Cal Thomas
Columns by Cal Thomas
Rotting intellectual fruit: The root causes of lower learning
We are constantly told it is necessary to find the "root causes" of everything: crime, illegal immigration, the wave of antisemitism spreading across many college campuses and in our streets. Published December 13, 2023
Norman Lear and me: TV producer was also a reasonable voice on American political scene
Television producer Norman Lear, who died last week at age 101, probably could not get away today with what he put on the small screen in the 1970s. Published December 11, 2023
Let them eat chicken: The insanity of U.N.’s latest climate summit
The worthies attending the United Nations COP28 climate summit in Dubai are mostly not eating meat. Published December 6, 2023
Newsom and DeSantis trade insults, spout talking points in disappointing debate
If you watched the so-called debate between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Gov. Gavin Newsom with the hope of witnessing something that elevated the political rhetoric, you were probably disappointed. I was. Published December 4, 2023
The ignorance of pro-Palestinian protesters
Some movies are worth watching more than once. The one now playing in the Middle East isn't one of them. Published November 29, 2023
Many biblical illiterates among the evangelical fold
More than 150 Iowa "faith leaders" have announced they are supporting former President Donald Trump in the state's forthcoming caucuses. Published November 27, 2023
Have an attitude of gratitude this Thanksgiving
When Abraham Lincoln issued his Proclamation of Thanksgiving in 1863, it probably seemed to many an odd time to be thankful. Published November 22, 2023
Solution to debt: Cut spending
Congress just passed - and President Biden just signed - the latest short-term government funding bill to keep the government running. Published November 20, 2023
No fooling the voters: They know what they’re getting with Biden
Few politicians say things that immortalize their words. Abraham Lincoln was a notable exception. Published November 15, 2023
Gratitude and ingratitude: Jews have contributed greatly to our world
We have again entered the season of gratitude. You remember gratitude, don't you? It was what we expressed before we became entitled. Published November 13, 2023
Virginia, Ohio elections and abortion
Elections, especially in Virginia and Ohio, should convince pro-life Republicans of their need to come up with a different strategy when it comes to abortion. Published November 8, 2023
A third try in Texas for school choice
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called a third special legislative session in an attempt to push through three priorities that previous sessions have defeated. School choice is one of those priorities. Published November 6, 2023
Matthew Perry and the cult of celebrity
The outpouring of grief from people who never met Matthew Perry was astounding. A Fox News sub-headline said the world mourned for him. The world? Really? Published November 1, 2023
Can House Speaker Mike Johnson cut the debt?
Among the top priorities for newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson was his announced intention to form a bipartisan panel to cut massive spending that has led to an unsustainable $33 trillion national debt. Published October 30, 2023
Israel faces continued threats from its many enemies
For Israel, more delays in invading Gaza and destroying Hamas' ability to commit new acts of terror against the Jewish state is only one of several considerations faced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Published October 25, 2023
America needs a renovation
Some popular shows on PBS and cable TV are about renovating old houses -- taking dilapidated, out-of-fashion and dreary houses and turning them into modern, functioning and attractive places to live. Published October 23, 2023
What a Palestinian state would look like
If anyone wants to see a preview of what a Palestinian state would look like, they should consider Gaza. Published October 18, 2023
Raw antisemitism: We are constantly warned that words matter, and so they do
"They have said, Come, let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel's name is remembered no more" (Psalm 83:4). Published October 16, 2023
Robbing children of their future
LOS ANGELES -- The second-largest school district in the country is suffering from academic afflictions of its own making. While test scores show a continuing decline at the high school level in math proficiency (21%) and reading (51%), is the district making improvement in these subjects a top priority? Apparently not. Published October 12, 2023
The Yom Kippur War — plus 50
On Sept. 22, 2005, Israel completed its unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. It did not take someone with the power of an Old Testament prophet to predict what would come next. Published October 9, 2023
