R. Emmett Tyrrell

WASHINGTON -- With all the talk about the discovery of mass burial graves in faraway Ukraine, there is little thought of such graves being discovered here in America. Yet in recent weeks in bucolic Williamsburg, Virginia, archeologists have found their own mass grave. It is a graveyard that they believe is associated with the Civil War’s Battle of Williamsburg, fought in 1862. There in the…

WASHINGTON -- I have long held that when the left gains control of an entity -- whether it be a city, a university or even a simple educational project -- it loses all awareness of what the initial purpose of that entity might have been. It brings the city or the university or the simple educational project to foozle, that is, to ruin.

WASHINGTON -- There is a phenomenon that has been creeping across America for at least the past 30 years that I have yet to comment on. Social scientists, however, have been writing on it for a long time. It is the phenomenon of people on the right moving into neighborhoods that are already heavily conservative. On the other hand, people on the left end of the political spectrum tend to stay…

WASHINGTON — I have long held to the belief that the most conformist institutions in America are its universities. More recently, I have come to the conclusion that high schools are joining the ranks of universities in regimenting thought among their students. Now, more alarmingly, I have come to the conclusion that grammar schools are turning out goose-stepping student bodies, and even…

WASHINGTON — I have been following the pledging of combat tanks to Ukraine by the European allies. It is impressive. I do not think it is an exaggeration to claim that Vladimir Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine has roused all Europe's wrath. Even little Portugal has gotten into the act. I think it is long past time for Putin to come to the negotiation table. Are his poorly trained and…

WASHINGTON — The song, now almost an anthem I believe, begins thus: “Are you a boy, or are you a girl? “With your long blond hair you look like a girl. “Yeah, you look like a girl. “You may be a boy (Hey) you look like a girl.” Etc., etc. The song was composed by Geoffrey Morris and performed by the aptly named group The Barbarians. Their heyday was the late 1960s. Time has now forgotten…

WASHINGTON -- I am engaged in reading a very fine book by my colleague, Paul Kengor. It was written six years ago, so do not feel bad if you missed it. You still have time. It is called “A Pope and a President.” It covers the lives of John Paul II and Ronald Reagan, and, as its coverage is chronological, I just read its treatment of the assassination of President John Kennedy. This will be the…

WASHINGTON — It did not take the richest man in the world long to find himself in trouble with the American media. Elon Musk bought Twitter in October for $44 billion, and in no time found himself in the doghouse with the press for suspending writers from CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. What was the cause of this imbroglio?

WASHINGTON — The progressives — once called liberals — have a new target to hate. He is Elon Musk. By the way, the progressives have become very complacent about their targets for hatred. They hate Musk today, but it cannot be only because he is the richest man in the world. There is a tremendous competition to be the richest man in the world, and what I would have thought makes this…

WASHINGTON -- The holiday season commences: Thanksgiving Day, and all the jokes about turkeys; Christmas Day, and all the gifts we give and receive; and finally New Year's Day, and all the bowl games, more food, more drink, leftover turkey and Pepto Bismol! Then finally, back to normalcy, knowing we shall do it all again next year. There is nothing like the holiday season when it comes to…

Let us consider those angry Americans who make an issue over which public toilet they will use -- and, for that matter, which locker room and personal pronoun they prefer, etc., etc. These Americans do not believe that their choice of the toilet should be a matter of personal hygiene. Rather, they see it as a constitutional matter that ought to be brought before the Supreme Court. It probably…

WASHINGTON -- The left-wingers of our great country are steadily expanding the legalization of marijuana. This is a quarrel that I can save for a later date. But the do-gooders of the land are renewing their struggle against demon rum, and unless the relaxed, easygoing Americano resists the do-gooders, they will find themselves fighting Prohibition all over again. How ironic. America is about…

WASHINGTON -- Whatever happened to the Russian Army? For that matter, whatever happened to the Russian Air Force or the Russian Navy whose flagship is now at the bottom of the Black Sea? The answer is nothing. Nothing has happened to the Russian military for 50 years, and President Vladimir Putin should have thought twice before heaving his armed forces into war.

WASHINGTON -- I have always thought that there was something very odd about this COVID pandemic. From start to finish, it has been entoiled in claims of politics. The Democrats murmured against what dark doings President Donald Trump was up to at the pandemic's outset. Then, when the Democrats took power in Washington, the Republicans began to murmur against what dark doings the Democrats were…