Right Opinion
The best of conservative opinion and commentary, updated daily.
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Our Diminished Trust in Government Can Be Traced to the Bungles in Vietnam
One day [Marine Theodore Wallace] saw an officer casually aim his rifle and try to shoot a Vietnamese boy in the distance.
An American Who Talked Too Much
Luigi Barzini, my old pal and the author of so many fine books all written from his aerie above Rome — his finest of which, “The Italians,” he wrote in English — once jolted me by saying, “You Americans talk too much.”
Oops, Republicans Did It Again
Despite a mountain of historical evidence that the Republican Party doesn’t seriously stand for smaller government and individual liberty, I maintained some hope that this time would be different.
Wars and Rumors of Wars
One month after the election, President-elect Donald Trump made a “victory tour” of states that had helped deliver his surprise win.
The Problem of Competitive Victimhood
The startling 2016 presidential election weakened the notion of tribal identity rather than a shared American identity. And it may have begun a return to the old idea of unhyphenated Americans.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Israel, Prayers and Lifetime of Love
Thirty-four years ago this summer, I was fresh out of college and earnestly seeking God’s will in my life. My heart was hungry for a godly man of outstanding character.
Trump, Kelly, Congress and Negotiations
General John Kelly has been chief of staff for only a couple of days, and already the conventional media wisdom is that he will fail. He will be unable to corral the strong West Wing staff personalities and, more importantly, will never be able to manage the Boss. I’m not so sure.
The Prognosis for Repeal of ObamaCare
Fast forward to 2017. The party that ran on a repeal platform now holds the White House and a majority in both houses of Congress. Surely the plug would finally be pulled on Obamacare. But no. In a vote that ignored the clear will of the American people, the Senate recently voted against taking the next step in undoing this damage.
Clapper Controversy
A big story broke in the last 24 hours. This story it has far greater implications than anything else the left-wing pundits are talking about, but you won’t hear about it from the mainstream media. It goes straight to the question of whether Barack Obama weaponized America’s intelligence agencies against Congress and perhaps even the Supreme Court.
Nominees Enter Trump’s Courts With Praise
There may be some drama with the president’s own staff, but Republicans have plenty of good things to say about his other hires: a popular slate of judges to the federal bench. As the health care debate unfolded on Capitol Hill, President Trump was simultaneously working to fulfill another promise — restoring order to the activist courts.
Instability Is Not Unpredictability
One of the great myths about President Trump is that America’s enemies would fear him because he is predictably unpredictable.
Work on Health Care Must Go On
At the root of our health care problem is exploding expenditures and costs. This started happening well before Obamacare.
Procter & Gamble’s Identity-Politics Pandering
Once upon a time, brothers-in-law William Procter and James Gamble sold candles and soap. Their 19th century family business grew into the largest consumer goods conglomerate in the world — launching the most recognizable brands on our grocery shelves, including Tide, Pampers, Crest, Nyquil and Old Spice. Now, Procter & Gamble want to conquer a new market: identity-politics pandering.
The Trump Budget
Remember President Trump’s “terrible” budget cuts? “Promises Little but Pain,” warned The New York Times. “Harsh and shortsighted,” cried The Washington Post. Then Congress passed a budget. President Trump signed it. Do you notice the “pain”?
Vulgarity Is the Starter Pistol in Race to the Bottom
A friend of mine who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year — I skipped it — reported to me that the Young Republican men were “wearing their ties down past their [crotches].”
One-Note Droning on the Transgender Ban
A sudden, even shocking announcement came from President Trump’s Twitter account on July 26. The government “will not accept or allow ... Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity” in the military due to “the tremendous medical costs and disruption” that entails.
GOP Budget: Deficit Spending ‘a Sin’; We’ll Do It 9 More Years
The House Budget Committee has approved a budget that declares deficit spending “a sin,” makes a powerful case for why this is so, and then presents a plan for continuing in this sin for nine more years.
Conflicting Visions
For the most part, people share common goals. Most of us want poor people to enjoy higher standards of living, greater traffic safety, more world peace, greater racial harmony, cleaner air and water, and less crime.
Keeping Devin Nunes Out of the Game
In early April, news reports were filled with word that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes had recused himself from the committee’s Russia investigation. Outside activist groups accused Nunes of revealing classified information, and the House Ethics Committee decided to look into the matter. Nunes was forced to step aside from the Russia probe while the ethics watchdogs worked. Now, nearly four months later, the committee is still working, with no end in sight.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
1967 and ‘The Summer of Love’: A Half-Century Later
For the Baby Boomer generation (or at least the counterculture segment within it) the summer of 1967 became known as The Summer of Love. Actually, most of us boomers never experienced it. Certainly, 1967 wasn’t a blissful, carefree summer of love for the hundreds of thousands of Americans serving in Vietnam.