Is the fabric of our civilization being torn by identity politics, nationalism and populism? Are Americans ignoring character and competence in an “us vs. them” political landscape? Political analyst Jonah Goldberg examined divisiveness in U.S. politics and discuss possible solutions in his talk, “Suicide of the West” Thursday, Nov. 29, at 5:15 p.m. in Klarman Hall’s Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium. His lecture was free and open to the public.
“Jonah Goldberg is a phenomenon. Not only is he an astute and individualistic commentator on today’s political and cultural scene as well as a stimulating writer, but he is also one of the liveliest public speakers you will ever hear,” said Barry Strauss, the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies in the Department of History. “We are grateful he spoke as part of our programs on Freedom and Free Societies.”
Goldberg is a fellow and Asness Chair in Applied Liberty at the American Enterprise Institute, where he writes about political and cultural issues. He is a senior editor at National Review, and he writes a nationally syndicated column that appears in more than 100 newspapers across the United States. His most recent book is “Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics Is Destroying American Democracy”; he is also the author of two New York Times best-sellers, “The Tyranny of Clichés” and “Liberal Fascism.”
The talk was sponsored by the Program on Freedom and Free Societies, which aims to enhance understanding and appreciation for constitutional liberty by stimulating inquiry into the nature and meaning of freedom.
Claire A. Perez is communications assistant in the Department of History.
Serge Petchenyi/Cornell University
From left, Xi Yang, PhD '10, senior lecturer of finance in the SC Johnson College of Business; Christine Ye; Christine Ye Award recipient Margaret E. Foster, doctoral candidate in communication; Cornelia Ye Award recipient Naman Agrawal, doctoral candidate in neurobiology and behavior; Cornelia Ye; and Derina Samuel, associate director of graduate student development at the Center for Teaching Innovation.
NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)
Artist concept of the gas giant planet WD 1856 b orbiting a white dwarf star. The planet is 7 times larger than the Earth-sized white dwarf it orbits. WD 1856 b has methane and hazes in its atmosphere, which would give it a similar color to Saturn's moon Titan. The white dwarf formed from a star that died 5 billion years ago, and has been cooling ever since, giving it an orange colour similar to the Sun.
