David Brooks is one of the most intelligent and thoughtful conservatives in the US; he often will present a balanced perspective that challenges the generally accepted wisdom on a subject. He does leave out some important factors, such as the enormous cost of education in the US, but he does not attempt to present every aspect of an issue. He often will write about the aspect of an argument that is not publicized. I read him regularly, and agree with him often. I think he is a fine writer. Most of the criticism of the NYT is due to its extreme left-wing bias and the corresponding decline in standards and in quality. The NYT used to be one of the world's great newspapers. I grew up with it and still read it every day, but it is sad to see how far it has fallen. Brooks is one of the only conservative voices on the editorial page.