Sailing the Last Voyage with Newton and Pascal
Henry Kissinger has words of wisdom: The 21st century requires an institutional structure appropriate for its time. The nations bordering the Pacific have a stronger sense of national identity than did the European countries emerging from the Second World War. They must not slide into a 21st-century version of classic balance-of-power politics. It would be …
Continue reading "The Unspoken Key in the Relationship Between the U.S. and China"
As if fading dollar hegemony wasn't enough: If real reform doesn’t happen, get ready for a fearsome certainty: that markets will eventually correct our unsustainable financial system. They have tried to do so several times over the decades by punishing firms like Continental, Long-Term, and, most recently, Citigroup, as well as the lenders who financed …
Continue reading "“Too Big to Fail:” Another Road to the Insolvency of the United States"
One of the great Chinese novels is Dreaming of Red Mansions, written by Tsao Hsueh-Chin and Kao Ngo. Although from a prominent family, Tsao lead a life in poverty and died at the age of 28. Dreaming of Red Mansions was natural. The "mansions" speak for themselves; in Old China red is the colour of …
Continue reading "Barack Obama: Dreaming of the 50 Square Metre Apartment"
He waited until the end of this diatribe on how stupid Americans are to throw this in: A smart guy named Chesterton once said: "My country, right or wrong is a thing no patriot would ever think of saying... It is like saying 'My mother, drunk or sober.'" My Anglican and Roman Catholic friends know …
Continue reading "Bill Maher Thinks G.K. Chesterton was Smart. But is Bill Maher?"
This, from David "Spengler" Goldman: Bill Clinton, the last Democratic president, thought in effect, “Let’s get economic growth so I can tax it and pay for all my toys and games.” That was the “New Democrat” approach. Obama knows that if the economy crumbles and he’s the only one left with a checkbook, then everyone …
Michael Cohen hasn't thought this issue through very clearly: Today, nearly 50 million Americans lack health care coverage, the average American is often one serious illness away from financial ruin and every year nearly 20,000 Americans die because they don’t have health insurance. Yet last week, when President Barack Obama gave a nationally televised news …
Originally posted 26 April 2006. I'm reposting it as it's relevant not only for evaluating George Bush's legacy, but Bill Gothard's as well. George Bush is in a tight place these days, with poll numbers falling as fast as gas prices are rising (the two, unfortunately, are related.) So how did this come about, especially …
She is, to use the old military expression, keeping her powder dry: Hillary Clinton says running for office isn't on her "radar," but she still has an eight-person political team and sports two overflowing campaign war chests. Her team transformed the former Democratic White House contender's massive campaign debts into a $3 million mountain of …
Continue reading "Hillary Clinton: Still Running for Office"
It is an enduring mystery why US pundits should see a difference between the philosophy of Democrats (who stand for spending more than you raise) and the Republicans (who stand for raising less than you spend). ROFL, it it weren't true. From this analysis of California's debacle.
Today, of course, is the fortieth anniversary of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon--"one giant leap for mankind," to be sure. It was a great accomplishment and deserves to be remembered. It's easy to forget, however, that at the time there were many--especially on the left--who believed that the whole enterprise was a mistake, …
Positive Infinity 