In September 1993, President Bill Clinton reassured his radio audience that “if you work hard and play by the rules, you’ll be rewarded with a good life for yourself and a better chance for your children.” Picking up that theme over 18 years later, President Barack Obama affirmed that “Americans who work hard and play […]
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It’s always a good idea to exercise discretion when it comes to private matters, choosing both your words and actions carefully. What makes discretion so important is a little reality of life called human nature. To the extent we ignore this reality, we invite bad consequences into our lives. Perhaps the number-one rule of human […]
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As soon as a conservative Republican emerges as a serious presidential frontrunner, liberals in the media suddenly yank out the microscopes they’ve been keeping away from Barack Obama since 2007. They could care less what Obama did in college, how he got into college, who paid for his college, who wrote his letters of recommendation, […]
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Even though we’re living in an era where perhaps more college dropouts than at any other time in history are becoming obscenely wealthy, there are still those establishment folks — on both the political right and left — who ferociously cling to the old caste system whereby experts are accorded a cushy position at the […]
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The basic problem with America’s educational system is not that college is too expensive. Nor is the basic problem that public school teachers are underpaid or that educators are poorly trained. The basic problem with America’s educational system today is that far too many children are given the implicit message at home that education is […]
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Who among us does not have unpleasant experiences in his past? Being bullied in school, getting cut from an athletic team, losing a sweetheart to a rival, the premature death of a loved one, failing a licensing exam, or suffering through an ugly divorce are the kinds of painful experiences that stay with most people […]
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Today, February 22 in New Zealand (February 21 in the United States), is a day of reflection for my family. On this date in 2011, Christchurch, New Zealand was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that destroyed dozens of major buildings, including a number of treasured landmarks. The reason the effects of the quake were […]
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February 19 marks the start of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, which lasted through the end of March 1945. In this fascinating article, Dr. Paul Kengor sits down with Bill Young—a 90-year-old vet who fought for 37 days at Iwo Jima—to help remember all those who sacrificed so much for our […]
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I finally got around to seeing American Sniper last weekend, and it certainly gave me a lot to think about. First and foremost, it was a grim reminder that since the beginning of recorded history, the most significant and consistent phenomenon about mankind is his penchant for war. The greatest loss of life in America […]
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Motivational speakers and authors have long insisted that it’s possible to exert a great deal of control over your destiny by maintaining a positive mental attitude. Even though problems are an integral part of life, they believe that the key to success is how you react to those problems. So, are they right? Or is […]
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