Fate of the West
Where Western civilization is headed. History, demography, culture and power, with serious attention to both decline and renewal.
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This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for Fate of the West. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
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Stop pretending the existential fears of Israelis are fake
“Stop pretending the existential fears of Israelis are fake.” Haviv Rettig Gur joins Maya Sulkin for a conversation about why international pressure on Israel fails to account for Israelis’ fears of annihilation, the rise of extremism across the Middle East, and what it would take to achieve lasting peace. Watch the full conversation now on YouTube.
Douglas Murray: The International Criminal Court Is a Sham
Recent years have seen a flourishing of BS institutions. There is the International Association of Genocide Scholars, an organization that suddenly leaped to prominence last year when it was reactivated in order to accuse Israel of “genocide” in Gaza; there is the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a politicized pseudo-court that seems determined to fast-track that same genocide allegation; there is the United Nations Human Rights Council, whose only standing agenda item devoted to a single country is, yes, about the Jewish state;
Common People
A wonderful new book by Stephen Wade, America’s greatest living folklorist, chronicles the history of the country’s folk music.
The Search for a Post-Enlightenment Democracy
Liberalism needs a new foundation.
Will Israel Ditch Netanyahu? With Haviv Rettig Gur
Israelis are at a crossroads. The country is voting for the first time since October 7. Haviv Rettig Gur breaks down what’s on the ballot.
An Inside Look At How To Tame Unstoppable AI
Slowing the AI race may not be possible. But there is a path to oversight that doesn’t depend on the industry’s permission — and it comes from the past.
A Portrait of Eugene Debs for Today’s Left
You can tell the capitalist system is in trouble when Americans start talking about Eugene Debs. Although the popular image of the great labor and socialist leader has ebbed and flowed since his death a century ago this month, our New Gilded Age has placed him back in the spotlight. Progressive politicians and labor activists, including United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain and union organizer Jaz Brisack, quote his speeches with regularity.
The Modern Left Isn't Truly Liberal
What does "liberalism" actually mean? Political influencer @Sweeenie sat down to share why he's a common-sense liberal and how the modern Left isn't truly liberal.
Religious Groups Differ Widely in Their 2026 Midterm Preferences
White evangelical Protestants and White Catholics favor Republicans in the midterms, while other religious groups split or lean Democratic.
Podcast: Human and Artificial Intelligence
Noah Carl is joined by Geoffrey Miller, evolutionary psychologist and intelligence researcher. They begin by discussing Miller’s work on the evolution of human intelligence before shifting to his perspective on AI. Geoffrey is one of few conservatives who has spoken out about the risks AI poses to “everything we know and love”. He and Noah discuss students’ anxiety about their career prospects, what Steven Pinker gets wrong, and the perils of recursive self-improvement.
In Russia’s Election, Nothing Happened, but Things Got Worse
Between September 18 and 20, Russians voted for a new State Duma, along with several regional parliaments and governors. According to the Central Election Commission, turnout reached 59.8 percent, up eight points since 2021. The result was the one everyone expected.
A Horrific ICE Shooting Is Testing Mamdani’s Approach to Trump
After a federal agent shot an immigrant in New York, activists are questioning Mamdani’s handling of the NYPD and his relationship with the White House.
All Aboard Eugene Debs’s Red Special
In 1908, on one of his five presidential runs, legendary socialist organizer Eugene Debs embarked on a whirlwind tour across the country on his own train, the Red Special. His mission: spread the socialist gospel to any American who would hear him out.
How Sweden’s Immigrant Vote Toppled the Right
For decades, Sweden had perhaps the most open immigration policy and the strongest commitment to tolerance and multiculturalism in the West. That changed in 2015, when the Sweden Democrats
This Week in Canada: The Mayor Who Won’t Fly the Israeli Flag
The truth comes out in a reelection campaign; a big stink about an F-bomb; the Supreme Court goes in circles; and more.
Jane Doe: Courage and Dignity
Allegations of gang rape and sex trafficking at Cornell University highlight persistent concerns about rape culture, even years after the #MeToo movement.
David Deming on the Future of Universities in the Age of AI
Yascha Mounk and David Deming discuss how artificial intelligence will transform research, teaching, and the economic foundations of higher education.
Is Trump’s Diesel Deal Legal?
Plus: Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home is searched in a federal criminal probe, Britain’s prime minister blames Iran for a suspected terror plot, and all hail the mega pumpkin.
How the Movies Learned to Love Christians
When the film God’s Not Dead was released in 2014, it was panned by critics. The film follows a Christian college student who is told to renounce his faith or fail a class. In addition to mocking the film’s performances, script, and production value, critics aimed fire at its plot, which they dismissed as an unrealistic portrayal of the predicament of Christians in the West.
In Finland, Fertility Is Tilting to the Highly Educated
by Rosemary L. Hopcroft (@rlhopcro) Education is an important predictor of fertility. That's because people who are studying are more likely to postpone having children until after they graduate, and the age at which people begin having children can influence how many children they eventually have. This is particularly the case for women, since female fertility declines with age more rapidly than male fertility. Yet most of the literature on fertility examines the effects of individual education on fertility.
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