Categories: "Culture"
give directly
December 14th, 2013who better than the principles to know what it is they need to improve their situation? While a cow might suit some people, a new roof will better fit the needs of others, and a small motorcycle could make possible a small taxi or delivery business for someone else. more »
hope for the drug war
September 29th, 2013... another figure in the international police establishment coming out in favor of major reform to the prohibition of drugs ... more »
into the breach
August 23rd, 2013If AG Holder cared about the Constitution, the object of his oath of office, the supreme law of the land, he would be preparing charges for the vigorous prosecution all the parties conjoined to the gross violation of the rights of tens of thousands of Americans, no matter how high the trail might lead. more »
spy-gaming the public
August 12th, 2013In all this, President O is known as a constitutional scholar, but it's clear he places little weight on the original construction of that document or the terms of the Bill of Rights. Particularly galling is how he invokes "the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America" to charter the Review Group, but like his predecessors he appears to believe the Constitution is infinitely flexible. more »
olympic boondoggle redux
July 28th, 2013I wrote earlier of my skepticism concerning attempts by some in the Seattle community to promote the local area as the site for a future Olympics games. Here is an article from the Guardian, written on the anniversary of the 2012 London games, describing some doubt as to the vaunted hopes claimed to justify the public expense on those Olympics. A few extracts that might give further pause before taking at face value such claims regarding any similar venture around Seattle. more »
up with science
July 20th, 2013I have chided Science Friday's Ira Flatow for his tendency to equate interest in research on a given topic to the necessity that the best (or perhaps only) way to accomplish that end is via government agencies and the political process. This post points out private alternatives that are becoming a reasonable alternative to support to research scientists. more »
rant on Michael Moore on Capitalism
July 10th, 2013twenty five years of bailouts can't be wrong. oh, wait, maybe the can be after all. more »
on three more from Planet Money
June 30th, 2013The crew at Planet Money can get so close sometimes, I feel like I could just tap them into a broader assessment of some of the issues raised by their stories, and a greater appreciation for the laissez faire perspective of classical liberalism. more »
when would they tell us?
June 17th, 2013I suppose one reason that Obama is now choosing to send arms to Syrian rebels is that it distracts attention from the domestic issue of widespread government spying on the citizenry. more »
up with space tourism
May 30th, 2013That achievement is not something that "we" can claim as a culture - it is something the rest of us can marvel at from the sidelines, but the responsibility lies with the individual people who are actually doing it, people who are brave enough to risk their money on the venture, and the scientists and engineers and managers and bookkeepers and marketing people and hundreds or thousands of others who are contributing to that hoped-for success. more »
