A good leftist friend of mine recently suggested that there are “two good reasons” for occupying Harvard Yard — and that the occupiers had, sadly, “chosen the wrong one.” I was intrigued. For the question bearing down on me (on all of us), is why, one week later, is Occupy Harvard so unpopular? Why has … Read more
Few would disagree that American troops show incredible bravery at war. From World War II to the more recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, there is no dearth of harrowing accounts from the front lines. But what of those same troops when they return home? The stories often end when their military tour is complete, … Read more
Dear Fellow Americans, Welcome to the Annual Report of the United States of America. ARUSA is dedicated to explaining and analyzing the federal budget and proposing sustainable fiscal solutions. We hope you use this tool to first learn about the challenges facing American spending policy and then engage your fellow citizens and legislators to enact … Read more
Meet Sam. He’s pretty young, as far as these things go, a good guy, fairly well-liked by his peers, and very, very rich. But he’s made some questionable decisions lately, and money problems are very much on his mind: he’s been borrowing profusely to finance a nasty spending habit, and most of his financial commitments—taking … Read more
If there’s one thing that the New York Times and Sarah Palin can agree on, it’s that Congress is full of money-grubbing crooks. The New York Times ran a column in September by Anand Giridharadas warmly praising a speech that Palin gave at a Tea Party Rally in Iowa. Palin, Giridharadas told Times readers, presented … Read more
The world’s largest capitalist society is expanding, dominating industry and innovation and inspiring awe for its economic prowess. Capitalist America’s journey into 21st century business is accompanied by an expansion of the scope of business itself—into international markets and politics. American business money, as much as federal money, floods international markets and thereby guides the … Read more
Here’s a quick quiz for you: What percentage of the fiscal year 2010 United States federal budget was spent on foreign aid? Remember, expenditures in the 2010 U.S. federal budget totaled a whopping $3.456 trillion. Also remember that foreign aid encapsulates a wide range of activities and programs: counter-terrorism, development, reconstruction, humanitarian assistance, global health, … Read more
Hip hop has historically been an arena of society known for fostering competition. The past two decades have seen rap “beefs”—from Biggie and 2Pac to Jay-Z and Nas to 50 Cent and, well, almost everybody—grow and fester, fueled by shots fired within songs and inflammatory actions of one form or another outside of them. In … Read more
The meaning of Google+ When I first encountered Google+, I was delighted. And then, shortly after that, I was bored. Like so many American cultural events – like the premiere of The Hills or the release of George W. Bush’s memoir – Google+ manages to evoke these two feelings, delight and boredom, simultaneously, to give … Read more
Maybe it’s surprising to no one, but this Jewish, male, New Yorker college student, whose dad is a doctor, occupies one of the most secular demographics in America. These charts are from Robert Putnam’s American Grace: And as it happens, these charts are predictive — I am pretty secular. Of course, if you asked me why … Read more