Inescapable Double Standards
The central problem with morality is that its components contradict one another. This is not a matter of hypocrisy or individual moral failure. The contradiction is built into morality itself—into…
After the Church’s Power
At a recent public debate on whether our civilization can be saved without a return to biblical values, I outlined three institutions that conservatives typically regard as foundational: the traditional…
The Childbearing Burden
I’ve been revisiting a number of texts on declining fertility, and one fact remains striking above all: birth rates are falling everywhere. Across civilizations, across economic systems, among the religious…
The Two Conservatisms
“Western experts often describe the Islamic Republic of Iran as ‘conservative.’ The label is superficial, misleading, and fundamentally wrong. The regime in Tehran preserves nothing. It is a revolutionary project,…
Orbit and Empire
I have often returned to a concept that has shaped Anglo-American strategic thinking since the nineteenth century: the rivalry between sea powers and land powers. A sea power seeks what…
Industry Before Purity
Whenever I read about the military-industrial complex or the power of the arms lobby, I find myself uneasy. With investment funds or political NGOs, the judgment often feels simple: whatever…