POLITICS

Memorial Day: What We Owe Our Soldiers

To send soldiers into war without a clear self-defense purpose, and without providing them every possible protection, is a betrayal of their valor and a violation of their rights.

The Curse of Frankenstein

Ever since Mary Shelley wrote the original Frankenstein story in 1818, it has stood as the symbol of a false and destructive idea: the idea that science and technology will inevitably produce monsters. The story of Frankenstein has come to be used, not as a criticism...

An Elegy for Elian Gonzalez

It finally happened: Elian Gonzalez has been reunited with his father. The President, the Attorney General, Congress, the media and a majority of the American people got the reunion they wanted at 5 a.m. last Saturday morning–at the point of a gun. For all the...

The Curse of Frankenstein

Ever since Mary Shelley wrote the original Frankenstein story in 1818, it has stood as the symbol of a false and destructive idea: the idea that science and technology will inevitably produce monsters. The story of Frankenstein has come to be used, not as a criticism...

“Look at ’em quit!”

At the end of the classic Western, “Rio Bravo,” when the bad guys came running out of a blown-up house holding up their hands in surrender, John Wayne’s sidekick couldn’t help but exclaim “Look at ’em quit!”. These days,...

The Philippines Market: Flying off the Radar Screen

Have you ever noticed how little you hear about the Philippines market in these days? When was the last time you heard about a hot stock tip from that country? The Philippines contains a lot of people, about 72 million in fact, and it also has reasonably good...

Breaking the Tokyo Banks?

Back in 1998, the big question in Japan was which, if any, of Tokyo’s big banks could escape collapse. Burdened by massive, non-performing loans, and holding assets (like Tokyo real estate) that had plunged in value, Japan’s big banks were in a serious...

An Insolvency that is Good for Thailand

Last Wednesday, 15 March 2000), a Thai bankruptcy court declared that Thai Petrochemical Industry Plc., (TPI) was insolvent. Thai investors, while hardly jubilant, were likely to be relieved about one thing: a Thai company can no longer refuse to pay back creditors...

Rules of Rational Communication

Do not interrupt. Allow your partner to finish what he is saying. When there is a pause, politely ask, “Are you finished?” Actively listen. In other words, think about what she is saying. Look for evidence of honest misunderstandings. They are almost...

They Call them “Warning Labels,” Don’t They?

They Call them “Warning Labels,” Don’t They?

“They wanted to shut down ‘Big Tobacco.'” Thus explained a juror who agreed to award $20 million in punitive damages against Philip Morris and R. J. Reynolds. Now, get this. The plaintiff, now dying of cancer, began smoking at 13 — several...

Tinseltown Crowns a ‘Hero’

Tinseltown Crowns a ‘Hero’

“A local hero.” That’s how a spokesperson for Los Angeles police described the “heroics” of Willie Fulgear. Who is Willie Fulgear? Shortly before the recent Academy Awards ceremony, Roadway Express shipped 55 gold-plated Oscar statuettes....

Hasta La Vista, Anthony Burns

Hasta La Vista, Anthony Burns

Anthony Burns lives again today in Florida, in the person of Elián Gonzalez, the six-year-old whose mother fled with him from Cuba last November in an attempt (during which she tragically died) to gain liberty.

A Useless Law

A Useless Law

TODAY, CONGRESS APPROVED the $300 billion Universal Support Enablement Law for Evaders of Suitable Skills, known as the USELESS bill. USELESS supporters call the measure’s passage a statement to people with no work skills, bad attitudes, poor personal hygiene,...

Stress Busting: Principles of Stress-Management, Part 2

In my last I covered seven principles of Stress Management. Here are seven more: 8. Process your feelings, and introspect, regularly. When you encounter a dilemma or issue, discuss it with a close friend, a professional counselor, or yourself (e.g., in the form of a...

Why GOPers cheered when McCain lost

Why GOPers cheered when McCain lost

Senator John McCain lost his bid to become his party’s nominee, and “core” Republicans cheered. No, not because of McCain’s alleged fiery temper, or his Gore-like economic plan, or his silly crusade against Big Tobacco — an industry both...

Evolution and Public Schools

Evolution and Public Schools

Under pressure from the religious right, the Illinois Board of Education has quietly eliminated the word “evolution” from state school standards. Liberals complain that this violates the separation between church state. But they’re getting exactly...

John McCain’s Moral Assault on Freedom

John McCain is not shy about expressing his moral vision for America. When he officially announced his candidacy, he said, “I run for president because I want the next generation of Americans to know the sense of pride and purpose of serving a cause greater than...

Beware of a Stock Market that Trades Above Average

Covering International equities over the last decade has been an interesting experience. Emerging markets in Asia and Latin America have gone through a couple of rounds of boom and bust, compressing into a few short years as much euphoria and desperation as most...

When the Bad Guy is Black

When the Bad Guy is Black

The double standard slaps you in the face. Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. Ronald Taylor, a black man, allegedly guns down five whites, killing three. What followed became a textbook case on how contemporary American journalism deals with race. The suspect’s motive...

Immigration, Moochers, and the Welfare State

Immigration, Moochers, and the Welfare State

Q. How is an “open-borders” immigration policy compatible with the principle of self-interest? While we have a welfare state, isn’t it irrational to encourage immigration? Shouldn’t the openness of our borders be tied to phasing out the...

The Railroading of Microsoft

The Railroading of Microsoft

The press coverage of Microsoft’s antitrust trial, up through the testimony of the final witness, has conveyed one consistent theme: Microsoft is losing. Its witnesses, we are told, have been caught in inconsistencies; Bill Gates’s videotaped testimony was...

The New China? Once A Dictator, Always A Dictator

The past arrest of Peng Cheng by the Chinese Government, and the more recent “strong” statements against Taiwan, shows how little has changed in that country. Take the case of Mr. Cheng. Mr. Cheng was sentenced to three years in a labor camp on...

gun

Limits on Guns

Question: In a proper society, individuals surrender to government the right to the use of retaliatory force. How does this line of reasoning applies to gun control. If it is moral and hence legal to own a weapon that can kill many quickly, where and what reasoning...

Cops — How Bad Are They?

Cops — How Bad Are They?

Not Guilty. An Albany, N.Y. jury, consisting of four blacks, acquitted four white officers charged in the shooting death of West African Amadou Diallo. The undercover cops, looking for a rapist, cornered Diallo in the vestibule of his Bronx apartment. They ordered him...

Stress Busting: Principles of Stress-Management

Have you ever suffered from any of the following symptoms? Poor concentration. Forgetting to do important tasks. A pervasive sense of helplessness or hopelessness. Nervous behaviors (shaking leg, biting nails). High blood pressure. Blowing up or snapping at loved ones...

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