December 04, 2008
Health Insurance versus Health Care
In the looming discussion of nationalizing health care, I would like to add a helpful note on jargon: let's distinguish between health insurance and health care. Too often, those are considered synonyms, and the confusion in language has led to some confusion in policy.
» Continue reading "Health Insurance versus Health Care"...
December 01, 2008
Corrosive Cynicism
An Associated Press article this morning speaks to one of the real dangers facing western society today, creeping dishonesty and the cynicism that makes it seem a proper behavior.
» Continue reading "Corrosive Cynicism"...November 27, 2008
The High Board
Many of you will remember the first time you went up to the high board and looked down at the pool from more than twelve feet up. It was terrifying. I actually took a few trips up there before I took the plunge. Economics and its intersection with history provides similar terrors.
» Continue reading "The High Board"...November 25, 2008
When You REALLY Want Change...
The people made their choice: CHANGE. Now, voila, we have the second Clinton administration. It remains to be seen whether this will be something vaguely different or one of a variety of possible redux scenarios (Wilson, F.D.R. term 1, Carter, or Clinton). Regardless, it will not get us significant change, because we have not addressed our most important structural problem.
» Continue reading "When You REALLY Want Change..."...November 22, 2008
Center-Right Country, My Right Gluteus Maximus
Conservative pundits have been trying to comfort themselves and us with the claim that, despite the election results, America is still a conservative leaning country. The preferred adjective is "center-right." Even Newsweek made the claim in a cover story before the Obama victory http://www.newsweek.com/id/164656, and Rush Limbaugh has opined that conservatism didn't lose on November 4th, because "it wasn't even on the ballot."
November 19, 2008
How Biased Is the Media?
Zogby International's post-election poll gives us an idea how effectively the media got across negative stories about the two tickets. This was a poll of self-identified Obama voters conducted last week. The results are a bit disturbing. Following a multiple-choice format, voters displayed their awareness, or lack thereof, of certain negative news items from the campaign.
» Continue reading "How Biased Is the Media?"...
November 17, 2008
Intellectual Supremacists
Our greatest fear, on the intellectual right, is that the underlying goal of the intellectual left is the establishment of a rationale for undermining of the rule of law. Evidence for this liberal supremacist vision of governance can be seen in comments like this one (on conservative racism) to my previous article.
» Continue reading "Intellectual Supremacists"...November 14, 2008
Thank You Vets
The true cost of war is what vets bring back with them. The money and diplomatic capital are comparatively light. We will all have to bear them, but not in a way that fundamentally changes how we experience life. But the burden vets carry changes them for the rest of their lives.
War should be all of our burden. But we as a society have been ineffective at helping our soldiers when they come home. I say I support the troops, but I can't honestly say I have adequately tried to share their burden. This realization came to me recently while watching a PBS documentary called Reserved to Fight. It follows several vets from one of the first companies to fight and return from Iraq.
» Continue reading "Thank You Vets"...November 13, 2008
Obamanageability, Fun Times, and Tea Leaves
As President-elect Obama made his first stumble-bumbling steps toward introducing himself to international leaders it seemed time to take a look at other problems he has closer to home. I wrote a note to a liberal friend the other day analyzing what I see as the challenges we all face, regardless of party. I'll share parts of it with you.
» Continue reading "Obamanageability, Fun Times, and Tea Leaves"...November 11, 2008
The Merit and Future Scope of Nuclear Energy
With the melodramatic history of nuclear energy in America, it's no wonder people look at it with skepticism. But while industry management was lacking, the technology has not disappointed. New concepts now in development will not only help us through the current energy/environmental crisis, they will answer long held concerns about nuclear energy.
» Continue reading "The Merit and Future Scope of Nuclear Energy"...November 08, 2008
Conservative Debaters are Missing the Boat on Climate Change
Climate change has become one of the most important issues of this decade. The Democrats have moved to deal with the problem while many Republicans have argued about whether we did it or not. To my fellow conservatives I would say this question misses the point. And while we've been debating, the Democrats have owned the issue.
» Continue reading "Conservative Debaters are Missing the Boat on Climate Change"...November 04, 2008
Most Important Issue Got Short Shrift in Campaign
The prospect of President Barack Obama with a “righteous wind” at his back, in lockstep with a Democrat Congress under the iron hand of Pelosi and Reid, has apparently not alarmed sufficient numbers of Americans to prevent this debacle from becoming a reality. Of all the havoc that one-party Democrat rule can wreak, perhaps the most troubling of all is what they will do to the judicial branch and the very rule of law.
» Continue reading "Most Important Issue Got Short Shrift in Campaign"...November 03, 2008
Conscience of a Conservative
The U.S. electoral system is oft-maligned but provides checks and balances to the voting process of a very large republic. It also allows voters in states like mine, which is safely Democratic territory, to express our displeasure with both parties without affecting the election's outcome.
» Continue reading "Conscience of a Conservative"...
November 02, 2008
The Definition of Arrogance
After a heated debate over the last few days on the rule of law, it seems well to take a step back. Why do we conservatives talk about this so much?
» Continue reading "The Definition of Arrogance"...October 29, 2008
Gifts and Loans
The NYTimes editorial page (which endorsed the $700 billion bailout one month ago) now bemoans the behavior of recipient banks.
Now, lo and behold, with $250 billion in bailout funds committed to dozens of large and regional banks, it turns out that many of the recipients of this investment from taxpayers are not all that interested in making loans» Continue reading "Gifts and Loans"...
