Moral and cultural relativism have rejected objective truth, denigrated accomplishment and knowledge, and debased common sense. The doctrine is ascendant throughout the West. Attempts to counter it usually founder as agnostic or atheistic audiences scoff at the typically religious foundation of appeals to restore objectivity and truth. Can the issue be addressed in some other way? With the West’s descent from the “live and let live” tolerant relativism of the 60s and 70s, through 80s-90s political correctness, to the zealous and even violent imposed moralism of wokism, the matter is urgent. Maria Krylova charts the evolution and interplay of the key ideas that got Western society where it is today, and advances a secular case for truth and objectivity.

As if on cue, governments in Canada once again told people to fear or even avoid much of what makes Christmas special – especially human togetherness. Happily, millions of Canadians carried on regardless and Christmas celebrations also rang out joyfully around the world – as they have for nearly 1,700 years. Urging us to see beyond the moment and the day’s headlines, Masha Krylova reminds us of some timeless ideas that, she believes, offer not only the reason but the means to cast aside fear and persevere. Merry Christmas!

Covid-19 has been studied exhaustively – or so we all assume – and the scientific verdicts on the key aspects are in and unequivocal – or so we are told. In fact, there are glaring scientific gaps concerning some of the basic questions about Covid-19, and shocking failures to order the highest-quality research into answering them. Instead, the “narrative” dominates: wear your mask! In Part II of this special two-part report, Masha V. Krylova follows the science, exploring more of the research surrounding this key issue and discussing the most recent exhaustive scientific evidence of the transpiring health risks of prolonged mask-wearing.

Unceasingly masked up, we are now marching through the 16th month of the Covid-19 pandemic. With potential new health crises around the corner, it is time to ask whether the public mask mandate is justified. Although media “fact-checkers” would surely say otherwise, as would most political leaders and public health officials, the effectiveness of masking against Covid-19 is not scientifically proven. In Part I of a special two-part report on the science around population-wide mask use, Masha V. Krylova reminds us how it all began in March 2020 and explains that not all “emerging evidence” is of equal scientific quality – nor uniformly conclusive.

Randomized control trials may be the gold standard for generating scientific evidence, but such precision isn’t always possible. Natural experiments – such as comparing similarly-situated jurisdictions responding to the same crisis through different policy choices – offer the next best thing and sometimes the only thing. Using two carefully selected pairs of U.S. states, Masha V. Krylova examines key Covid-19 metrics across a year of hard and softer pandemic response policies. The results of her meticulously researched natural experiment provide important evidence on the efficacy of lockdowns and how we should tackle future pandemics.

We have fallen a long way since the day, seemingly lifetimes ago, when “The End of History” and the global triumph of liberal democracy were considered plausible political predictions. Today a bellicose Russia is still tormenting its neighbours, China is on a global rampage and democracy itself is looking beaten-up. Why is this happening? Maria Krylova believes that totalitarianism derives much of its momentum and longevity from the human psyche itself. In this essay drawing on her understanding of Russian history and literature, her formal education and her burning belief in freedom, the adoptive Canadian issues an eloquent warning that no society is truly immune.