The Deep Roots of the Illiberal Left

Illiberal attitudes toward free speech and expression have been a feature among sections of the Left going as far back as Marx and Engels. “Hate speech!” is a battle cry we’re all too familiar with by now, and “deplatforming”—the disinvitation of controversial speakers—has become common practice on progressive campuses. A reversal of the Voltairean pledge, […] Read more

Why Has Venezuela’s Collapse Become An Overlooked Crisis?

The nation of Venezuela is headed toward economic and social collapse, yet there is little international attention being paid to the ongoing crisis. Venezuela’s economic and social crisis continues unabated. The decline started under the rule of Hugo Chavez in 1999 and accelerated upon his death in 2013.  Under the rule of successor Nicolas Maduro, […] Read more

Trump, Corbyn, and the Trouble with Condemning ‘Both Sides’

Donald Trump’s equal condemnation of violence on ‘both sides’ following the protests in Charlottesville  highlight the inadequacy of such denunciation. Similar considerations apply to Jeremy Corbyn, who generically condemned ‘violence’ by ‘both sides’ in Venezuela, failing to distinguish between the government and opposition. If there is an asymmetry in wrongdoing, power, or the wrongness of […] Read more