Weekly Summary: 12/20/25
The week in review, from the perspective of a veteran Catholic journalist
As Christmas approaches, we’re all busy. So I’ll be brief this week:
• In Hong Kong, a kangaroo court predictably convicted Jimmy Lai on grounds of endangering national security (by promoting democracy). The show trial of this heroic man is a test case for Chinese authoritarian rule— and also a test of the resolve of President Trump, who has promised to push for Lai’s freedom.
• The Supreme Court has spoken— twice!—on the legal harassment of the Little Sisters of the Poor. But it still continues. As I wrote for Catholic Culture, this should be fair warning for all of us: If the liberal activists will exploit the courts to bully the Little Sisters of the Poor, you know they’re willing to do the same to you and me.
• It’s worth noticing that the “red states” are experiencing a boom in child population, while the “blue states” are in decline. What does that tell you? Several things— perhaps most notably that sheer demographic pressure will bring some welcome changes to the American political landscape, if we can hold out long enough.
• For my Just War seminar, I wrote about how a just cause for war implies a clear idea of the vision of victory: an understanding of how the post-war peace will make the world a better place. Without that vision, it’s difficult to fight an effective war, let alone a just one.
• My series of articles explaining “Why I am not (quite, yet) a Traditionalist” have prompted some thoughtful responses. I thought I was done, but a particularly good critique prompted me to clarify my own thoughts.
• On this week’s Home Front podcast, Leila and I talked about two noteworthy changes in American society: the aging of the Baby Boom generation and the declining prospects for straight white men— both trends with enormous importance for the near-term future.