Cal Thomas
Columns by Cal Thomas
America, love it or leave it (again)
The phrase "America, Love It or Leave It" has a pedigree dating back at least to the McCarthy era. In the '70s, the phrase was employed again against those protesting America's involvement in the Vietnam War. Published July 17, 2019
Apollo 11 at moon landing is a reminder of what a united America can achieve
You had to be there 50 years ago, and I was. As a young reporter for a local TV station in Houston, I frequently visited NASA ("the space base," we dubbed it), met many of the astronauts and reported on their exploits. Published July 15, 2019
Hungary sound immigration policy delivers aid directly to places affected by conflict
Two summers ago on a visit to Budapest, I asked the spokesman for the Hungarian government about the growing problem of migrants coming into Europe. He told me Hungary doesn't have a migrant problem because they don't have welfare programs. So, he said, migrants continue their travels to other European countries that do. Published July 10, 2019
Justin Amash may not win reelection, but his critique of partisanship ought to be taken seriously
Rep. Justin Amash has left the Republican Party and will now represent Michigan's 3rd Congressional District as an independent. In a Washington Post op-ed, he wrote: "I've become disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what I see from it. The two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions." Published July 8, 2019
Censoring the census
The notion of history repeating itself is usually viewed as a negative statement, but some history is worth repeating because we might learn and be guided by it. Published July 3, 2019
The Democratic debates were mostly a show of memorized sound bites
The likelihood I would ever be invited to serve on a network panel questioning the Democratic presidential candidates is equivalent to an invitation to take the next trip to the moon. Published July 1, 2019
Why bribing the Palestinians won’t work
The Trump administration thinks appealing to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un by dangling promises of prosperity in front of him if he agrees to change his ways is the path to peace on the Korean Peninsula. So far there have been no agreements to build a Trump resort and Mr. Kim has made no effort to adopt any other form of capitalistic behavior. Published June 26, 2019
While A.G. Sulzberger is right to criticize Donald Trump, he must put own house in order
I never thought I would write this, but the publisher of The New York Times, A.G. Sulzberger, is right. Mr. Sulzberger wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal in response to President Trump's claim that his newspaper committed "treason" by publishing a story about U.S. efforts to compromise Russia's power grid should Moscow again try to meddle in U.S. elections. The Times says it consulted National Security officials who raised no objections to its publication. Published June 24, 2019
‘Must we wage war with Iran?’
'The Pentagon has released new color photos as proof that Iran was behind last week's attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman," ABC News reported. Hours before that attack, Iranians launched surface-to-air missile at a U.S. drone monitoring the tankers. The missile missed. In response, 1,000 American troops are being dispatched to the region for the declared purpose of defending American forces already there. Published June 19, 2019
Media feigns outrage over the Trump interview with George Stephanopoulos
There was a time when calling someone a hypocrite could stain their reputation. No more. Like the overused and often misapplied word "racism," hypocrisy has lost the power to cause harm. Published June 17, 2019
The government stokes debt trend by funding foolish projects
There are many addictions besides drugs, sex and power. There is also our increasing addiction to debt. According to Money Magazine, reporting on figures from the New York Fed, "Americans' debt hit a new high of $13 trillion last year, surpassing the previous record set in 2008 by $280 billion." Published June 12, 2019
Why Trump critics ought to spend more time in Sunday School
Only the most partisan person would begrudge prayers for the president of the United States, but a recent visit by President Trump to the mega McLean Bible Church in Virginia has rubbed some congregants the wrong way. Published June 10, 2019
D-Day’s ‘forgotten’ woman
Observances of the 75th anniversary of D-Day are properly focusing on the troops and the architect of Operation Overlord, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who freed Europe from Hitler and his Nazi hordes. Published June 5, 2019
Robert Mueller’s upside-down justice
It's a familiar quote from Charles Dickens' classic "Oliver Twist," but with special contemporary relevance in light of a statement last week by special counsel Robert Mueller: "'If the law supposes that,' said Mr. Bumble 'the law is a ass — a idiot.'" Published June 3, 2019
Democratic presidential candidates and economists refuse to give Trump credit for a booming economy
The quote is attributed to President Harry Truman, and Ronald Reagan kept it on his desk: "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." Published May 29, 2019
Once a terrorist always a terrorist
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the release of self-admitted "American Taliban" member John Walker Lindh "unexplainable and unconscionable." Published May 27, 2019
Reducing the debt and reforming entitlements is simple, but not for members of Congress
Among the many things that frustrate Americans about Washington, D.C., is the unwillingness — not inability, but unwillingness — to solve problems. Published May 22, 2019
Conservative states are enacting law and momentum is building in a pro-life direction
Since 1973, when Roe v. Wade ushered in what would eventually lead to abortion on demand — including partial-birth abortion and even the failure to protect babies born alive after failed procedures — the pro-life movement has achieved few legislative victories. Published May 20, 2019
My sentimental journey with Doris Day
It was Oscar Levant who uttered the famous line: "I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin." Published May 15, 2019
Joe Biden, other Democratic candidates would likely raise taxes, re-impose regulations on businesses
Joe Biden, the leading Democrat in the overcrowded presidential sweepstakes (there are more of them running than horses in the recent Kentucky Derby), appears to want to take America back to the days of the Obama administration, which he was a part of for eight years. What would that look like? Published May 13, 2019
