international relations
An Arsenal of Which Democracy?
The US is being asked to supply weapons to two states. It's important to choose which one will actually advance both American and liberal interests.
Matthew Downhour
Does Military Service Qualify One as a Legislator?
Military veterans have always been a major part of the American political landscape, since the first commander of the Continental Army was unanimously chosen as the first president of the unified republic. And in that time, the question of what level of deference to this class of veterans has been
politics
Collective Punishment is Always Illiberal
Denying the citizens of Gaza water or medicine on account of their actions taken by other Gazans cannot be justified on any liberal principle - and the same applies to any effort to reduce individuals to members of a group and assign them guilt on that account.
Economics
There is a strong liberal case for nationalizing Starlink
A publicly owned satellite communication company, purchased from its current owner at a fair price, is the best solution to the dilemmas presented by this advancing technology.
Economics
Tariffs are neither fair nor simple
Tariffs appear simple because they are baked into prices, but behind the scenes is a complicated, regressive system ripe for corruption
feminism
The advice we give men is all wrong
We should not lose sight of the realities Wollstonecraft so forcefully asserted centuries ago: men and women, whatever their differences, have the same fundamental purpose in life - “the attainment of those talents and virtues, the exercise of which ennobles the human character”.
Why am I here, defending liberalism?
The origin of this blog is, if we’re being perfectly honest, to put to ‘paper’ my stream of thoughts and analysis (the quality of which is up to you, dear reader, to judge) about the past, present, and future, from an unapologetically liberal lens, especially as we approach another
News
Coming soon
This is Apply Liberally , a brand new site by Matthew Downhour that's just getting started. Things will be up and running here shortly, but you can subscribe in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published!