The Weekend Muse
A lonely nation: Restoring true community in an age of individualism by Joseph Sunde
Thanks to the Digital Revolution we have unparalleled access and connectivity to other human beings. So, why are people more lonely now than ever before? Sunde suggests that the “liberal paradox” might have something to do with it. The liberal paradox, plainly stated, is a “hunger for meaning and values in an age of freedom and plenty.” Since the 1980s the number of Americans that say they suffer from chronic loneliness has doubled. Why is this?
A major contributor to this loneliness epidemic might be the fact that many of our non-political institutions have ceased from being central to American life. From a decrease in voluntary association to an increasing number of millennials identifying as “Nones” (no religious affiliation), we are becoming a society grasping for meaning, but finding no relational connections with which to buoy us on the quest. Is it any wonder that many now recluse themselves into their homes, rarely interacting with neighbors or even their own family members? In a technologically connected world, we have a host of disconnected individuals in desperate need for real human interaction. If we really believe in the flourishing of civil society, we must endeavor to do our part to cultivate community right where we live.
Alfie Evans Foreshadows a Dark American Future by David French
It’s a cautionary tale for us, but a horrific reality for Kate James and Tom Evans. Their young son, Alfie Evans, passed away this weekend. He had been medically kidnapped by Alder Hey Hospital in Great Britain and denied further treatment, despite pleas for his release to another hospital by his parents, foreign governments, and the Pope.
David French provides a sobering warning for American families: this could happen here. “With no God over the state, the state then becomes not the defender of liberty but the definer of liberty. You have no freedoms except those bestowed by the state, and those freedoms are defined entirely by the various branches of government. There is no inherent parental authority. There is no inherent right to life. There is only the justice the state gives according to the standards the state dictates,” he writes.
This might seem far-fetched to some, but if you or someone you know has been the victim of government overreach, here or abroad, you are all too aware of what Alfie’s case might mean for future children and their parents.
Effective Deterrence: Foreign Policy that Works by Hoover Institute
There are several lessons to draw from the United States’ involvement in the historic ending of the Korean War. Perhaps chief among them is the power of deterrence, through diplomacy and military might.
