Driving Shenanigans The Unmergers: These are the people who need babysitting when they get on the freeway. Why should they be bothered with matching the speed of cars and coordinating into an opening? To them, that’s the responsibility of the right laners, who must accommodate them. Be prepared to take evasive action to dodge around the abrupt introduction of motor vehicle entering the freeway with a toddler behind the wheel. And of course you don’t get a thank you wave, beca

The American Dream and Decades of Decadence In the decades following World War II, the American Dream felt attainable, and everyday behavior often reinforced social cohesion. Men wore suits to work, women wore dresses with hats, and children were expected to behave and show respect. For those who embraced it, and many did, this was a time of shared norms that helped hold society together. The 1960s shattered that relative stability. The assassination of President John F. Kenn

What Is the Endgame of Intervention in Iran? Imagine a world united against terrorism. The results would be transformative. Yet imagination may be all we have. I am going to make a bold statement: It’s possible to abolish terrorism from the world. That claim is meant to provoke the usual skeptical response—and rightly so. The truth is, there is no global will among free nations to unify and eradicate terrorism. If such resolve existed, it is likely that terrorism would alread

When I go to stores, especially the big ones, I inevitably encounter all manner of beast. Here is a list of the beasts and their descriptions. The Cloggers. These people are not putting on a dance show; that might be fun. No, they are the ones who seem unconcerned about integration into a world of other people. They can’t seem to move like most shoppers. You might find them hanging out at a food sample kiosk, like cowboys bellied up to a saloon bar. They are the people who wa

Has Government of the People Perished? “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”— Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, 1863 Lincoln spoke those words while the United States was tearing itself apart in civil war. Yet the republic endured. Today, many Americans look at their institutions and wonder whether that promise has perished. We see a Congress that too often places party loyalty, campaign contributions, and personal powe

Will Humanity Evolve Past Avarice, Violence, and Domination? I’m beginning to doubt it. Humanity has had hundreds of thousands of years to claw its way toward something resembling higher consciousness. Instead, we’re still the same hairless apes fighting over shiny rocks and territory, just with better marketing and weapons. If we haven’t evolved past base greed and brutality by now, another thousand years, or even a hundred thousand years, isn’t going to magically fix us. So