Not Quite Center

From the September 2, 2007 Doonesbury: “Since 1776 the United States has accumulated a national debt of $9 trillion, over half of which was incurred while a Bush was on watch! What a family legacy! If you throw in Reagan [the Grand Poobah of modern conservatism], fully 70% of the national debt was created under just three Republican presidents. What’s more, they didn’t even try to restrain spending! Out of 19 submitted budgets, only two were balanced!” What is the word to describe this kind of fiscal policy? It certainly isn’t “conservative.” (more…)

A few years ago I was talking to some German co-workers and they brought up how great it is to see Americans fly the flag at businesses and homes. One said that he loved Germany and the German flag, but flying the flag is looked down upon in Germany as overly nationalistic, even fascist—not a label you want in modern Germany. I thought how sad it was that someone couldn’t fly the flag of his country without being labeled.

A few weeks ago, I saw a pick-up with a large, dirty U.S. flag flying from it and the truck had lettering on its back window that said “America’s the best / F*** the rest” (only he wasn’t kind enough to use asterisks). I think the first word that sprang to my mind was “fascist.” (more…)

“The gift that keeps on giving” has become a cliché and even a joke in recent years. Well here’s a chance to make it a powerful reality. (more…)

In the last two issues of Foreign Affairs, the magazine has published articles by some of the major presidential candidates. The July/August issue featured articles by Mitt Romney and Barack Obama and the September/October issue by John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani. To my own surprise, I found Edwards’s piece to be the best, most comprehensive, most logical approach. Giuliani, however, is, in the words of our household, “kooky-pants.” Let me illustrate with some of the lines from his article. (more…)