One of the least productive habits in contemporary politics is the assumption that criticizing one political party automatically means supporting its principal opponent. In Spain, criticism of the PSOE is frequently interpreted as evidence that one must therefore support the Partido Popular or Vox. The same binary reasoning increasingly appears elsewhere: if one criticizes the progressive left, one must be “far right”; if one criticizes Donald Trump, one must belong to the left.
Continue readingFriedrich Hayek
From Marxist Materialism to a Material Measure of Progress
It would nevertheless be too easy to say that mainland China’s consumer materialism has nothing to do with Marxism simply because Marx himself criticized commodity fetishism. Marxist historical materialism and consumer materialism are conceptually different, but ideas also matter through the political institutions and policy priorities constructed from them.
Continue readingPolitical Correctness: Voluntary Respect or Politically Enforced Conformity?
Political correctness has become one of the most controversial concepts in contemporary Western societies. Ironically, much of the debate begins before any substantive discussion even starts, because people rarely agree on what the term actually means.
Continue readingRemembering Margaret Thatcher: Thirteen Years On
Thirteen years have passed since the death of Margaret Thatcher. Commemorations of political leaders often drift into ritual. Yet Thatcher’s legacy cannot be understood in isolation, nor can it be reduced to domestic policy debates within the United Kingdom. Her historical significance lies in a broader constellation of figures—Ronald Reagan, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and Pope John Paul II—who, across different domains, contributed to the intellectual, political, and spiritual defeat of communism in the late twentieth century.
This was not a coincidence of personalities. It was a convergence of ideas, institutions, and moral conviction.
Continue readingArtificial Intelligence, the Knowledge Problem, and Why Universities Will Become More Important, Not Less
Every technological breakthrough produces two kinds of reactions. The first is excitement—often exaggerated. The second is fear—almost always misplaced. Artificial intelligence is no exception. As large language models and memory-augmented systems advance, a familiar claim resurfaces: that university teaching and research will soon be automated away, and that professors will become obsolete. This argument misunderstands both artificial intelligence and universities. More importantly, it misunderstands knowledge itself.
Continue readingThe Perils of Secondhand Knowledge: Socialism, State Intervention, and Intellectual Responsibility
In every field of human endeavor—religion, economics, politics, and scholarship—there is a temptation to rely on secondhand knowledge. It feels safe, it feels convenient, but it is profoundly dangerous. Secondhand commentary not only distorts the truth; it also blinds us to reality and opens the door to errors with consequences that stretch across nations and generations. From theology to international policy, from economic reform to ideological conflict, the lesson is clear: nothing can replace firsthand study, serious engagement, and intellectual humility.
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