Poll Shows Steep Drop in Americans Valuing Patriotism, Religion, Having Children

A new poll released last week by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal contains surprising information that could have a profound cultural impact in the years to come. It is interesting to note that the article releasing the results of the poll buries the lede. The NBC News’ headline reads, “‘A deep and boiling anger’: NBC/WSJ poll finds a pessimistic America despite current economic satisfaction.” Carrie Dann writes, “The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that — despite Americans’ overall satisfaction with the state of the U.S. economy and their own personal finances — a majority say they

Chronological Snobbery and the American Founding

Days before the Fourth of July, Colin Kaepernick expressed his discontent with Nike’s new Betsy Ross Flag shoes because, he claimed, the flag represents the thirteen colonies which stood for slavery. A few of the Democratic presidential hopefuls voiced their agreement with Kaepernick. Then, the Charlottesville, Va., City Council voted to cease recognizing and celebrating Thomas Jefferson’s birthday as an official holiday. Around this same time, the San Francisco school board voted to paint over an 84-year-old, 1,600-foot-long mural depicting the life of George Washington at local George Washington High School. Something has changed. The American Founders find themselves in

Why Macron Is Wrong About Trump and Nationalism

“Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism; nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism,” said French President Emmanuel Macron last Sunday. He continued, “By saying we put ourselves first and the others don’t matter, we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what makes it great and what is essential: its moral values.” This reminds me of an exchange between Enoch Powell and Margaret Thatcher. At a meeting of the Conservative Philosophy Group in London in the 1980s, the anti-war advocate Edward Norman presented a defense of British nuclear armament. His main point was that a nuclear Britain would