Author: Alex Knapp

My colleague Jason Kuznicki argues that those who take charity should suffer a social stigma. Underlying this argument is the unspoken assumption that social stigmas are a good thing generally. I’m not convinced that...

Alexander Hamilton, from his “Report on Manufactures”: The remaining objections to a particular encouragement of manufactures in the United States now require to be examined. One of these turns on the proposition, that Industry,...

In this post, my esteemed colleague Jason Kuznicki says: Rights claims are generalized moral claims about how humans should treat one another, whether in this society or any other. They are discovered, not created....

That said, the core causal mechanism that Murray identifies has to do with the distribution of human capital rather than the meritocratic elite’s public policy priorities (or its taste in alcohol and recreational activities)....

One thing that’s overlooked by those who defend Ron Paul on civil liberties grounds is Paul’s staunch opposition to what I would argue is the greatest boon to liberty in American history: the 14th...

My colleague Ryan Bonneville won the coveted Moore Award Nomination on Andrew Sullivan’s for this quote from his defense of Ron Paul. By all accounts, Barack Obama is a nice guy. He’s a good...

I’m not a Ron Paul fan, obviously, but this is the most brilliant foreign policy ad ever.  Absolute kudos for it:

I’m tired of hearing Ron Paul referred to as the “principled” candidate. For one thing, men of principle do not make money by having racists tracts published in their name. I’ve been following Paul...

Hey there, folks – for those of you interested in playing the National Novel Writing Month game, we’ve set up a mailing list for encouragement, support, and venting. You can join here. Happy writing!

Since a week from now, I get to blog full time instead of letting it occupy my nights and weekends, I think I’d like to try my hand at something I’ve never done before:...

Reading through the “We are the 53%” Tumblr, I can’t help but notice that more than a few of these people would benefit from the government stepping in against the people who are the...

There’s been a class war going on since the 1980s. It’s just that the side being attacked has finally decided to start defending itself. We’ll see if that actually works in America. “But don’t...

Up at Forbes, I have a piece this morning about the intersection of science and religion that I think readers here might find interesting. Here’s a snippet: Of course, this tension between religion and...

“American works of art belong to the American public; they are part of our cultural history. People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise...

I actually posted this on my sub-site two days ago, but Rufus suggested today that this would make a good cross-post. And since, like all writers, I will re-use a piece any chance I...

Richard Beck nominates Isaiah 53:12 as containing the most subversive idea in the Bible. I mean, can any church or Christian ever be smug, safe, contented, moralistic or self-satisfied in light of Isaiah 53.12?...

This first paragraph sounds reasonable, containing only minor distortions and untruths. In the second paragraph, the first paragraph will remind me of something some other guy, known for bigger distortions and half-truths said once:...

This story made me sad. Needless to say, Dad’s newfound obsession with the individual didn’t pan out so well with the woman he married. He was always controlling, but he became even more so....