Something I Need
A tribute to groundbreaking pop star Melanie Safka (1947–2024).
Making Israel Great Again?
The apparent abandonment of Ukraine and Adam Boehler’s negotiations with Hamas have raised serious doubts about Donald Trump’s commitment to Israel.
Too Many Moons
This week’s announcement that Saturn has 274 officially recognised ‘moons’ raises the question of whether that word needs a more restrictive definition.
Lessons for Western Militaries from the Gaza War
Israel’s experience in Gaza provides a sobering preview of what high-intensity urban warfare can entail, and how modern militaries must evolve to achieve decisive and ethical victories in any future conflict.
Podcast #276: On Book Banning
Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with author Ira Wells about the censorship demands emanating from both sides of the political spectrum.
The Many Faces of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’
Alexandre Dumas’s novel is by turns an adventure story, a paean to bourgeois values, and a Greek epic. No wonder it continues to fascinate.
The MAGA War on Ukraine
Why does so much of the US Right hate a country valiantly resisting a war of aggression?
Religion: A Bad Prescription for America
Though faith may provide comfort to some, it cannot produce reliable facts about nature that can be used to repair a divided populace.
Saving the Animals
Assuring the long-term future of Earth’s wildlife requires more economic and technological development, not less.
The Political Foundations of the DOGE Scam
The Trump/Musk administration’s approach to cutting costs makes good political sense in the short-run. But from a longer-run governing perspective, it is a recipe for disaster.
Hamas and Feminist Dissonance
Forced to choose between believing the claims of Israeli women and maintaining solidarity with Palestinians, Western academic feminists chose the latter.
An Unsettling Approach to Academic Freedom
The American Association of University Professors once defended heterodox thinkers. It now supports mandatory DEI statements and calls rival organisations right-wing stooges.
The World Trump Is Building
The strong will do what they can and the weak will suffer what they must.
Making the World Safe for Autocracy
Forced to choose between the values upheld by the National Endowment for Democracy and fealty to Donald Trump, Republicans have opted for the latter.