At the Nuremburg Trials, we (meaning primarily the US) set the precedent that the initiation of aggressive war was a crime punishable by death. I’d really appreciate a coherent explanation as to why the Iraq War is substantively different, given that we now know that there was no immediate threat to our security. Have to … Read more
The scandal surrounding Bernie Madoff’s bilking of all those nice people is, in the grand scheme of things, not that consequential. But I think it’s unsurprising that it’s sucking up a lot more press attention (for the moment) than the ongoing slow-motion collapse of our economy. After all, the Madoff story has a villain, victims, … Read more
I couldn’t help but notice a pretty odd parallel (or, properly, inversion) between the abortive auto bailout killed by Senate Republicans and the TARP bank bailout of October. The first one, killed by House Republicans. Gosh, the Republicans do not like bailouts. Sidebar: While yes, large government bailouts do go against the Republicans’ stated ideals … Read more
Area of the country most likely to suffer from an auto industry failure: The Great Lakes region, a Democratic stronghold with large investments in manufacturing. Area of the country most likely to benefit from an auto industry failure: The South, a Republican stronghold with large investments in auto assembly plants owned by foreign firms. … Read more
America and the Courts
What’s so funny about the 44th president? No, seriously. Since November 4th, aspiring comedians, satirists, and pundits have all faced the same intractable dilemma: There are no good Barack Obama jokes. To be sure, there are jokes featuring the president-elect. Take Jay Leno: Barack Obama’s mother-in-law might be moving into the White House with him. … Read more