Free Republic

Chinese journalists will have to pass a new ideology exam early next year to keep their press cards, in what reporters say is another example of the ruling Communist party's increasing control over the media under President Xi Jinping. It is the first time reporters have been required to take such a test en masse, state media have said. The exam will be based on a 700-page manual peppered with directives such as "it is absolutely not permitted for published reports to feature any comments that go against the party line", and "the relationship between the party and the news...

Liberalism turns people rotten (bumped) By Christopher Cook Over the past few years, we've learned a lot about the differences between liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans. We've learned...Republicans report having better mental health than Democrats, Republicans have a more satisfying sex like than Democrats,Republicans are happier than Democrats (no matter who is in office),Republicans are more likely to graduate from college (and Dems are more likely to drop out of high school) Republicans are more likely to marry and have children And it marches merrily on like that. Study after study shows Republicans and conservatives have it better, or...

THE WONDERFUL thing about writing commentary pieces is that I get ample feedback, often from people unencumbered by the niceties of interpersonal diplomacy. Last week, I did what you might expect a conservative columnist to do. I told young orphans there is no Santa Claus. No, no, just kidding. (Besides, I'd have gotten a better reaction closer to the holidays.) No, I merely cataloged the troubles of the Democratic Party. The infuriated response from hordes of liberal readers was, "How could you criticize the Democrats when the Republicans are in so much more trouble?" Fortunately they provided their own answers,...