Europe’s Elon Musk Problem
He and other tech oligarchs are making it impossible to conduct free and fair elections anywhere.
History Will Judge the Complicit
Why have Republican leaders abandoned their principles in support of an immoral and dangerous president?
Trump and Musk Are Destroying the Basics of a Healthy Democracy
An apolitical bureaucracy run by public servants who respect the law is one of the greatest achievements a society can attain—and these two men have no respect for it.
Are We Thinking About Gun Violence All Wrong?
The unexpected origins of gun crime
Seventy Miles in Hell
The Darién Gap was once considered impassable. Now hundreds of thousands of migrants are risking treacherous terrain, violence, hunger, and disease to travel through the jungle to the United States.
The ‘Exciting Business Opportunity’ That Ruined Our Lives
Amway sold my family a life built on delusion.
A Sea Story
One of the worst maritime disasters in European history took place two decades ago. It remains very much in the public eye. On a stormy night on the Baltic Sea, more than 850 people lost their lives when a luxurious ferry sank below the waves. From a mass of material, including official and unofficial reports and survivor testimony, our correspondent has distilled an account of the Estonia’s last moments—part of his continuing coverage for the magazine of anarchy on the high seas.
DNA Tests Are Uncovering the True Prevalence of Incest
People are discovering the truth about their biological parents with DNA—and learning that incest is far more common than many think.
What’s Up With All the Sex Parties?
“What we do, you can’t do onstage at Lincoln Center.”
America’s ‘Marriage Material’ Shortage
Adults are significantly less likely to be married or to live with a partner than they used to be.
The Dictatorship of the Engineer
The right claims to loathe technocracy—but it has empowered Elon Musk to remake the government.
When Bigotry Paraded Through the Streets
A century ago, millions of Americans banded together in defense of white, Christian America and traditional morality—and most of their compatriots turned a blind eye to the Ku Klux Klan.
The Tariffs Were Never Real
Donald Trump does not appear eager to follow through on one of his biggest campaign promises.
Polyamory, the Ruling Class’s Latest Fad
Americans who most reap the benefits of marriage are the same class who get to declare monogamy passé and boring.
The Democrats Show Why They Lost
At a meeting of the DNC, the party seemed to be at pains to demonstrate that it learned nothing from its 2024 defeat.
How America Got Mean
In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.
How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.
The Many Resurrections of Marianne Faithfull
No matter how many times she was counted out, the late singer knew how to imbue her mythology with new energy.
The Anti-Social Century
Americans are now spending more time alone than ever. It’s changing our personalities, our politics, and even our relationship to reality.
Lighthouse Parents Have More Confident Kids
Sometimes, the best thing a parent can do is nothing at all.