September 2, 2026

Photo credit: JIM VERCHIO / Contributor / AFP via Getty Images

More than two decades after the September 11 attacks and the Global War on Terror that followed, many would argue that America’s efforts in the Middle East were unsuccessful. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan exacted enormous human and financial costs, and support for Islamic terror persists—and has even extended to American cities and college campuses. Commentator Hasan Piker, who campaigns for Democratic politicians, has said that the U.S. “deserved 9/11.” Elite circles increasingly express support for Hamas and other terrorist groups. And the potential for Islamist radicalization in heavily Muslim communities has sparked concern.

If you look to the Middle East itself, though, the terrorist cause has weakened. Al-Qaeda and ISIS are shadows of their former selves. The Taliban still rules in Afghanistan, but opportunities for jihadis to attack have diminished. Israel has significantly reduced the threat posed by Hamas and Hezbollah. And Saudi Arabia—which spawned most of the 9/11 terrorists—is moving more closely into the U.S./Israel camp.

“In the end, we must conclude that the success of America’s jihadi enemies domestically has less to do with their intrinsic strength and more to do with us—specifically, with a lack of confidence in our own values and civilization,” Arthur Herman writes, “especially the Judeo-Christian values on which our civilization is built.”

State and local pension funds carry about $1.5 trillion in debt. Taxpayers have borne much of the burden, with state government contributions rising from $35 billion annually to $185 billion over the past 20 years.

“Even as investment managers and political leaders work to close funding gaps, public employees continue earning new retirement benefits, steadily increasing the system’s liabilities,” Steven Malanga explains. “A booming stock market helps, but only to a point: pension debt represents assets that do not exist and therefore cannot compound when markets rise.” And government reforms to address pension shortfalls—like stricter funding requirements and mandates for annual contributions—have put even more pressure on taxpayers.

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Some 40 years ago, John Ellis was dean at the University of California. During his tenure, university administrators understood their job: enforcing professional standards and policies and ensuring that all students were treated properly.

Things have changed. The AMCHA Initiative report released earlier this year about anti-Semitism at the University of California shows that administrative oversight has gone by the wayside. The report documented hundreds of incidents where Jewish students were physically assaulted and blocked from accessing classes.

“Every case of a Jewish student assaulted or barred from a classroom represents the failure of a dean to stop such disgraceful conduct,” Ellis writes. “Every case of a university-funded conference in which speakers advocated the abolition of Israel suggests a dean who didn’t prevent university funds being used for such political rallies. And every case of a department issuing a manifesto on the Middle East conflict implicates a department chair who disregarded university policies that forbid the institution or its constituent parts from taking political positions.”

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