Who killed the American Dream? David Leonhardt, a senior writer at The New York Times, picks up his magnifying glass and investigates in Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream. Note the past tense in the title. In order to find the culprit, we must first learn about the deceased. What was the American Dream? As Leonhardt notes, while the range of definitions is vast, at its root, the American dream is about progress. In particular, he zeroes in on a “core part” of the dream, that children will lead better lives than their parents did. Leonhardt makes the definition … [Read More...] about Whither the American Dream?
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Stuck in the Middle With You
In 1944, Friedrich Hayek wrote in “Why the Worst Get on Top” in his The Road to Serfdom: It seems to be almost a law of human nature that it is easier for people to agree on a negative program—on the hatred of an enemy, on the envy of those better off—than on any positive […]
Battle Cry in the Culture War
Let’s start with a quick quiz. Name this book: The United States is in great peril because it has abandoned its Christian roots and is being taken over by people who are immersed in a humanistic worldview which is antithetical to God. The result will be a tyranny which will oppress Good Christians everywhere. Trick […]
Crafting a New Evangelical Imagination
“All great systems, ethical or political, attain their ascendancy over the minds of men by virtue of their appeal to the imagination; and when they cease to touch the chords of wonder and mystery and hope, their power is lost, and men look elsewhere for some set of principles by which they may be guided.”Russell […]
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The Nice Machiavelli
“Out of his surname they have coined an epithet for a knave, and out of his Christian name a synonym for the Devil.” Macaulay wrote that about Niccolo Machiavelli. You’ve heard of Maciavelli, of course. He wrote The Prince, that manual for back-room, double-crossing, amoral, evil, self-serving, repulsive, despicable people. Not people like you, obviously. […]
How to Write The Grapes of Wrath
“It is my observation as an editor that most beginning authors are attracted to the trade of letters, not because they have anything apposite and exigent to say, but simply because it seems easy.” That is the start of H. L. Mencken’s essay “Authorship as a Trade” (reprinted in Prejudices: Fifth Series). I have been […]
Binging on Daily Devotionals
The Daily Devotional is a staple in the lives of many Christians. Set aside 15 minutes, read a short inspirational or thoughtful thing about God, think about it briefly, pray, and then go on with your day. Once you decide to do this, the first challenge is to find a good devotional booklet. R. C. […]