How Did Humans Get So Good at Politics?

We often make friends today who turn into foes tomorrow. It’s all part of the way we’ve evolved as cooperative and competitive animals.

The Ku Klux Klan and the Value of Shame

We should not try to erase our nation’s history of racism. But we should feel ashamed of it.

Wisdom Without a Country

An encounter with a famous sculpture by Constantin Brâncuși raises questions about family, nationalism, and belonging; the role and refuge of art; and whether a country can ever recover from authoritarianism.

Reconsidering How We Honor Those Lost to War

War monuments and memorials are a source of contention in the United States. It’s time to reimagine the ways we memorialize the heroes and victims of war.

God or Geology? The Genesis of Ram’s Bridge

Secular and religious Indians are butting heads over the origin of an important limestone shoal that connects India and Sri Lanka.

What Religious Beliefs Reveal About Post-Truth Politics

It’s not always what people believe, or why, that matters. Sometimes, the social relations surrounding those beliefs are what shape reality.

Inside Kashmir—A Heroic Fight for Justice

Razia Sultan has faced persecution, imprisonment, and torture in Kashmir since she was 16 years old. Her courageous story highlights how India’s military occupation of Kashmir has impacted the region’s women and shaped their struggles for survival and dignity.

Trump’s Slogan: More About the “Make” Than the “Great”

The promise of concrete action is appealing to a populace that feels like it’s stagnating. But making without thinking is a brutish strategy.

Why the “Big, Beautiful Wall” Is Doomed to Fail

The existing wall in Ambos Nogales tells us a great deal about President Trump’s ill-conceived plan to fortify the entire U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump L’oeil

In its first six weeks, the Trump administration has been actively demonizing the mainstream media and the courts. This could be an ominous sign of what is to come.