The original American notion of “representative democracy” was supposed to mean representation by your peers. The specific context for this was: Someone who has a career, a private life and private responsibilities outside the realm of politics. This person was … Continue reading
Category: Politics & Government
The Green Movement
There are two types of environmentalists. There are the majority, who are concerned about the plight of human life on earth if, say, global warming came to pass. And then there are the minority, who really don’t care about the … Continue reading
Look to Science and Business–Not Government
[Politicians] want lower [gas] prices but don’t want more production to increase supply. They want oil “independence” but they’ve declared off limits most of the big sources of domestic oil that could replace foreign imports. They want Americans to use … Continue reading
Peace In Our Time: The Sequel
It’s amazing to me when I hear someone say, as a recent CNN anchorperson did, that the existence of a nuclear reactor and likely weapons factory in Syria (aided by North Korea) is proof that we need yet another “arms … Continue reading
Go Green!
Three or four decades ago, a group of leftist intellectuals started the “ecology movement.” Its purpose was to undermine and destroy capitalism. How? By convincing a majority of Americans that the planet was hopelessly polluted and headed for destruction. It … Continue reading
Hypocrisy and Hope
Clifford Winston and Robert W. Crandall, writing in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal, criticizing the incompetence of Congress and the FAA in regulating airline safety: “Imagine owners of a Rolls Royce relying on a government agency for directives on how to … Continue reading
The Myth
The central goal of an entrepreneur or a business is to … please the customer. It’s not a selfless act, of course. The business seeks to please the customer for the sake of profit. Profit primarily means money, but it … Continue reading
“Fixing” the Economy is Stupid
I don’t understand why politicians are expected–and expect themselves–to “fix” the economy. It’s not their job, it’s not their right and it’s not even possible. “The economy” refers to countless transactions, interactions and contractual arrangements, big and small, among literally … Continue reading
Throw the Captain Overboard
The various plans for government to intervene in the mortgage sector, and the economy more generally, are akin to the proverbial rearranging of the chairs on the Titanic. Hillary demands that the chairs all face in one direction so that … Continue reading
USA: Socialist Country?
Do people prefer socialism? Several readers have written in to me, saying that it does no good to oppose candidates with socialist leanings or principles–because these are the leanings and principles that a great majority of Americans want. I’m not … Continue reading
Race Is Not The Point
If the civil rights movement had really been such a success, you wouldn’t still hear about the need to continue and/or revive it after nearly 50 years. The persisting claims that racism is alive in a society that is self-evidently … Continue reading
It Takes a Village to Own a House
I have a better idea for the mortgage and banking crisis than the complex notions currently being proposed by politicians. Let’s pass a law stating the following: “Congress shall provide a house for every single American who wants one. Tax … Continue reading