pay for healthcare and includes a detailed way to fix it. 

College Without Truth by Molly Orshatz

College Without Truth by Molly Orshatz

Thus the paradox of our educational culture: A relativism designed to promote tolerance and cooperation leads to suspicion and conflict. If there is a truth out there that we can hope to access, if only imperfectly, then intellectual conflict is meaningful and purposeful: It might help us inch closer to truth. But if there isn’t any truth apart from the equality of our endlessly diverse selves, then every debate is a personal battle. Every act of persuasion, no matter how reasoned, is an attempt to dominate, and to be persuaded is to submit to someone else’s reality. Epistemological relativism makes a free, open debate an aggressive, winner-take-all battle of wills.

Brilliant take on why colleges are struggling so much with free speech.