Cal Thomas
Columns by Cal Thomas
The return of the ‘old-fashioned’
Call me old-fashioned -- and I've been called worse -- but do I sense the possible end to the sexual revolution, which exploded in the Sixties and whose fallout continues today? Published April 18, 2018
Welfare reform again
When President Bill Clinton signed the welfare reform act in 1996, which he negotiated with House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the left claimed people would starve. They didn't. According to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, between 1996 and 2000, the employment rate for single mothers increased from 63 percent to 76 percent. Published April 16, 2018
Individual citizens have a right to be protected from an increasingly intrusive government
'The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." — Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Published April 11, 2018
Syria, Donald Trump and isolationism
The isolationist spirit — a reluctance to become involved in foreign entanglements — goes back in U.S. history to Thomas Paine and his 1776 pamphlet " Common Sense" and to George Washington's 1796 Farewell Address. Published April 9, 2018
Free speech takes another hit
Fox News host Laura Ingraham has apologized, as has the network, for nothing more serious than her tweet: "David Hogg rejected by four colleges to which he applied and whines about it. (Dinged by UCLA with a 4.1 GPA totally predictable given acceptance rates.)" Published April 4, 2018
What’s wrong in Washington (and America)
At dinner with friends, I was asked what is wrong with Washington. The question presumes a standard by which "wrong" can be defined. Published April 2, 2018
John Bolton’s enemies
Among the several ways to judge a person's fitness for office are the enemies he has made. Published March 28, 2018
The budget and national insecurity
President Trump wants us to believe that the ridiculous 2,232-page spending bill passed by Congress, but unread by most members, is a matter of "national security," because it has money to rebuild the military. He said he had to sign the bill for that reason, but promised never to sign one like it again. We'll see. Published March 26, 2018
The Russian selection
Perhaps Vladimir Putin was using his experience meddling in U.S. elections to meddle in his own. Published March 21, 2018
The unbalanced California ‘FACT Act’
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether pro-life pregnancy help centers in California should be required to post notices informing women of the availability of abortions elsewhere. The pregnancy help centers are contesting the law, disingenuously named the California Reproductive FACT (Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care and Transparency) Act, claiming it violates their free speech rights, as well as undercuts the reason for their existence. Published March 19, 2018
Apocalypse now?
Since the beginning of recorded history there have been end-of-the-world predictions. In recent years we have had radio preachers, politicians and scientists declare with certainty that the world would soon end, either because of our decadent lifestyle, or because of "global warming," now known as "climate change." Published March 14, 2018
How Trump critics respond to success
President Trump's critics, who include many establishment Republicans, are finding themselves left with few issues given the president's recent string of successes. Published March 12, 2018
Only fools believe North Korea
To what shall North Korea's latest pronouncement to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for certain "security" guarantees be compared? Published March 7, 2018
Harvey Schmidt was fantastic
You wonder how these things begin. For Harvey Schmidt, co-writer of the longest-running musical in history — who died last week at 88 — and his collaborator, Tom Jones, it began when the two were students at the University of Texas. Published March 5, 2018
Boldly going like no president before
Of all the promises candidate Donald Trump made during the 2016 presidential campaign, none will be more difficult to fulfill than cutting the size and cost of the federal government. That's because Congress, which must decide whether to keep a federal agency, has the final word in such matters and spending, especially since spending in one's home state or district, is what keeps so many of them in office. Who doubts that self-preservation is the primary objective of most members of Congress? Published February 28, 2018
Why deterrence can work
MIAMI — The list of failures in the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, are becoming legion. If any or all of those failures had been addressed, 17 students and teachers might be alive today. Published February 26, 2018
Russians are not the only actors in the 2016 election
The indictment of 13 Russians and three companies for allegedly creating a "sophisticated network designed to subvert the 2016 election and to support the Trump campaign" is only half the story. While the Justice Department targeted foreign influence, others could have easily said something about the role U.S. media played in influencing the election's outcome. While not criminal, the U.S. media should at least be shamed for its unrestrained bias for and against both left and right. Published February 21, 2018
Warning signs ignored again
Reaction to the latest school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead and many more wounded begins at the wrong end. It's not about passing more gun laws, which people intent on breaking existing laws will not obey; rather it is about heeding warning signs and doing something before it is too late. Published February 19, 2018
The war that never ends
There is a war that has lasted longer than the one in Afghanistan. It is the so-called "war on poverty," launched by President Lyndon Johnson during his State of the Union address on Jan. 8, 1964. Published February 14, 2018
The U.S. national debt is $20 trillion, with more to come
In "Hamlet," Shakespeare pens one of the most familiar lines — and best advice — ever written. Before Laertes leaves for Paris, his father, Polonius, tells him: "Neither a borrower nor a lender be " Published February 12, 2018
