Essays
1096 results
Page 56
Secret of Germany's success
What the Washington Post could learn from Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is often dubbed Germany's equivalent of Time magazine, but Der Spiegel has far outstripped its American antecedent in both size and significance. It's another shining example of why things seem to work better in Germany than in the U.S.
Essays
3 minute read
When school districts flunk the basics
Uninspired school boards, uninspired students
Cash-strapped school boards are eliminating their arts and sports programs in order to focus on math and science. That is, they're cutting the very programs that generate the qualities a society needs most: passion, creativity and teamwork.
Essays
3 minute read
Can Christianity survive Christianity?
Is supernatural religion a fraud?
What if the only way the Christian church can survive is to admit that the early Christians juiced up the Jesus narrative in order to sell it?
Can football be civilized?
What football does to your brain (not to mention your alma mater)
The violence of football is bad enough. Less remarked upon is the role college football has played in infantilizing American higher education.
Essays
3 minute read
The "new' Colorado
Where have all the hippies gone? A journey to the new West
Spiritual descendants of cowboys and hippies now co-exist in Colorado, as I discovered on a recent visit. But the open spaces and mountain vistas, so breathtaking to outsiders, can sometimes drive permanent residents nuts.
Essays
8 minute read
Should Eichmann have been tried? (A response)
On prosecuting evil: Adolf Eichmann, meet Billy Budd
The problem posed by the 1961 Eichmann trial is what to do about evil, a category that eludes definition and evades justice. The Israelis tried and made a mess.
Essays
5 minute read
Tragic hubris: American Exceptionalism
Heretical thought: Can Americans learn from Germany?
Americans insist that we're unique and special. From Germany, where I live now, the view looks very different. Yes, even from the land of Hitler.
Essays
3 minute read
Four little words that could destroy the planet
Four little words that could kill us: ‘I'll take it, sir'
You're in a high-class restaurant, theater or hotel and you've got something in your hand you wish to dispose of. The waiter, usher or desk clerk insists on disposing of it for you. This ultimate gesture of professional service may unleash the virus that ultimately destroys humankind.
Essays
2 minute read
A Penn graduate's modest proposal
Dear Penn: You made me what I am today, so who owes whom?
I hold a master's degree in social work from Penn but no job in social work. I do, however, have a budding career as a standup comic (and a former stripper). So what can my alma mater do for me now?
Essays
4 minute read
Does grade-point average matter?
The college instructor's quandary: When students lobby for higher grades
All good academics, admissions officers and personnel managers agree on one thing: A student's grade-point average doesn't really matter in life. Except when it does.
Essays
4 minute read