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
Economics & Political Systems
Constitutional Democracy Doesn’t Debase, It Dignifies
It didn’t take long after Mitt Romney announced his U.S. Senate bid for new digs at his personality to surface. As one critique goes, Romney is mismatched to America because it doesn’t dole out titles of nobility for excellent character … Continue reading
Three Heads are Better than 535
Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, and Jamie Dimon vs. the entire United States Congress? My money is on Buffett, Bezos, and Dimon. These men, three of the wealthiest, most influential, and powerful business leaders in the world, recently announced an alliance … Continue reading
Limiting the Coming War
“War is the realm of the unexpected.” — B. H. Liddell Hart, 1950 Early 19th century Prussian general and philosopher Carl von Clausewitz identified “Der Schlag,” or “the punch,” as the vital opening gambit in war. Success depends on military … 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
DACA Doublespeak
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at American Greatness. In an extraordinary move last month, President Trump brought congressional leaders to the White House for a vigorous discussion of immigration policy. What made the moment so remarkable is that the … 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
The Center for Vision & Values Presents: Top 10 of 2017
2017 has been a fantastic year for The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. We celebrated an all-time high in website traffic, an exponential growth in social media, and a record number of email subscribers. These accomplishments … Continue reading
No Neutral Ground: The Problem of Net Neutrality
On November 21, the Federal Communications Commission announced plans to revisit its Obama-era internet regulations. It seems likely that the resulting vote will repeal the policies often referred to as net neutrality. The name is, perhaps, misleading; to support net … Continue reading
Just What the Doctor Ordered
While the Republican Congress remains paralyzed over how to repeal and replace Obamacare, recent activity among two of the healthcare industry’s largest players could signal a new approach to delivering access to affordable healthcare. CVS, the nation’s largest pharmacy chain, … Continue reading
Remembering Fidel Castro’s Death
Editor’s note: A shorter version of this article first appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. This past week marked the anniversary of the death of Fidel Castro, our hemisphere’s worst dictator for a half century. When we remember Castro’s death, we … Continue reading
Birthday of a Bloodbath
A version of this article first appeared at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. This October-November 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the launch of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia—the bloody communist state that would produce a political-ideological killing spree unlike any the … Continue reading
Underneath the Bridge: Abandoned Babies in Communist China
The New York Times recently ran an article on how the lives of Chinese women were made “much better” under communism. It was a shocking article, prompting a number of rebuttals. The article made me think back to my time in China and … Continue reading
Do No Harm: What Would Hippocrates Think?
A core tenet of the pledge taken by all physicians is their promise first and foremost to do no harm. A physician’s vow to care for patients in a manner which does not cause physical, mental, or emotional harm has … Continue reading
New York Times: Communism “Made Life Better” for Chinese Women
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at The American Spectator. I recently wrote about a shocking piece in the New York Times peddling a line we literally would’ve once expected from the Daily Worker or Pravda. The … Continue reading
Puerto Rico and Hurricane Maria—Lessons for the Homeland
I have had two envious work assignments in Puerto Rico, one on the northern coast and one on the southern. My experiences in both cases were picturesque and charming, as I enjoyed pleasant Caribbean springtime respites from my Western Pennsylvania … Continue reading
“Medicare for All” is Good for None
Recently, Senator Bernie Sanders unveiled a single-payer healthcare plan called “Medicare for All.” Sanders titled his approach for nationalizing one-sixth of the American economy as “Medicare for All” in order to offer a template for his vision of the U.S. … 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
America’s Charlie Gard? Think Again … The Value of Free-Market Healthcare
In late July, Charlie Gard, the baby stricken with the rare and typically fatal genetic disorder known as Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome, died. Charlie was at the center of a legal battle between his parents and the British healthcare system … Continue reading
The State’s Gambling Gambit: Losing Your Way to Fiscal Health
While Illinois, Connecticut, and New Jersey have been making national headlines for their respective budget fiascos, Pennsylvania has been under the radar with its own problems. The legislature has passed a budget. Governor Tom Wolf has not announced his intentions … Continue reading