Right Opinion
The best of conservative opinion and commentary, updated daily.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
The Clarence Thomas Story: An American Masterpiece
This week marks twenty-five years since President George H.W. Bush named Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court, inaugurating a tenure marked by unwavering commitment to principled originalism. Justice Thomas’s life is an only-in-America success story. As movingly recounted in his autobiography, “My Grandfather’s Son,” Clarence Thomas was born into extremely modest circumstances, then raised by his maternal grandparents when his mother became unable to provide for him and his brother. This man of humble origins eventually made his way to Yale Law School, quickly rose through the ranks of public service to become a federal appeals judge, and ultimately ascended to the nation’s highest court at age 44.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Wondering Aloud About ‘Plug In’ Cars
Just a thought here, and let me again stress I am for all forms of cheap, economical energy. But I also wish to point out that if we were really serious about reducing CO2 emissions — which, again, I don’t believe is a big problem, but I digress — let’s throw off the shackles of Jane Fonda and the China Syndrome and realize that this nation in 2016 can build safe nuclear power plants and get rid of the waste in a safe way. Heck, give NASA an even greater mission: Build transports that can take the waste to the far end of the universe.
A Second American Revolution: Defeating the Enemy Within
When our founding fathers penned their names in 1776 to perhaps our nation’s greatest document, the Declaration of Independence, they attempted what we now know was a glorious and courageous feat. Singling out King George as the object of their contempt was viewed by many of their contemporaries as not only foolish, but it would likely cost those 56 men their “lives, fortune and sacred honor.” Two hundred and forty years later, we marvel at the resolute and unsurpassed character of our founding fathers and the thousands of others who rose up to revolt against Great Britain, their formidable enemy.
Iowa: ‘Some’ Churches Must Comply With Transgender Bathroom Laws
Is a church a place of public accommodation and, if so, are congregations required to follow anti-discrimination laws regarding gender and sexual orientation? That’s the issue raised by a brochure published by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. It contends that any church that opens its doors to the public would be required to comply with sexual orientation and gender identity laws. It’s unclear when the Commission’s brochure was published, but it clearly outlines its interpretation of the 2007 Iowa Civil Rights Act — known as Iowa Code Chapter 216. First Liberty Institute is representing Cornerstone World Outreach, a Sioux City church that fears it may be in violation of the statute.
Iovi Et Bovi: The Teflon Hillary Standard
There is a classic Latin epigram about double standards that resounds in the aftermath of the FBI’s surrender this week to the corruptocracy: “Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi.” Translation: “What is permissible for Jove is not permissible for an ox.” Jove is the Roman god Jupiter, untouchable ruler of the skies, wielder of the lightning bolt. The ox is a servile beast, sacrificial animal for elites in power, bearer of the heavy yoke.
Five Justices Silently Permit Act of Tyranny
Were you in Olympia, Washington, and wanted to buy an abortifacient drug, there would be a multitude of places ready to sell you one. Ralph’s Thriftway, a local family-owned grocery store and pharmacy, would not be one of them. “Petitioners are Christians who believe that life is sacred from the moment of conception,” lawyers representing Stormans, Inc. (the family corporation that owns Ralph’s) and two individual pharmacists (who do not work at Ralph’s) wrote in a January petition to the Supreme Court.”
Hillary Clinton: Too Big to Jail
On Monday America celebrated the 240th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which condemned King George III for “(obstructing) the Administration of Justice.” On Tuesday the American left celebrated as the federal government obstructed the administration of justice on behalf of one of its ruling families, the Clintons. Last week the attorney general of the United States met with former President Bill Clinton, whose wife and foundation were under FBI investigation. They both insisted nothing untoward happened. Days later The New York Times reported that Hillary Clinton might offer Lynch a position in her administration.
‘Extremely Careless’
As you may know by now, Director Comey stated [Tuesday] morning that the FBI was recommending that Hillary Clinton face no charges for her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. That is no doubt a big relief to Mrs. Clinton. While she dodged a legal bullet, Director Comey said that Clinton and her colleagues were “extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.” He also stated that it was possible hostile actors gained access to some of that information because Clinton used multiple mobile devices even while traveling “in the territory of sophisticated adversaries.”
The Left vs. Free Speech
It’s a paradox. The liberal media champion themselves as the most open-minded people on planet Earth who are devoted to the freedom of speech. How can intelligent people be so wrong? In reality, liberal elites have a nasty tendency to dismiss “conservative thought” as an oxymoron. They don’t read conservative books or magazines, and they wouldn’t lower themselves to watching conservatives on television. They have disdain for conservative talk radio. They’re virtually illiterate on conservatives and conservatism. What happens in the event that the inclusive and tolerant elites identify some spark of conservative brain activity? They respond with journalistic censorship.
An Iranian Voice Republicans and Democrats Should Heed
Okay. Let’s face it. The two presidential nominees have effectively been chosen. The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are ahead of us, and the U.S. is on the precipice of a highly contentious several months of campaigning. Discord between the two major parties is always evident in American politics, but almost never more so than in the run-up to national elections. It would not be surprising if Washington lawmakers and the vast majority of their constituents all found it very difficult to identify common ground on anything in this political climate.
Thinking Beyond Stage One
A recent ruling by the U.S. Department of Commerce dramatically increased tariffs on some Chinese steel products, such as cold-rolled steel, which is used to make appliances, cars and electric motors. Tariffs were raised by 500 percent on some other Chinese steel products. President Barack Obama and the major 2016 presidential aspirants, particularly Donald Trump, believe this measure will protect jobs in the U.S. steel industry. There is no doubt that steel industry jobs will be saved. But there is an ignorance and/or incapacity of being able to think beyond stage one when evaluating public policy. Measures to protect steelworker jobs pay attention to only the seen effects of public policy; they ignore the unseen. In other words, they look at only the visible beneficiaries of public policy and ignore the invisible victims.
Energy Independence at Last
Every president since Richard Nixon has promised to make America energy independent, but we still import 9 million barrels of oil a day, much of it coming from the Middle East and OPEC. Now, for the first time in a half-century — thanks to the shale oil and gas revolution — true American energy independence is not just a pipe dream. It’s easily achievable — if the next president takes the right steps. Such an energy strategy means we could stop draining our economy of about $200 billion a year, which we could really use here at home. But this isn’t just about the economy. We know from intelligence reports that as many as 500 million petro-dollars find their way into the coffers of terrorist networks, including ISIS.
Trump-Gingrich Ticket Would Be a Riot of Rhetoric
Load up on popcorn: The Republican ticket may be poised to go to 11. According to numerous reports, Donald Trump is considering Newt Gingrich as his running mate. And as traffic-baiters like to say on the Internet: You won’t believe what happens next! But first I should come clean. I like Gingrich. My wife worked for him for several years. Whatever his faults, the former House speaker — and architect of the “Republican Revolution” in 1994 — is a brilliant man with almost encyclopedic knowledge of political history and a grab bag of other topics as well. When John Boehner stepped down from the speakership last year, I proposed in this space that Gingrich serve as his temporary replacement.
Why Don’t Politicians Tell the Truth About Social Security?
The boards of trustees of our Social Security and Medicare programs just issued their annual report, and we learn, once again, that both programs are fiscally insolvent. The trustees project there will be insufficient funds from the Social Security program to pay its obligations beginning in 2034, 18 years from now, and Medicare will fall short in 2028, 12 years from now. Given that both of these programs play outsized roles both in the federal budget — combined they represent 41 percent of federal spending in 2015 — and in the personal lives of just about every American citizen, you’d think there would be a big uproar about this.
Libertarianism for Beginners
It took me years to figure out that markets work better than government. I started out as a typical Ralph Nader-influenced consumer reporter, convinced that companies constantly rip us off. To me and most of my fellow left-leaning reporters, the answer was always: more regulation. Gradually, I figured out that regulation causes many more problems than the occasional rip-off artist does. Companies that served customers well prospered, while market competition meant cheaters seldom got away with cheating for long.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Racial Discrimination on Campus Likely to Go on Forever
“Affirmative action” will continue to be the routine course of business of college and university admissions for the foreseeable future. That’s the bottom line from the Supreme Court’s June decision in Fisher v. University of Texas. By a 4-3 vote, the Court essentially approved the University of Texas’ “holistic” admissions as not violating the civil rights of white plaintiff Abigail Fisher. Justice Anthony Kennedy, as a Wall Street Journal editorial noted, “overturned himself.” That leaves five votes for racial quotas (counting Justice Elena Kagan, a lockstep liberal on this issue, who recused herself from this case) regardless of who eventually takes Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat.
Elie Wiesel’s Love of America
Elie Wiesel was Jewish to his core, and in the Jewish state he was revered as a hero — so much so that two Israeli prime ministers offered to nominate him to be the country’s president. Yet Wiesel didn’t make Israel his home. Though he was a frequent visitor and a passionate advocate, though he felt “attached to the destiny of Israel with all the fiber of his being,” as he once put it, he never became an Israeli citizen. Why not? He himself didn’t know, or so he said. But perhaps the explanation was as simple as this: He was in love with the United States.
What Are We Celebrating?
There was a time when the Fourth of July meant something more than a three-day weekend. Speeches, writings and commemorative ceremonies reminded us of the origins and greatness of America. No matter where in the world our ancestors came from, we today are almost invariably better off because they came to America. Independence Day signified much more than one country announcing its independence from another on July 4, 1776. It represented a new form of government — freer and more accountable to its own people than the monarchies common around the world for centuries.
Hillary Clinton and Identity Politics
Have you heard that Hillary Clinton is the “first woman” ever to be nominated for president by a major political party? Of course you have. The media have repeated the line so often it is broken news. Hillary Clinton’s nomination and the euphoria in the press (one NPR female reporter said she has seen women weeping over the possibility of Hillary becoming president) eclipses any discussion about the real issues facing the country. To quote Clinton in another context, “what difference does it make” that she is a woman? A liberal is a liberal, regardless of gender, race or ethnicity.
Monday, July 4, 2016
The Leave Campaign of 1776 Reverberates to This Day
Great Britain’s vote last month to exit the European Union has been widely described as the country’s most consequential decision in decades. But its significance is paltry compared to that of history’s original “Leave” resolution, the 240th anniversary of which Americans commemorate this Fourth of July. The unanimous vote in the Second Continental Congress, which affirmed that “these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states ... absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown,” was the most far-reaching political event of the 18th century. John Adams, writing from Philadelphia to his wife Abigail, called the vote not just “the greatest decision . . . which ever was debated in America,” but possibly the greatest that ever “was or will be decided among men.”