The Fate of Two Alliances
Every political project of the past century has faced the same dilemma. On the one hand, it serves the interests and ambitions of some elite, counter-elite, or avant-garde—call it what…
From Equality to Decline
The twentieth century was, by any serious measure, the age of the lowest inequality in the history of mankind. Several distinct forces brought this about. First, there was the general…
Civilization vs. Power
I cannot resist a brief digression on the endlessly repeated question of whether we are “part of the West,” whether we “belong to the West,” and similar formulations. Much of…
Power and competence
Although I write about it frequently, I continue to receive questions about how power, financial, and cultural elites maintain their position. The persistence of these questions suggests that my earlier…
The Paradox of Privilege: Smartphones for the Poor, Children for the Rich
In every society and at every point in history, the same pattern repeats itself: the lower classes seek to imitate the lifestyle of the ruling and wealthy elite. They may…
The Empty Cry of “Moral Decay”
I once sat through a discussion in which the supposed selfishness of the younger generation—young women in particular—was the subject of great lament. The argument was familiar: the nation needs…