David Brooks's Blog, page 97

The Olympic Contradiction

The Olympics are a peaceful celebration of our warlike nature and a good example of how being contradictory leads to success.

More Treatment Programs

After a tragedy like the killings in Aurora, Colo., people use the event to indict whatever they don’t like about society. But dealing with it is about psychology, not sociology.

Where Obama Shines

In a world characterized more by anxiety than overt conflict, President Obama’s situation-specific foreign policy strategy has been nimble and effective.

The Capitalism Debate

The argument between President Obama and Mitt Romney has turned into a broader attack on the logic of global capitalism. Romney must now define his capitalist vision.

Why Our Elites Stink

A new book makes an argument against our meritocratic system but misses the largest failure: the elite’s loss of a self-conscious leadership code.

The Opportunity Gap

In a year consumed by the inequality problem, one demographic has gone largely unreported: our children. Robert Putnam sheds new light.

Honor Code

It’s no longer debatable that boys are lagging in school. Serving them effectively is going to require some scrambling of educational culture.

A Choice, Not a Whine

Opponents of Obama’s health care law should stop venting about John Roberts and instead provide a credible alternative.

Modesty and Audacity

[image error] The self-restraint of Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. has allowed for a process of discovery and innovation to enter the health care debate.

The Power of the Particular

Bruce Springsteen’s appeal is a reminder of our deeply human need to experience and express meaning within the bounded framework of a place, a people and a history.