The Alexander Litvinenko murder by radiation in London is mysterious — and important. Has Russia entirely left the Western orbit, reverting to its old Soviet era, Stalinist practices? Is Vladimir Putin, approaching the end of his two terms in office and thinking...
POLITICS
An Open Letter to Republicans
There are two things that all Republicans know today: that you lost the mid-term election, and that the loss was a repudiation of President Bush’s policies. What you must now figure out is why. Why did Americans vote as they did? What specific policies did they...
Women’s Progress: Damsels in Distress?
Last week, my “20/20” co-anchor, Elizabeth Vargas, returned from maternity leave. Her first story was on the “mommy wars.” “Why,” Elizabeth asked, “has so little been done on issues like paid maternity leave; safe, affordable...
The Homework Lie
Every year, dozens of parents sit at my desk and describe to me the intense frustration they feel as they watch their children get churned through the public schools. One of the refrains of their complaints: endless homework. And no wonder: The work itself is largely...
Mostafa Tabatabainejad and US Airways Flight 300 to Phoenix
Islamists and others of Middle Eastern descent have often attempted to portray themselves as victims of aggression and persecution, while obscuring the fact that it is often they who initiate the use of force. They then make demands which would result in compromising...
A Tour of Guantanamo Prison
GUANTANAMO BAY — At least two detainees at the holding facility here skipped lunch today because they’re on a hunger strike. Which is a pity for them — the food was delicious. By contrast, the steady stream of news about “Gitmo” tends to...
“African People’s Socialist Party” and The Racist Uhuru Movement
A full 10 years after the infamous St. Petersburg riots, the remnants of racial tension still linger despite Midtown’s seeming revival. One explanation behind this trend sadly indicts key leaders of a certain group within St. Petersburg’s black community....
Are Americans Cheap?
The New York Times and Washington Post editorialize about America’s “stinginess.” Former President Jimmy Carter says when it comes to helping others, “The rich states don’t give a damn.” Standing outside the White House, the singer...
Should America Copy Modern Europe?
Some Americans look to European countries such as France, Germany and its Scandinavian neighbors and suggest that we adopt some of their economic policies. I agree, we should look at Europe for the lessons they can teach us. Dr. Daniel Mitchell, research fellow at the...
How To Teach Your Child: How To Teach Science (Part 4 of 4)
The science curriculum for the elementary students at VanDamme Academy is taught primarily through experiments. These students are learning principles that are very close to the perceptual level, so we always demonstrate the principle in carefully designed hands-on...
P is for Pajama Party or Paragraph?
Recently, I was visited by a mother frustrated with her son’s education and looking for something more. She informed me that mid-way through his kindergarten year, they were still learning their letters–most recently, they had been studying the letter...
Racial Diversity at the Expense of Intellectual Diversity
There are some ideas so ludicrous and mischievous that only an academic would take them seriously. One of them is diversity. Think about it. Are you for or against diversity? When’s the last time you said to yourself, “I’d better have a little more...
What Everyone Should Know About Wealth and Prosperity
Professors James Gwartney (Florida State University), Richard Stroup (Montana State University) and Dwight Lee (Georgia University), three longtime colleagues of mine, have recently published “Common Sense Economics.” It’s a small book, less than 200...
The Injustice of Saying Grace: Thanking God for the Accomplishments of Men
The religious tradition of saying grace before meals becomes especially popular around the holidays, when we all are reminded of how fortunate we are to have an abundance of life-sustaining goods and services at our disposal. But there is a grave injustice involved in...
Thanksgiving: A Most Selfish Holiday
What should we really be celebrating on Thanksgiving?
Jesus vs. The Marines
The Marines have earned a reputation for standing firm, even when attacked on all sides. Apparently, this legacy no longer applies when the weapon used against them is a talking Jesus doll.
Duke University Rape Case
Nothing should be surprising any more about the Duke University rape case. Still, it is a little staggering that, after all these months, District Attorney Mike Nifong has still not interviewed either the accuser or the accused. Rape is a felony with serious...
Thanksgiving: An American Celebration of the Creation of Wealth
Come Thanksgiving Day, when some success-hating commentator condemns America for being the world’s leading consumer, tell him that he is evading the underlying fact: that this country is the world’s leading producer.
The Failure of ‘Flags of Our Fathers’
Taking the high ground in battle is often a precondition of victory; it allows an army to project force upon its enemies at greater range and with greater effect than from other, less advantageous positions. It is not surprising then that AP photographer Joe...
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the 1979-1981 U.S. Embassy Takeover
Soon after his election as president of Iran, on June 25, 2005, pictures of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad emerged showing him as a hostage-taker.
Republicans: The Party of Big Government?
What should investors do about this month’s elections, in which control of Congress went to the Democratic party for the first time in a dozen years? I suppose the first thing is to say “Thanks” to the guys who got booted from office on Tuesday. Be...
How To Teach Your Child: Motivating Students To Learn (Part 3 of 4)
Another consequence of the rampant violation of hierarchy in science education, available to both teachers and students alike, is that students find learning about science boring. When I ask people about their experience studying science in school, particularly...
“Black Progress” Through Politics?
Blacks and Hispanics, especially blacks, are the most politically loyal people in the nation. It’s often preached and taken as gospel that the only way black people can progress is through racial politics and government programs, but how true is that?...
Where is the West?
European nations protesting Saddam Hussein’s death sentence, as they protested against forcing secrets out of captured terrorists, should tell us all we need to know about the internal degeneration of western society, where so many confuse squeamishness with...
Letters to the Editor: November 2006
Re: Dubious Dogma From The Witch Doctor Dalai Lama by Nicholas Provenzo (November 15, 2006) I must congratulate Mr. Provenzo on his accurate description of the Dali Lama. I can add something to expand the irrationality of this “great moral leader.” In the...
Dubious Dogma From The Witch Doctor Dalai Lama
According to the Dalai Lama, Saddam Hussein deserves a reprieve. Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has appealed for Saddam Hussein’s life to be spared, saying the deposed Iraqi president was not beyond redemption. “The death penalty is...
The Joys of Reading: A Proper Reading Program
This year, I have the pleasure of teaching literature to our school’s Elementary 1 students, children in second and third grades, a class that includes my own seven-year-old daughter Lana. Their uninhibited enthusiasm for learning, their eager quest to see...
Why Do We Love James Bond?
With Casino Royale opening on November 17, the James Bond movie franchise now encompasses 21 films and 44 years. Considering how much the world has changed since Dr. No in 1962, what explains the longevity and continuing interest? Obviously, a journalistic...
How To Teach Your Child: What It Means To Learn (Part 2 of 4)
Several years ago, a teacher from my school was tutoring Kevin, then a freshman in high school. One day, Kevin came to their session asking for help in preparing for a test on protein synthesis. The tutor went over the information Kevin had been presented, helping him...
Microsoft and Science Education
Science education is a frequent topic in the news these days. Earlier this month, Microsoft announced a campaign to improve math and science education in the Seattle area. According to Brad Smith, a senior vice president and general counsel for Microsoft:...
The Saga of Ted Haggard’s Anti-Gay Bigotry
In watching evangelical preacher Ted Haggard’s life implode amid his admission that he popped methamphetamines and had repeated homosexual sex with a prostitute, it suddenly dawned on me how the twisted logic in his mind must have worked. Prior to his public...
What War?
A central premise of many of the pro-Republican arguments for the election is the idea that we are at war, and that in one way or another this makes Republicans a superior choice. But I think America is at war only in the minds of some individuals, not in reality. As...
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