Politics
Obama: Damn the Torpedoes
President Obama makes it clear that he thinks it’s more important to win a long-term argument with his ideological opponents than to pretend they'll work with him.
Call It Courage
The Paris terrorists attacked a principle central to all liberal democracies: the freedom to speak one’s mind freely, without fear of being locked up gunned down.
Robert E. White, 1926 - 2015
Robert White never forgot the murders of four churchwomen in El Salvador, and never ceased pressing for better political and economic conditions in Latin America.
Victims, Not Heroes
Are those who died heroes and martyrs for free speech and tolerance? Not every victim is a martyr, and one does not become a hero simply by offending people.
French Brother, Human Brother
I am sad for France of course, for the journalists and the others who died. But mainly I am sad for mankind. For the person who got shot, but also for him who fired.
'Lawful but Awful'
In defending the use of drones, Obama has classical just-war tradition on his side. But just-war tradition has come to be read in a new and legalistic way.
The Community College Cause
The GOP and friends of hard work and self-sufficiency should join Obama in seeking to expand access to community colleges as much as possible.
The Limits of Philanthropy
The charity of Americans does not meet the needs of America’s poor, yet the tax code reinforces reliance on giving to make up for an inadequate safety net.
Mario Cuomo & Commonweal
Mario Cuomo, who died on January 1, 2015, maintained "an extensive, friendly, always civil although not always harmonious relationship with Commonweal,"...
Mario Cuomo, Politician
A governor of modest achievements, Mario Cuomo nonetheless left a mark on the nation's broader political debates and offered a forceful rebuttal to Reaganism.
The Conscience of Mario Cuomo
There will never be another politician like Mario Cuomo, a man shaped by a different age. Yet he taught lessons that will always be fresh.
The Duck That Roared
Since the Democrats' pummeling in November's midterm elections, the president has moved forcefully to show he will use all the power he still has.
