Ron Paul may be a maverick in a sense, but it would be wrong to write him off outright. If you represent the right-wing establishment, chances are the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference was an event you would rather forget. For the second year in a row, Texas Congressman Ron Paul won the CPAC straw … Read more
The rate of change in Middle Eastern politics today is nearly impossible to measure. Without correspondents on the ground, it’s hard to produce any genuinely novel commentary. Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion for a change in tone: a poetic reflection of mine set loosely in Middle Eastern history and firmly to the tune of … Read more
Planned Parenthood has recently caused quite a stir in the portions of the blogosphere which classify themselves as “pro-life.” Blogger Thomas Peters has highlighted a series of undercover investigations by a pro-life group, LiveAction. LiveAction members, disguised as pimps and sex traffickers, have produced footage demonstrating that they received offers of help from local Planned Parenthood employees … Read more
Why President Lukashenko’s cooperation in Belarus could be more deadly than his refusal. With smoke and whispers of a domino-effect rising in the Middle East, it is difficult to tear attention away from Twitter updates from Egypt and Tunisia to focus on a quieter, as of yet unsuccessful, opposition movement. Indeed, a no less spectacular … Read more
A proposed resolution in New Hampshire rallies conservative, libertarian and liberal college students around a central cause — The New Hampshire House of Representatives is currently considering House Bill 176, sponsored by Representative Gregory Sorg (R-Easton). This bill, if passed, will redefine residency, including a new section entitled “Voters Attending Institutions of Learning.” Hey, that’s … Read more
A word of advice, Mr. Friedman: Let Singapore be Singapore, and America be America. Last month, Thomas Friedman wrote a glowing account of governance in Singapore. This, I believe, isn’t the first time Friedman has written positively of the nanny state; given the sorry state of U.S. government nowadays, the prospect of Singaporean-style authoritarianism does appear … Read more
Gridlock has been the word with which to start in the Lords’ debate over the AV vote bill currently passing through parliament, which must become law by next week if the government is to meet the planned deadline for holding the referendum on the change in the system this May. The bill, if passed, is … Read more
The Federal Reserve is an effective institution that has historically prevented runaway inflation and repeats of the Great Depression. All opponents of the Federal Reserve, from the most reputable and rational to the most angry and sarcastic, need to step away from rhetoric and review the facts more closely. Monetary policy controlled by a knowledgeable … Read more
Southern Sudan’s vote of independence sounds great. But in the current climate in North Africa, it could have dire repercussions. Awesome! A nation of people just voted for their freedom and a horrible, repressive dictator claimed he would honor the vote! But… al-Bashir (who is wanted by the ICC on genocide charges) is still in … Read more
How the debate over terminology effects global health research and policy. The recent custody battle between actress Halle Berry and her ex-husband provides a neat example of the blurred definition of race and ethnicity in the United States. In an attempt to justify the classification of her daughter as “black,” Berry invoked the “one-drop rule” … Read more