Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. In light of claims that we’ve been in an economic recovery since late 2009, news such as the unemployment rate bumping up to 8.3 percent is disconcerting. Our so-called “recovery” … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. Recent monthly employment reports have confirmed that this is the slowest U.S. recovery from a recession since the Great Depression. Four years after the recession began, unemployment is still above 8 percent, … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. According to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll, Americans under the age of 30 favor President Barack Obama over Mitt Romney by almost a two-to-one margin. This is a startling … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com.Thomson Reuters’ latest survey of Wall Street analysts’ expectations about next quarter’s corporate earnings has prompted some to wonder whether the canary in the coal mine is beginning to feel lightheaded. … Continue reading
Consider this fictitious scenario: In the summer of 1950, President Thomas E. Dewey faced a national security crisis of extraordinary proportions—one that his advisors agreed likely would define his presidency. After beating his Democratic opponent in 1948 by a comfortable … Continue reading
In December 1828, South Carolina had 5,000 copies of John C. Calhoun’s “Exposition and Protest” printed and distributed throughout the state. A defiant document, Calhoun’s “Exposition” outlined a theory of constitutional interpretation first adumbrated in the infamous Kentucky and Virginia … Continue reading
Best-selling author and controversial social scientist Charles Murray is back in the news. This time it’s because of his new book, “Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960–2010.” In “Coming Apart,” Murray deftly wields both statistical data and anecdotal … Continue reading
The case that received more media attention and more consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court than any in recent history has been decided. The 5-4 decision upheld the “individual mandate,” the central feature of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. What do Dr. Victor Frankenstein and the architects of the euro currency have in common? Answer: They both created monsters. The euro is not “money” any more than the monster … Continue reading
In light of recent publicity about the U.S-British-Israeli cyber attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, we might want to consider intelligence lessons from the past. In the autumn of 1960, with the presidential race between Vice President Richard M. Nixon and … Continue reading
Recently, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin won a historic recall election sought by unionized government workers and their allies who opposed his bargaining reforms. Because Walker’s margin of victory surpassed that of his first election in a state known for … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. Theoretically, the elemental political choice in a democratic system is between more government or less—more government control over our lives and livelihood, or less; more government spending and programs than … Continue reading
JPMorgan Chase, one of the nation’s largest banks, announced that it lost over $2 billion in trading over the last few months. This has emboldened supporters of the Volcker rule, which prohibits banks that enjoy government support from making risky … Continue reading
Our nation is rapidly approaching a point from which there’s little chance to avoid a financial collapse. The heart of our problem can be seen as a tragedy of the commons. That’s a set of circumstances when something is commonly … Continue reading
Editor’s note:A longer version of this article first appeared at American Spectator. The left-leaning magazine The Nation has published a list of what it deems America’s all-time, most influential progressives. The list, which you can review for yourself, is very revealing. For starters, … Continue reading
During a recent trip to Chicago, I couldn’t help but notice the large number of homeless people in the downtown area, including one homeless man pushing a child in a stroller. Homelessness was frequently discussed during the 1980s, but seems … Continue reading
Like many Americans, Memorial Day never ceases to move me. Rivaled only by Christmas and Easter, it’s the most poignant time of the year for me, maybe because, like Christmas and Easter, it’s about life, death, and remembrance. This Memorial … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A longer version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com What interesting timing. I had recently planned a column on my observations about Mitt Romney at Cranbrook. Why? Not because of anything in the news related to Cranbrook—at … Continue reading
Economists and pundits alike are going wild over the United Kingdom’s recent “double dip” recession. The 2008-09 recession prompted the election of a conservative coalition led by Prime Minister David Cameron. Cameron decided the best path for economic recovery was … Continue reading
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. The election of Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande to the presidency of France epitomizes the sorry state of contemporary democracy. By that, I don’t mean to imply that the French … Continue reading
