Cartoon
Opinion
Bald Head transportation fight could clarify limits of state regulation
A legal fight over regulation of one parking lot and a barge service could have broader implications.
Opinion
Why the right never wins
About a quarter of a century ago, I read Whittaker Chamber’s magisterial “Witness,” his cri de coeur execration against “Godless” communism. As a young man, Chambers had embraced communism and even wrote for the Marxist-cum socialist Daily Worker. Over time, however, he came to realize that in this war of ideas, one side embraced God...
Cartoon
Nothing left
Opinion
Psychology helps explain political divide
Because I spend much of my time encouraging constructive engagement across political difference, through such programs as Duke University’s North Carolina Leadership Forum, readers sometimes ask me if I think political differences are more appearance than reality — that if we just tried hard enough, we could reach a broad public consensus on many seemingly...
Opinion
Yes, CRT is in NC classrooms, including in Wake County
Lisa Luten, senior director of communications at the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), stated in November 2021 that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is not a topic taught to students but is rather an academic theory used by adults to discuss racial contexts in their environment. However, despite this assertion, the WCPSS had already delved...
Cartoon
Admitting you have a problem
Opinion
All politics is global
Everyone knows the famous adage that “All politics is local.” But looking back at the year’s stories for major themes, it was clear one story from across the globe had generated more articles on our site in the last third of the year than many others did over the full 12 months (although we do...
Opinion
Can China truly displace the US as superpower?
Many years ago I had a conversation with a professor at the London School of Economics, that remains fresh in my mind to this day. “In addition to learning French, my son is also learning Mandarin,” said the gentleman. “After all, with the way the world is going, we will all be speaking Mandarin soon....
Cartoon
More coal available
Opinion
Menthol ban would harm North Carolina consumers and taxpayers
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the final stages of advancing a proposed rule that would ban the sale of menthol cigarettes. Such a draconian prohibitionist policy is not necessary, because smoking rates are among their lowest levels ever recorded in the Tar Heel State. More problematic is that the FDA is...
Opinion
Part 2: Improving campus free speech
For those who missed my previous article, let me catch you up on where we left off. Free speech on college campuses is alive, but certainly not well. In 2023, students still want to engage one another intellectually, but universities and college students alike no longer encourage genuine, open, and honest dialogue. Thankfully, there is...
