So long as the West focuses on names and faces in the so-called “war on terror”—as opposed to focusing on ideas and motivations — so long will it possibly win battles, even as it slowly loses the war. [At] the ten-year anniversary of 9/11, we win another battle with the recent slaying of al-Qaeda’s number […]
Poor President Obama. All he wanted to do was deliver a jobs speech to Congress. How were he and his staff supposed to know that their chosen time and date happened to be exactly the same as that of a long-planned Republican presidential debate, where his aspiring rivals planned to highlight his failure to create […]
So, where are we ten years after 9/11? It is comforting that we have been blessed with a near-unbroken decade without further mass-casualty attacks since those that killed nearly 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001. Unfortunately, our government is pursuing policies that can only encourage those who aspire to do us harm to redouble their […]
Commentary on the riots inLondon and other British cities has frequently made the point that what happened there could be a forerunner of something that might happen inAmerica. And why not? After all, it already has — think of Watts, think of the eruptions inWashingtonand other American cities after Dr. Martin Luther King was killed. […]
For America 2001 was annus mirabilis. And so it was for me in terms both personal and professional. The year brought a great honor in the form of my confirmation by the U.S. Senate to run the Office of Water at the Environmental Protection Agency, pursuant to my nomination by President George W. Bush. The […]
The UN’s new fertility forecasts could have significant implications for predicting which nations will wield global power in the 21stcentury, especially predictions about the coming power shift in Asia where Indians will outnumber Chinese by 2025. For years UN population experts have said that low fertility and aging societies like China and Europe will have […]
Ten years ago this month, after a band of radical Islamists crashed airplanes into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, religion surged to the forefront of our national conversation. The twisted, hateful beliefs of the terrorists came into sharp focus, of course. But so did the generous, life-affirming faith of their victims […]
The isolated ruling class in charge of a bloated government increasingly turns its back on the millennial religious traditions that had once made their nation great. Under the prods of a small cadre of activists, they strip the public square of the symbols of that old time religion. All that their ancestors revered they now […]
The world’s longest ruling head of state, Mu’ammar al-Qadhdhafi (the correct transliteration of his name), would have been ruler of Libya for exactly 42 years on Sept. 1. As he leaves the scene, his wretched reign deserves an appraisal. Qaddafi took power at the age of 27 in the waning days of Gamal Abdel Nasser, […]
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s handling of the 9/11 memorial ceremonies: Last year, Mayor Bloomberg sought to justify his support for building a mosque near Ground Zero by recalling the bravery of the firefighters on that fateful day. “In rushing into those burning buildings, not one of […]
Libyan rebels take heed. Since relatively little remains left over from the Gaddafi regime, the transition process provides the first chance in the Arab Spring for national replanting in newly plowed soil. Neither Egypt nor Tunisia enjoys such an opportunity. Lest your opportune moment be let slip, cautions and recommendations carry more urgency. Invariably the […]
The Vice President is being hammered for seeming to condone Chinese-style population control. Answering a question about the one-child policy, he seemed to go out of his way to be noncritical, saying that he “fully understands” the one-child-per-family policy and was not “second-guessing” it. His defenders maintain that this does not constitute an endorsement of […]
Americans’ satisfaction and feeling of connection with Washington has dwindled to an all time low. According to a recent Rasmussen survey, only 17 percent of likely voters believe that the federal government has the consent of the governed. The numbers are hardly surprising. Congress recently cut a deal to saddle Americans with trillions of dollars […]
The GOP presidential primary, which I continue to compare to a colorful, shape-shifting kaleidoscope, is now in overdrive, revolving at a blistering speed, with the latest Gallup poll showing Texas governor Rick Perry rocketing past all other Republican contenders. According to Gallup’s Jeffrey M. Jones, 29 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents nationwide say they […]
“In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” — Judges 17: 6 (ESV). You have to hand it to the British… they don’t mince words. Speaking of the violent civil unrest that erupted across London in recent weeks, Prime Minister David Cameron offered a frank assessment […]
Vice President Joe Biden made the news again this week. Three weeks ago, Biden was in the news because of reports he had denounced Tea Party members as “terrorists,” a claim his spokespeople have attempted to deny. This week, Biden was in the news because he did not denounce the communist Chinese for their vicious […]
I have been flogging the kaleidoscope metaphor to describe the Republican presidential primary. Given all that is happening, or about to happen, in the pachyderm dust-up, I think it still works. Turning, turning, the GOP battle is making things very interesting in these early days of the endless campaign of 2012. Colorful and chaotic shapes, […]
In these difficult economic times, both sides of the political aisle are desperate to convince the American people that they are the party with the best plan for pulling America out of recession. As the GOP field of serious presidential contenders finally begins to clarify, the prevailing assumption is that whoever challenges President Obama for […]
Does an armed plebiscite constitute an ethical tool of democracy? The victory of the rebels in Libya (August 2011) calls to mind the old controversy about revolution, and whether citizens can rightly rebel against their long established government. Insofar as the revolt against Muammar Gaddafi escalated into six months of civil war, Libya (as distinguished […]
President Obama’s tour through the Midwest in a coal-black Darth Vader-mobile begs comparison with past presidential excursions. I’m thinking of those made by presidents Harry Truman and Woodrow Wilson. First, the president repeated his Trumanesque mantra about his version of a “do-nothing Congress,” dominated by a minority who put the good of the party above […]
A few weeks ago I published an article entitled “Responsibility, Solidarity, and Healthcare,” its several points being: Covering routine, non-catastrophic healthcare increases costs and reduces access to healthcare in two ways a. it makes the health care cost more b. it makes insurance more costly The Catholic principle of solidarity means that we should not […]
Most reasonable people would agree that tossing a set of car keys to a drunkard is irresponsible even if the inebriated party manages to slur out a solemn pledge to drive carefully. That’s just common sense, right? So, what should we call a willingness to place the nation’s healthcare system in the hands of the […]
“So while there’s nothing wrong with our country, there is something wrong with our politics, and that’s what we’ve got to fix.” Thus proclaimed President Obama in his first official trip outside the beltway in a month, having been confined to Washington, D.C. to deal with the debt crisis. Two days after Obama’s speech, Texas […]
As America gears up for another presidential election season, do we really have to agonize yet again over whether being a Mormon disqualifies a person for the presidency? Since the answer apparently is yes, at least let’s try to get some use from the discussion by understanding what’s really at stake. With two Mormon ex-governors […]
