John Daniel Davidson explains the difference between “hate speech,” “fighting words” and “incitement,” within the context of the First Amendment. He then uses this distinction to criticize some groups on college campuses who violently protest speakers with whom they disagree. Read more »

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• George D. O’Neill Jr. in The American Conservative:

“For me and many others on the right, Russia is not the main focus, but a component of years of effort to advance a more realistic and restrained U.S. foreign policy.”

If this series on partisan writing has made one thing clear, it’s that not all conservatives are comfortable with an interventionist foreign policy. Within this context, George D. O’Neill Jr. explains why he and other conservatives are optimistic about a cooperative relationship with Russia. “The Cold War ended nearly 30 years ago,” he writes, and a “realistic and restrained” relationship with Russia will foster global peace and prevent “destructive interventions.” Read more »

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• David Scharfenberg in The Boston Globe:

“It’s ‘ism’ as game-changer, as once-in-a-generation challenge to political orthodoxy.”

David Scharfenberg explains how the “genius of Trumpism” can survive even without President Trump himself. Comparing the power of this movement to that of Juan Perón and Ronald Reagan, Mr. Scharfenberg explains how the idea of a new nationalism will prevail even if the president reneges on his campaign rhetoric. Read more »

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From the Left

• David Remnick in The New Yorker:

“During his first hundred days in office, Trump has not done away with populist rhetoric, but he has acted almost entirely as a plutocrat.”

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, reviews the first 100 days of the Trump administration with a scathing takedown of the president’s actions and style. He exhorts “younger politicians to gather themselves for the 2018 midterms and the 2020 Presidential race,” and urges those who oppose President Trump not merely to resist but to “organize.” Read more »