Monthly Archives: November 2013

Thanksgiving — Guilty or not?

Posted on November 25, 2013 by

As we move towards the Thanksgiving holiday, it is worth asking what we are giving thanks for. Is it for bountiful food and the table-groaning feasts we typically consume for this holiday? Or for the ability to eat and drink … Continue reading →

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Bait and Switch Pensions

Posted on November 20, 2013 by

All the attention being given to Obamacare is pushing aside another concern that will hit in the coming decade: the pension crisis. This coming crisis has two parts, but it basically is a problem of lack of funding for aging … Continue reading →

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CHINA SHRINKS FROM REAL CHANGE

Posted on November 18, 2013 by

It is easy for China’s enormous economic growth in recent years, as well as the development of Shanghai, Chongqing, and Shenzen into modern metropolises, to give observers a sense of China’s great confidence and success. Clearly that is what President … Continue reading →

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Obamacare meets Hilarycare

Posted on November 14, 2013 by

What is it about health care policy that is so difficult and destructive for Democratic administrations? In the Clinton era, his presidency was almost undone by “Hilarycare,” the health care overhaul that was led by Hilary Clinton. A perfectly reasonable … Continue reading →

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Protest in Russia

Posted on November 12, 2013 by

I have just returned from a conference in Russia, in which the focus was studies of social movements. (My own contribution was to argue that recent protests in Brazil, Turkey, and Russia represented a shift to democratic-style protest rather than … Continue reading →

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The Tea Party is very much alive (reports of its death are being exaggerated)

Posted on November 6, 2013 by

Yesterday I noted that many pundits are suggesting that the Tea Party may have gone too far, and that rational conservatives  were starting to back away, worried about the general electability of Tea Party-backed candidates. You will likely hear a … Continue reading →

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The Tea Party’s Old Line on Health Care

Posted on November 5, 2013 by

According to Bruce Bartlett in the NY Times, rational businessmen and politicians are backing away from the Tea Party.  Today’s Virginia state elections, which pit a Tea Party line up of Republican candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General … Continue reading →

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