Conversation abounds as to the chances that we are moving out of the recession and on our way to a robust recovery. But the downer in these discussions is the continuing increase in unemployment rates and absence of any evidence of growth in job creation. No surprises here. As Robert Barro and Charles Redick remind […]
Archives for 2009
Summer Books
I have become increasingly interested in the development of American political philosophy beginning in the period immediately after the Civil War, particularly the evolution of American thought leading to the progressive movement in the early 20th century through the New Deal. In other words, what happened to the principles of the original founding in the […]
A Matter of Time in Iran
One gets the intuitive feeling that “the other shoe will drop” in Iran following the unrest caused by the fraudulent election results last June. Among other things, our standing offer to talk now begs the question, with whom? Clearly, the Ahmadinejad regime has been severely wounded and the world has been exposed to the lack […]
The End of the Dynasty
I want to be as fair as possible in remarks on the death of Edward M. Kennedy, just as all of us will want our survivors to consider the “whole package” and defer ultimate judgment to God. I never met him, but he was generally considered to have the most effective and most competent staff […]
The Summer “Pushback”
Obamamania took a big hit during the summer Congressional recess and Charles Krauthammer and Peggy Noonan, in their respective styles, have it pegged pretty well. In a word, Obama has shown himself to be a pretty ordinary politician, even boring in Noonan’s terms. And the American people have again demonstrated that they are very difficult […]
Culture Watch
A few odds and ends on the culture trail: * How many of you read this quote in the New York Times Magazine from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, or heard any coverage of it: “Frankly, I had thought that at the time Roe v. Wade was decided, there was concern about population growth […]
Sotomayor: It Could Have Been Worse
As I write, the news is that Sonia Sotomayor was finally confirmed by the Senate by a 68-31 vote, with nine Republicans joining all Democrats in confirming. This is a reasonable outcome and I believe that the conduct of the hearings exhibited about the right balance of rigor, respect, and expository aspects of judicial philosophy, […]
McNamara’s Tragedy and Legacy
The recent death of Robert McNamara brought back many memories, mostly of frustration for those of my age who strained to make sense out of the Vietnam War. In many ways he embodied the essential liberal premise–that smart people from the best schools, armed with efficient systems, can apply rationality to deal with organic human […]
Neuhaus and the Public Square
A brief and belated tribute to Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, who died last January and who whose legacy in the journal First Things, which he founded, published, and edited, is one regular publication which I do not miss. Thankfully it is being carried on in similar style by his successors. Of course, his breakthrough to […]
The Health Care Debate
After all that has been written and said about health care reform over the past six months, it is virtually impossible to offer much that is original. Much of the editorial commentary in favor of the various concepts floated by the left reflect such an ignorance of the realities of economics, human nature, incentives, and […]