Ghandi and Niebuhr both believed in the power of religion to shape societies and history

Thomas Sowell has once again written an excellent book critiquing social justice rhetoric

What are we to make of France’s presidential election? More than anything, it points to the power of anti-systemic populism in French politics, whether on the Left or Right.

In late winter and early spring 1947, Reinhold Niebuhr visited Europe and wrote short editorials for Christianity and Crisis as he traveled. In the following correspondences, the first coming from Scotland and the second coming from somewhere in the United Kingdom, he offers brief reflections on different current events.

“We have,” said an exuberant campaign orator in the recent campaign, “the moral leadership of the world. The whole world trusts in our devotion to freedom and expects us to save mankind from totalitarianism.” That is how we see ourselves, at least in our more complacent moods. The world does not see us as we see ourselves.

Keynoting a “Beat Dewey” rally at Madison Square Garden on September 12, 1946, Secretary of Commerce Henry Wallace warned Americans against the Truman administration’s “get tough with Russia” policy. Reinhold Niebuhr responded.

“Letter from Holland,” by L.H. RuitenbergAugust 5, 1946 While North Americans, on being informed of the church situation in Holland,…

This is no time to shut down the furnace that fires the arsenal of democracy. Civilization still needs America’s military, which means America’s military needs resources, which means America needs a growing economy. That won’t be possible if Americans turn toward socialism.

Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom by Thomas Ricks is a joint biography of Winston Churchill and George Orwell that focuses on the 1930s and 1940s, pivotal years for both men. The book argues that they realized securing individual freedom against government encroachment from fascism and communism was the vital issue of their time.