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Culture watch: Toppling History and Nuance

Many liberals really do think that America is fascist, laments Daniel McCarthy in Spectator USA, so they genuinely see petty vandalism as a heroic act of resistance. Knock the head off a statue of Columbus, smash the glass of every storefront on the street, and youre defeating Adolf Hitler all over again. The sheer ignorant zealotry means all nuance is lost to the iconoclasts. Thus, they attacked an Appomattox statue in a DC suburb, named for the courthouse at which the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered. Far from a gesture of defiance toward the victorious North, it showed an unarmed soldier, eyes downcast and arms crossed, his face somber an image of manly defeat intended to trouble a civilization given to self-congratulation and as a reminder that even Americans know what it is like to lose a war.

Liberal: Experts Catastrophic COVID Messaging

For months, scientists and other experts have known that warm weather, mask-wearing and better hygienic practices could mitigate the spread of COVID-19 yet, New Yorks David Wallace-Wells sighs, they failed to communicate most of these nuances to the American public, insisting that lockdowns were absolutely necessary. Adding to the confusion, many of the experts alternately played down the threat before they vociferously attacked Wisconsins in-person election then 180d to defend left-wing protests. The United States is now the single most significant global incubator of the pandemic thanks to these messaging failures.

Science desk: To the Moon, SpaceX!

SpaceXs successful rocket launch last month proves that commercially developed spacecraft can carry crews to the moon and perhaps beyond much faster and cheaper than wed ever envisioned, Robert Zubrin and Homer Hickam cheer at The Washington Post. Shouldnt we take advantage of it? When Vice President Mike Pence challenged NASA to land astronauts on the moon by 2024, it just kept working on its Orion spacecraft still years away from launch. Yet SpaceXs Dragon craft, used in last months launch, is cheaper and much better than Orion and doesnt require building a new space station, as NASA proposes. If Team Trump and Congress really want to reach the moon by 2024, they should embrace private firms efforts.

Conservative: Our Broken Republic

Historically, The New York Times Ross Douthat points out, Americas culture wars were often settled through democratic deliberation, rather than the kind of ruling the Supreme Court just delivered on gay and transgender civil rights. In an earlier age, Congress debated and passed laws. State legislatures did the same. Constitutional amendments were proposed, passed, ratified and when necessary, repealed. But now, Congress hardly legislates, and the Supreme Court does the heavy lifting on social and cultural issues. That leaves major decisions to a select few robed and highly educated lawyers and their preferences. The boundaries of voting rights and free expression are policed by John Roberts. Our abortion laws reflect the preferences of Anthony Kennedy. And now anti-discrimination law and religious liberty protections will reflect what Neil Gorsuch, author of the new decision, thinks is right and good. Whether such a republic can last, Douthat archly concludes, rests with a higher court.

Education beat: A Vet for (College) President

University of South Carolina President (and US Army vet) Robert L. Caslen faced dissention from board members, student organizations and faculty members early on but, Barrett Y. Bogue and Emma Moore note at The Hill, he now enjoys high praises on how he approached his first few months on the job. Indeed, research shows that veterans bring unique and beneficial skills to higher-education leadership roles. The military and academia, after all, share overlapping values, traditions and leadership opportunities, including mission focus, resiliency and comfort with ambiguity. These skills will be invaluable to university systems now facing a number of challenges, including decreasing enrollment, that require flexible leaders prepared to navigate the unknown. Bottom line: More schools should look beyond academia and hire veterans.

Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

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Toppling history and nuance and other commentary - New York Post