In The Origins of the Second World War, British historian A.J.P. Taylor argues that Hitler, far from having a grand strategic plan for world conquest, had a moderate foreign policy similar to most German politicians at the time and did not intend to start a major European war. Is that a reasonable view?
Is it OK to punch a Nazi?
Two naval battles that began on August 30 remind us of the outsized geopolitical importance of the West.
What do Canadians need to know about the disasters socialism has caused around the world through history, and its deceptive appeal even today?
Stepped down as chairman of the committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It was something of a hapless performance. And in one sense, Gorbachev can and should be seen as a bumbler. But the most important thing about him was a fundamental decency that meant the end of communism was remarkably bloodless.
If the planet stopped using fossil fuels, right now...by how much would the planet cool?
How can a society ensure that its legal code respects natural law?
A recent weather network article made outlandish claims about man-made climate change, including that average summer temperatures in Ottawa would rise from 20 to 27 degrees Centigrade by 2200 unless by giving up fossil fuels we limited it to 24 degrees. How does one counter such outlandish claims?
With the new website I seem to have a better view of the "studio" in which you record your replies to Ask the Professor. While watching the latest I noticed that on the bookshelf over your left shoulder is a copy of an anthology of Mickey Spillane novels. Mickey Spillane? Not what I expected to find on John Robson's bookshelf.
A sesquicentennial question: How did we progress from the Tory Family Compact to the Liberal Laurentian elite in 150 years, if that’s progress?
What makes a building beautiful? Is it the "golden ratio" in its proportions, its ornamentation, something else or a combination of these and other factors?
Liberals have been appointing more women than men to federal judge positions, despite women being a minority of available candidates. The government’s defenders say if every appointee is qualified, a pass-fail criterion, the Employment Equity Act’s requirements are met. But isn't this discriminatory? If so, how can the government legally sustain anti-discrimination policies?
Do you agree with Lawrence Solomon in the National Post that most politicians called “far right” in the media, like Marine Le Pen in France, are actually a new kind of nationalist with views scattered unpredictably all over the traditional left-right spectrum?
What do you think of the concept of “White Privilege” and the associated notion that white people should feel shame and guilt over their race and maybe make reparations for past injustices against non-whites?
What are the similarities and differences between classical liberals, libertarians and conservatives? What would they agree about over dinner and what would they fight about?
Would you say leaking former (briefly) Donald Trump National Security Advisor Gen. Michael Flynn's conversation with the Russian ambassador was justifiable? Do you think Gen Flynn did anything illegal? I ask because Charles Krauthammer has argued that this was a cover-up in search of a crime.
I often see the term “social construct” in the news, usually with reference to gender or race. Is it something real or just a wacky term for a wacky idea?
We recently discovered that Canada’s foreign minister had a grandfather who collaborated with the Nazis in occupied Ukraine. Does it matter that she said he “worked hard to return freedom and democracy to Ukraine” without mentioning that he edited a pro-Nazi newspaper during the war?