We are constantly bombarded with bad news. There are disasters, dangers, challenges, and woes. On the political scene, we find perpetual discord peppered with lurid denunciations and shrill condemnations. Media reports are alternately dismaying, disappointing, distressing, disgusting, or depressing. But … Continue reading
Mark W. Hendrickson
Trump on Trade: The Latest on the Tariff Strategy
When I commented in March about President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on imported steel, I was hoping that he would back off from imposing tariffs on our allies. That is because the danger to our national security isn’t steel or … Continue reading
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” — A review of the new Mr. Rogers Documentary
Full disclosure: I have never seen an episode of the long-running PBS children’s show called “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” The only reason I went to see “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” the documentary about Mr. Rogers and his show, was because … Continue reading
1968: A Year of Lost Innocence
This weekend, I will celebrate the 50th anniversary of my high school graduation with most of the surviving classmates of the Cranbrook School Class of 1968. They became accomplished men (it was an all-boys school then), whose greatest common achievement … Continue reading
V&V Q&A: The Big Picture: The Science, Politics, and Economics of Climate Change
Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. This latest edition of “V&V Q&A” is an interesting discussion with author Dr. Mark Hendrickson about his new e-book: “The Big … Continue reading
Memorial Day Reflections, 2018
If there ever was a day in the American calendar that invites reflection, it is Memorial Day. As we pause to remember and honor the hundreds of thousands of our compatriots who have laid down their lives while serving in … Continue reading
High-Priced College Textbooks: Uncle Sam to the Rescue
If you are a college student, professor, or bookstore employee, you know how jarringly expensive college textbooks are. It isn’t unusual for college students to have to spend over $1,000 per year on books. In an attempt to reduce those … Continue reading
The Passing of Two Great Americans
Last Saturday was a poignant day for me. Not only was much-loved First Lady Barbara Bush laid to rest, but I received word of the passing of a dear friend, Gerald Hath (always Gerry to me). The parallels between the … Continue reading
President Trump’s Proposed Tariffs
President Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to impose tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on imported aluminum is the first major economic policy error of his presidency. What is the president’s motive? I firmly believe that Mr. … Continue reading
Another Budget Deal Bites the Dust
Back in September I wrote about our “ethically challenged” democratic system. I said, “We are caught in a downward, self-destructive [debt] spiral.” If you doubted me then, those doubts should have been exploded last week. Congressional leaders agreed to increase … Continue reading
President Trump: His First-Year Economic Record
In an article written 10 days after President Donald Trump’s election victory, I commented on the drop in the price of gold, which was mirrored by a spike in the dollar index. I surmised that the markets were signaling optimism … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Day thoughts, 2017
Thanksgiving Day is the traditional American holiday when we are given the opportunity to pause from our normal routines and take time to count our blessings. It can be a fun and refreshing time, full of family, feasts, and football. … Continue reading
U.S. Record Levels Of Debt – Who Cares?
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at Forbes.com. Do you remember the band Chicago’s 1970 single, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” I thought of it the other day in connection with the U.S. debt problem, except I … Continue reading
1967 and “The Summer of Love:” A Half-Century Later
For the baby-boomer generation (or at least the counterculture segment within it) the summer of 1967 became known as The Summer of Love. Actually, most of us boomers never experienced it. Certainly, 1967 wasn’t a blissful, carefree summer of love … Continue reading
Remembering Mary Sennholz
Mary Sennholz—a Grove City College legend and the widow of another GCC legend—passed away peacefully in her sleep early Sunday morning. She was 103, she was ready, and she did it her way: She never moved into a nursing home, … Continue reading
Remembering Three Great Athletes (and the Way Sports Used To Be)
May was a poignant month for those of us who were avid Detroit sports fans in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Three of our heroes passed on within two weeks of each other: five-time All-NFL and Hall of Famer … Continue reading
Mark Zuckerberg’s Call for a “Universal Basic Income”
Facebook founder and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s Commencement speech at Harvard made a big splash. It was a warm-hearted, encouraging, interesting address, enriched by some endearing personal vignettes. It was also politically progressive to the core: It included the obligatory (for … Continue reading
Medicine that Hurts
The Republican-proposed American Health Care Act (AHCA) that the House of Representatives is expected to vote on this Thursday has been called a bill that everybody dislikes for one reason or another. Democrats are hoping that the AHCA will be … Continue reading
Obama’s Shocking Historically Weak Economic Performance
On January 27, the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of only 1.9 percent for the fourth quarter and that the overall rate of growth for 2016 was a feeble 1.6 percent. During the … Continue reading
President Obama’s Parting Economic Shots
President Barack Obama’s executive actions during the two and a half months of his lame duck, post-election time in office provide the perfect exclamation point to his entire presidency. His antipathy for private property has never been clearer. Look at … Continue reading