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Archive for August 2011

Irene response shows New York has lost its swagger

Thankfully, Hurricane Irene was not as bad as some had feared. Did the experience tell us anything about life in New York and the US today? I think so – here are some observations: The emergence of Irene was something to take seriously. It was not fully clear how strong the hurricane would be by the time it reached the […]

This week’s articles of note

“One more thing…,” TechCrunch, by M.G. Siegler [on Steve Jobs’ resignation] “Crime and the great recession,” City Journal, by James Q. Wilson “Perry’s GOP shock treatment,” New York, by John Heilemann “Let’s be honest: we’re in a depression, not a recession, and there’s no end in sight,” The New Republic, by Richard A. Posner “A […]

President Obama’s Summertime Blues

Thumbnail : President Obama’s Summertime Blues

Yes, his approval ratings have plummeted, but Republicans shouldn’t gloat: Americans have had it with the whole political class. Read my spiked article in full here.

This week’s articles of note

“Can Rick Perry govern?” Texas Observer, by Dave Mann  “The shape of the global economy will fundamentally change,” Foreign Policy, by Mohamed el-Erian “The dollar-store economy,” New York Times Magazine, by Jack Hitt “Is the SEC covering up Wall Street crimes?” Rolling Stone, by Matt Taibbi “Eco-fads: feel-good policies replace science,” Real Clear Science, by […]

Volatile stock markets

American and global stock markets fell again yesterday. The US indexes declined by about 5 percent, which is pretty steep for one day. There were hopes that last week’s turmoil was an aberration, but yesterday’s falls showed that was not the case. It’s not 2008, but it’s not good either. Here are some immediate observations: The […]

State takes kids from parents found with small amounts of marijuana

A disturbing story in today’s New York Times: Hundreds of New Yorkers who have been caught with small amounts of marijuana, or who have simply admitted to using it, have become ensnared in civil child neglect cases in recent years, though they did not face even the least of criminal charges…. A small number of […]

What’s happened to the liberal arts?

The liberal arts at American colleges “have been radically altered, both in format and function… What is being taught is no longer attuned to undergraduates looking for a broader and deeper understanding of the world.” So write Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus in an interesting op-ed in the Los Angeles Times. Hacker and Dreifus argue […]

This week’s articles of note

“What happened to Obama?” New York Times, by Drew Weston “American tinderbox,” The American Interest, by Walter Russell Mead “Liberals’ strange retreat on government spending,” The New Republic, by John Judis “Leap of faith: the making of a Republican front-runner,” The New Yorker, by Ryan Lizza [on Michele Bachmann] “Los Angeles: the City of Angels […]

A BS lesson for America: “Tea Party will bring London riots to the US”

Richard Sennett (sociology professor at NYU and LSE) and Saskia Sassen (sociology professor at Columbia) have an op-ed in the New York Times this week that purports to explain the causes of the riots in London and the lessons from them for the US. It is muddle-headed, and indicative of liberal prejudices today. The article […]

This week’s articles of note

“President Obama’s big drags,” Politico, by Jim Vandehei and Mike Allen “The progressive crisis,” The American Interest, by Walter Russell Mead “Politics’ fatal therapeutic turn,” Dissent, by Zelda Bronstein “Health now: a provocation,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, by Mark Edmundson “Why the gender gap won’t go away. Ever,” City Journal, by Kay S. Hymowitz […]

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