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Theft as social justice

Is robbing the Louvre a good idea? Left-wing influencer Hasan Piker and New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino did a much-discussed video interview with The New York Times on the ethics of theft, and came out four-square in favor of stealing things, including artwork from the Louvre. They consider larceny an appropriate response to the inherent corruption and injustice of the American capitalist system. The merits of this position aside, it's not clear why it justifies stealing paintings or sculptures from a museum owned and operated by the government of France. When asked about the ...

Clarence Thomas’ great speech on Declaration

Many speeches will be delivered this year about the Declaration of Independence as we celebrate its 250th birthday. However, I think the greatest was just delivered by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on April 15 at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. The force of Thomas' words does not just result from his deep understanding of what the United States is about, and how the Declaration of Independence defines it. The force flows from Thomas' personal reality. He has lived what the Declaration is about. His words are not just the product of ...

Supreme Court’s springtime reckoning

The United States Supreme Court has entered its most consequential season. From April through June, the justices release rulings that do more than interpret the law — they shape the direction of the country. Cases argued in the quiet months of winter now emerge into public view, often carrying the full weight of the nation's deepest divisions. Alexander Hamilton once described the court as the "least dangerous" branch, lacking power over "the sword or the purse." History has not been kind to that prediction. Through judicial review and lifetime appointments, the court has ...

Pick best person for Supreme Court job

In 1990, George H.W. Bush, listening to then-White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu, nominated David Souter to the U.S. Supreme Court. Sununu, who as governor of New Hampshire had nominated Souter to the Granite State's supreme court in 1983, assured Bush that Souter would be a "home run" for the conservative cause. That's not what happened. Souter quickly lurched leftward, joining the 1992 court majority in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that upheld the core abortion "right" holding of Roe v. Wade. By the time of his retirement in 2009 — a decision that paved the way for ...

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Spending, health care are America’s problem

America has a spending problem. It also has a health care problem. These are not two separate crises but rather the same crisis wearing different clothes. The Cato Institute's new "Handbook on Affordability" is a great resource to understand the root problem and how to fix it. Start with a recap of the fiscal picture. The federal government runs large deficits so persistently that they've become a structural threat to price stability. As Romina Boccia and Dominik Lett argue in the handbook's second chapter, when debt expands faster than the economy, investors begin pricing in ...