Why the Politics of Nostalgia Are Dangerous

Trump’s Pledge to ‘Make America Great Again’ Is a Recipe for Resentment—Even Revenge

Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be. Once upon a time, I considered longing for a long-lost past a relatively innocuous exercise. I don’t really go for the iconic schmaltz of Norman Rockwell paintings, but I never thought that idealizing days of yore could be a dangerous activity.

But that was before Donald J. Trump launched a presidential campaign on the promise of making America great again.

On the surface, the real estate mogul’s pledge of renewing national greatness doesn’t seem so bad. After all, like any politician, he seems to be …

Why We Believe in the Illusory Promise of a New Year

The Most Secular and Universal of Holidays Is Also the Most Magical

I love New Year’s. It’s as if everyone had the same birthday and we all have complete license to wish each and every one of us—even the strangest of strangers—well. …

Christmas Is a Subversive Parable

The Tale of Refugees, Infanticide, and the Exaltation of a Humble Child Urges Us to Take Sides

The news out of the Middle East is relentlessly disheartening these days, but the other day I reread this amazing story from a while back about a child in the …