United States
Cosplay Crusaders
The tattoos sported by Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, have drawn accusations of far-right symbolism and a counterattack that Christian culture is being unfairly targeted. A closer look at the history of these particular images reveals an undeniable picture of militant Christianity and its reimaginings over time.
Hollywood’s Thanksgiving
Hollywood portrayals of Thanksgiving make it not only a symbol of shared identity but also a tracker of American cultural evolution, from postwar triumphalism to the fraying of social bonds and the decline of optimism in the 1990s.
How Democrats Lost Minority Voters
The results of the presidential election reflect a painful reality for the Democrats, as working-class immigrant and minority voters continue to shift toward the Republicans. Absent a shift in its cultural politics, the party could be heading into an electoral death spiral.
Trump’s Plans for the Intelligence Agencies Chart a Dangerous Course
The incoming Trump administration wants to subordinate and remake America’s intelligence agencies. Without these organizations operating as objective windows on reality, decision-making in the White House will suffer, and the checks and balances on both executive power and the reach of the agencies may be tested.
The American Experiment From Outside and Within — with Hari Kunzru and Faisal Al Yafai
New Lines’ Faisal Al Yafai is joined by the novelist and commentator Hari Kunzru for a discussion on the changing currents of American society and culture, the author’s recent novels, and Kunzru’s new introduction to the Edward Said classic “Culture and Imperialism.”
A Reality-Based Election Reckoning
It is always tempting to believe that your candidate lost for the reasons you care about most. But as the Democratic Party rakes over its defeat, certain takes from the left are failing to see the bigger picture.
Trump Is Not an Aberration
Trump is no aberration — he is 100% made in America, and stands in a tradition of self-proclaimed patriots who have taken inspiration from the country’s founders just like those who sought to expand the reach of liberty.