What Is a Cult, Anyway?
“The word ‘cult’ is tossed around quite frequently in media, but few can offer a precise definition.”
Gabriel Andrade
“Won’t Somebody Please Think of the Children”
“By becoming so concerned about the plight of children, we have become child-like ourselves.”
Appreciating the Legacy of James Randi
“The Canadian-born James Randi, who passed away this past week at the age of 92, will surely be remembered as a modern-day Lucian.”
The Politicization of Psychiatry
“Given the numerous historical antecedents, it is likely that—probably sooner rather than later—politics would get in the way of such clinical assessments.“
Tax Evasion and the Catholic Church’s Plank in Its Eye
“But the hard fact is that the Vatican’s vast untaxed riches—and the Church’s tax-exempt status in many countries—make it impossible for [Pope Francis] to avoid charges of hypocrisy.”
How Looting Destroyed Venezuela: a Cautionary Tale
“And one particular author, Vicky Osterweil, has shamelessly written a book entitled In Defense of Looting.”
Interview: Robert Orlando on His Film “Citizen Trump”
“Once the stage is the thing, ideas don’t matter as much as performance.”
On Robert Orlando’s “Citizen Trump”
“To do so, he tells President Trump’s life story in the cinematographic style of Citizen Kane, incorporating the iconic snow globe, the campaign poster, and even the mysterious word (‘Rosebud’) that is central to Orson Welles’ masterpiece.”
Leave Lincoln’s Statues Alone but Engage with His Legacy More Critically
“Indeed, Michael Scharf reports that ‘Milošević saw himself as a modern-day Abe Lincoln, employing force in a valiant effort to hold his crumbling Yugoslavia together.’”
The Pernicious Influence of Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s Sophistry
“In one of the great exercises of academic sophistry in our times, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva wants to persuade us that color-blindness is racism, and color-consciousness is anti-racism.”
Anti-Racism Demonstrations That Are Just Too Much
“Those doing things like reenacting a slave raid may have noble intentions, but they are sending the wrong message.”
In Place of Columbus’ Statue, Build One for Francisco de Vitoria
“Perhaps the strongest argument considered by Vitoria relied on what today we might call “humanitarian intervention.”
Where Is Spike Lee?
“Lee has already proven that he is one of the greatest film directors of all time; now is his time to prove that he is also a responsible influencer upon society at large.”
The Cultural Imperialism of Protest
“Yet I see it more as yet another form of cultural imperialism. It takes an American victim to be brutalized in order for the whole world to come out and protest.”
Amid Widespread Unrest, Conservatives Must Respond Correctly
“When criticizing this violent upheaval, will [conservatives] go for the low-hanging fruit and come up with absurd, cheap explanations for what is going on? Or, will they engage in serious reflection to prevent this from happening again?”
Joe Biden’s “You Ain’t Black” Comment Is Deeply Concerning
“I can only hope that in this election African American voters cast their ballots on the basis of what each candidate proposes—and not on the basis of what they think their racial essence ought to be. That is what real liberation is all about.”
To “The Last Dance’s” Critics, At Least Michael Jordan Isn’t a Hypocrite
“Basketball fans endlessly discuss whether Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time. The jury may still be out on that one, but in my book, off-court James is definitely the lesser man.”
Is the Recent Coup Attempt in Venezuela Just the Beginning?
“So, it may seem as if the recent failed expedition against Maduro is a major blunder. However, I would like to think that this is only the beginning, and that those Rambo wannabes may have actually sparked a greater desire for liberation among Venezuelans.”
The Book-Length Critique of Jordan Peterson Isn’t Perfect, Either
“The authors have done well in providing the substance for a critique of Jordan Peterson, but they need someone to spice up their style, which is precisely what Jordan Peterson, himself, did in his own career.”
Review: Bart Ehrman’s “Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife”
“Bart Ehrman, ever loyal to his engaging style, approaches this topic in Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife. As expected, he delivers the goods, covering religious texts from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the writings of Augustine.”
Palmar de Troya and a Broader Question: Cult or Religion?
“A religion becomes mainstream simply because of its sheer demographic power—not because of the reasonableness of its beliefs and practices.”
Herodotus and Long-Standing Problems in Anthropology
“Regrettably, in more recent times, anthropology (and the humanities in general) has placed excessive, imbalanced value on emic.”
The New York Times’ “1619 Project” Was a Long Time Coming
“More recently, The New York Times’ Nikole Hannah-Jones has gone on an antiracism crusade by coming up with the 1619 Project.”
A Good Friday Reflection: Who Killed Jesus?
“In telling their foundational story, the evangelists sought Rome’s favor by portraying Pilate and Roman authorities in a more benevolent light, thus representing Jews as the real culprits in Jesus’ death.”
What Netflix’s “Tiger King” Teaches Us about Race and Class in America
“The United States needs a reality check. Yes, race has been a major issue in the country’s history. But class matters, and we must never forget that.”
On the Passing of Albert Uderzo (And What Postcolonialists Might Learn from Him)
“Uderzo’s approach to postcolonial criticism was much more nuanced and effective. Perhaps it takes a simple comic book illustrator to accomplish the job that overly sophisticated scholars fail to do.”
Glamorizing Disease: Then and Now
“In yet another display of his famous vanity, Lord Byron once wrote: ‘How pale I look!—I should like, I think, to die of consumption…because then the women would all say, ‘see that poor Byron—how interesting he looks in dying!’”
The Fraught Relationship Between Religion and Epidemiology
“Recently, renowned essayist Thomas Chatterton Williams has taken some heat for mocking a prayer session headed by Vice President Mike Pence in the White House amid the coronavirus outbreak.”
The Coronavirus and Modern Malthusians
“One important aspect in controlling the coronavirus and saving patients’ lives will be the use of ventilators in hospitals. How are these produced? They sure as hell cannot be produced in Unabomber-style cabins.”
Bernie Sanders’ Cargo Cult Approach to Scandinavia
“People do run the extra mile to leave something to their children, even if said children happen to be spoiled brats. Bernie fails to understand this.”
“Post-Truth” Politics Comes Far More from the Left Than from Kellyanne Conway
“But, I still think that—in balance—the Internet has contributed far more to truth than to non-truth.”
What Leap Years Teach Us about Social Justice Warriors
“Ultimately, the Gregorian calendar had been rejected by Protestants, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims. The rejection was not because of a scientific claim but because of opposition to its origin.”
Coronavirus Outbreak Must Not Morph into Anti-Chinese Stereotyping
“Yes, China could do better in terms of public hygiene. But, moral panic over the foods the Chinese eat is more about cultural prejudices than anything else.”
The Other Aspect of Castro’s Cuba Bernie Should Praise
“Just as Martin Luther King deserves praise for the ‘content of their character’ quote—Castro also deserves credit for his colorblind approach to race.”
Bernie Sanders: a Hypocrite?
“He must not antagonize millionaires, but, rather, he must acknowledge that voluntarily giving away wealth is hard to do even while you know that inequality is a problem; and precisely for that reason, we need taxes.”
Is Jordan Peterson the New Ayn Rand?
“I compare Peterson with Ayn Rand because—as I read this book—her name constantly came to my mind (she is mentioned only once in the book).”
I Was Born in Venezuela, so I Have Something to Say about Bernie Sanders
“With the benefit of hindsight, we know that many lives could have been spared in bloody revolutions, if only these reformers were taken more seriously.”
In Praise of “Self Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race”
“With the benefit of distance—writing from the other side of the Atlantic—Williams came to understand how poisonous the concept of race is in the United States.”
The Holocaust Mustn’t Be Used as a Political Talking Point
“Some in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have been manipulative enough to claim that activists protesting against settlements in the West Bank were akin to Nazi architects of genocide.”
Listen, Jordan Peterson: Marx Is Your Friend!
“Peterson should also reconsider his antipathy towards Marx because—perhaps surprisingly—if properly read, Marx would come across more as Peterson’s ally, rather than the origin of everything that is wrong with modernity.”
“Megxit” and America’s Exportation of Identity Politics
“American cultural imperialism is not just about McDonald’s or Disney; America also exports identity politics.”
Writing about Jordan Peterson for the First Time
“Nevertheless, The Rise of Jordan Peterson comes to me as a relief. Prior to Peterson, the position of the hip professor loved by college students (with all sorts of memes and merchandises using his image), was occupied by Slavoj Žižek.”
The Killing of Qasem Soleimani, as Seen from Latin America
“One may criticize U.S. imperialism, yet, at the same time, it must be acknowledged that Iran is becoming an increasingly toxic influence in Latin America.”
Greta Thunberg and Misunderstanding Childhood
“The ‘Greta phenomenon’ tells us far more about our cultural approach to childhood than about global warming.”
Pope Francis, the Consummate Politician
“From its very beginnings, Christianity has been fond of buddy tales, i.e. stories in which two great defenders of the faith become close friends.”
A Few Thoughts on Christmas
“If historical debunking is waging a ‘War on Christmas,’ then we must fire our artillery because, indeed, the story of Christmas has no historical basis whatsoever.”
On the Distributions of Education Scores around the World
“In that manner, intelligence may have a genetic base, but, still, differences in intelligence observed among different groups may be environmental in origin.”
In Reply to Geoffrey Miller: Polyamory Becomes Polygyny
“Miller is a bit naïve here. He does not seem to notice that, as a general rule, polyamory eventually becomes polygyny.”
What Share of Socialists Want to Abolish Families?
“John Rawls, surely the most relevant philosopher of justice in the 20th Century, was aware of this problem and notoriously asked if the family should be abolished, with no clear answers.”
The Solution to the “Incel” Problem
“A State that hopes to mingle in the bedroom is one step closer to totalitarianism, and that is why sex redistribution is a horrifying prospect. But, while not enforcing it, the State, and most importantly, leaders of civil society (most crucially, intellectuals), should send the message that monoga
When the Left Doesn’t Like Science Either
“At the time when postcolonialist scholars were saying these silly things (starting in the latter half of the 20th Century), some philosophers of science were also developing some strange ideas.”
Pope Francis and “What Is Idolatry, Anyways?”
“And Pope Francis himself is wrong for, once again, being a populist and refusing to call a spade a spade; he wants support from the Left and thus defends Pachamama, but he also wants support from the Right and thus condemns idolatry.”
Halloween Moral Panics, on Both the Left and Right
“Despite the absurd views of evangelical pastors, college diversity officers, and Latin American leftist nationalists, Halloween is unstoppable, and this is for the good of humanity.”
Franco’s Exhumation: An Opportunity to End One-Sided Narratives
“In fact, many of the generals who participated in the 1936 rebellion used the 1934 rebellion as an excuse: if the Left was not willing to give recognition to a legitimately constituted government, then now the Right was not under the obligation to do so, either.”
Sorry Noam Chomsky, the World Needs the United States
“The United States has no other option but to, as Niall Ferguson phrases it, cease to be an empire-in-denial, and come to terms with the fact that, for now, the world needs a global policeman, and the United States is the one country that can play that role.”
The Left Is No Stranger to Conspiracy Theories Either
“Matt McManus analyzes conspiracy mongering in the United States by focusing on President Donald Trump and Dinesh D’Souza (a right-wing nut), but he neglects to mention Oliver Stone or Louis Farrakhan, conspiracy theorists who sing to the tune of the Left.”
Napoleon Chagnon and the Myth of the Noble Savage
“Two hundred years later, Venezuelans speak of natives as a national asset—and sometimes even a touristic attraction—that enhances their national pride, very much like oil fields, beauty queens, Miguel Cabrera, or Angel Falls.”
Having Lived in the Marshall Islands, I Understand Greta’s Concerns
“In 2016, fleeing Venezuela’s socialism, I took a teaching job in Majuro, the capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.”
Edward Snowden: Courageous Whistleblower or Useful Idiot?
“Sadly, Snowden suffered from a syndrome that is too typical among activists in the West: in their zeal for criticism of their own country or civilization, they end up favoring other countries or civilizations that are far worse.”
Soccer and Remembering Women in Iran
“Since women are banned from stadiums in Iran, a girl there was arrested for dressing as a boy in order to attend a soccer match. While awaiting trial, she incinerated herself to death.”
On the Death of Immanuel Wallerstein
“For that reason, I hold that Wallerstein’s ideas are very questionable, but his work is still worthy of consideration.”
The Amazon Fire and Phony Environmentalism
“As with the opposition to GMOs and nuclear power, Morales’ free pass sadly proves that most environmentalist groups are not really about the environment. They are more about identity politics and, more importantly, about the hipness of being feel-good activists.”
Getting Consistent on Collective Blame
“The Left cannot get enough of sociological explanations for all sorts of violence. It is never about individual responsibility; it is always about social structures.”
Ricardo Rosselló Resigns, But There is Nothing to Celebrate
“With this standard, if the private diaries or WhatsApp conversations of people were opened, prisons the world over would be swamped with inmates, and companies would fire half of its staff on a daily basis.”
What Popular Culture Gets Wrong about “El Chapo”
“Almost one hundred years after his death, Villa’s image enjoys the allure of a romantic Robin Hood in Latin American imagination.”
The Downsides of Subsidizing Sports
“If history is any guide, subsidies (not just in sports, but in all spheres of economic life) do not usually work.”
I Love a Black Ariel, But I Hate Identity Politics
“So, all those people that tweet #notmyariel are probably arguing that if Black Panther necessarily has to be black, Ariel necessarily has to be white.”
Is the Apostle Paul Relevant in the 21st Century?
“Famously, Nietzsche despised Paul for distorting Jesus’ original message and bringing forth an obsession with sin. The result, in Nietzsche’s view, is Christianity’s unhealthy emphasis on guilt and renunciation.”
A Closer Look at Simón Bolívar
“Insomuch as the historical figure of Bolívar still has considerable influence in contemporary Latin American politics, some demythologizing and criticism is in order.”
Pope Francis’ Change to the Lord’s Prayer: Another Cheap Applause Line
“His purpose seems to be diverting attention from these real concerns, by projecting a revolutionary image of a kind Pope who preaches a loving God, far removed from the deity who destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with sulphur.”
When Superstitions Govern World Leaders
“Maduro claims communication with Chávez via birds, but let us recall that George W. Bush once said that God told him to invade Iraq.”
St. Peter and St. Paul: A “Bromance” That Never Was
“Yet, Christianity is a more complicated religion, because in its traditions, fact and fiction intermingle, and it is not always easy to determine which is which.”
Modi and the Erosion of Critical Thinking in India
“Postcolonial and post-modern scholarship criticize science as a Western construct with no real legitimate claim to truth or objectivity, thus paving the way for Hindu nationalists to come up with their wild theories.”
The Perennially Difficult Debate Around Tyrannicide
“It is, for the most part, a taboo, presumably because of how morally outrageous it seems—and because no sensible person wants to go down as proposing assassinations.”
What Netflix’s Caligula Teaches Us about Trump and His Critics
“If we are willing to be mildly skeptical of a historian who wrote about an emperor removed by one century, then we should also be skeptical of psychiatrists who are too eager to diagnose Mr. Trump with some mental disorder.”
Mercenaries Actually Have a Long History in Venezuela
“As monstrous as the Blackwater plan may seem, we must not lose sight of the fact that Maduro is the only real employer of mercenaries in Venezuela, and that his 19th century heroes were doing the same thing.”
An Age-Old Question: Why Would God Allow Notre Dame to Burn?
“Ultimately, it seems to me that the Notre Dame fire may indeed prove that that particular place of worship is not the abode of God.”
Three Lessons from the Rwandan Genocide, 25 Years Later
“The 1994 tragedy proved that the concept of sovereignty must have limits, and that major powers do have a duty to intervene to alleviate humanitarian crises, such as genocides.”
A 30-Year-Old Trial Still Speaks Volumes about Castro
“While Eastern Europeans were celebrating the arrival of democracy in 1989, Cuba went through one of its darkest episodes.”
When the Lights Go Out in Venezuela
“Socialists frequently tell us that in their ideal system, private property of the common man is to be respected; only major industries are to be seized…Well, that is exactly what socialism did in Venezuela, and it has not been pretty.”