Also, w/r/t Sam’s post on how few Americans believe in evolution, I’d suggest there’s no way to ask an un-loaded question about evolution. Gallup uses “theory of evolution”, which is the sort of phrasing that could prompt coming down against it for fence-sitters; this is the primary rhetorical tack of creationists. Whereas a question that … Read more
On the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, only 39% of Americans believe in his theory of evolution. This is, naturally, quite disturbing. But there are even more interesting nuggets in that Gallup poll. How do you explain, for instance, the startling fact that 36% of Americans just don’t know whether or not they believe … Read more
As someone who studies history, one of the persistent historical puzzles is why America never developed a sizeable left. By “left” I don’t mean the Democratic Party, but rather the center-left parties that have tended to dominate politics in the large, First-World nations since the end of WWII. No one’s quite sure, and the difficulty … Read more
The New York Times often caters to the upscale tastes of its (quickly dwindling) readership: the Style section, the theater reviews, the wedding announcements. And that’s all well and good. But then, there are articles like this one. You see, apparently half a million dollars doesn’t get you very far in the Big Apple. Well, … Read more
Go ahead, click on it. Reassuring, am I right?
When I’m in the gym, I like to zone out by watching cable news while I run or bike. This is the only time I watch cable news, since I believe it turns your brain to a much resembling tapioca. With less flavor. Anyway, I’ve observed that cable news commentators of all political persuasions seem … Read more
Here referring not to disdain of the volk, but rather to rule by elites. Obama’s presidency is going to confront a number of entrenched, very powerful elites who will clash in very significant ways, so I thought I’d take a stab at a quick rundown. Educated Elite: Easily the largest group here, but the least … Read more
It’s somewhat unclear what exactly Senators Nelson, Collins, Specter and Snowe were aiming for in the cuts they demanded from the Senate stimulus bill. They didn’t dispute the need for a large economic stimulus, nor did they offer a detailed critique of why spending on school construction or state aid would be “less stimulative” than … Read more
Well, first of all Obama’s pay cap gambit sees some returns. The Republican leadership is doing the best thing for their party; simply refusing to talk about it. The rank and file is less cooperative. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell just walked away when questioned about it. However, individual Congresspeople are more or less forced … Read more
Apparently Congress is doing some bipartisanity of its own, without the intervention of President Obama. And possibly without his approval. Yesterday, Congress (with overwhelming support from both parties) quickly gave its approval to greatly expand the powers of the Inspector General investigating the use of bailout funds by recipient banks. This IG, Neil Barofsky, is … Read more