Decrying moral failure is an old American tradition that goes back to the Puritans. But the moral diagnosis is wrong — and it brings pernicious political consequences.
Books, Arts and Culture
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On the Politics of Virtue
THE LIBERAL VIRTUES Stephen Teles T he welfare state and the advocates of “virtue” have few friends in common. Those on the right want to save virtue from the welfare state, while those on the left want to protect the welfare state from the rhetoric of virtue. An exemplar of the latter tendency is James […]
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Restoration Fever
Most of us like to think that our views represent the innermost beliefs of the majority of our fellow citizens. Recent polls may show a ridiculous preference for a position we despise, our candidates may lose at election time, and the radio may broadcast music or talk that we abhor. But we know that all […]
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The Smoldering Electorate
Three books about American politics help illuminate the deep frustration of voters — and suggest how much of a change Democrats must undertake to reach them.
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But Is It Journalism?
From “fly-out menus” to scandal coverage, the ins and outs of Web news.
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Dick Morris’s The New Prince
Dick Morris’s The New Prince Machiavelli Updated For The Twenty-First Century 11.01.99 | reviewed by Jonathan Chait Here are some of the chapter headings in Dick Morris’s latest book: Issues over Image, Strategy over Spin, Generosity over Self-Interest, Racism Doesn’t Work. No, really. Dick Morris, inventor of triangulation, who advised President Clinton to alter his […]
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Clinton’s Darkness At Noon
Bill Clinton has likened his Starr Chamber travails to those of Rubashov, the protagonist of Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon. The comparison is more apt than he knows.
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Does Liberalism Cause Sex?
Conservatives say liberalized access to contraceptives and sex education in the schools have led to more unprotected teen sex and teen births. But let’s look at the evidence.
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State of the Debate: The Moral Meanings of Work
How should we think about work — as just a necessary burden that we’d like to cut to a minimum or as the organizing focus of our lives? A number of new books about work, culture, and family suggest that we need to work for more than bread alone.