Numerous US politicians, pundits and bloggers complain that Europe (especially Germany) is once again free riding on the United States. This time we are accused of refusing to carry our share of the global economic burden by failing to increase the stimulus to a gazillion euro. We are supposed to throw in the kitchen sink as the Fed did and follow yet another one of … [Read more...] about Europe Has To Be Fiscally Conservative Now
The Politics of Intelligence
It's the old nature vs. nurture debate. Is intelligence genetic, or does your upbringing matter? Yesterday, the Times reviewed a new book that makes the case for nurture. This comment from the reviewer caught my eye:When the evidence is ambiguous, it is all the easier for ideology to influence one’s scientific judgment. Liberals hope that social policy can redress life’s … [Read more...] about The Politics of Intelligence
Newsweek and Krugman: New Realities
In a magazine cover, we have a reflection of what's happening not only to the American economy but politics and journalism as well: a close-cropped half of a bearded face and the lines, "Obama Is Wrong: The loyal opposition of Paul Krugman." Newsweek's story tells us about the economist-turned-pundit who "criticizes the Obamaites for trying to prop up a financial system that … [Read more...] about Newsweek and Krugman: New Realities
I Know A Bestselling Author
Craig Mullaney, my classmate from grad school, is at #10 on the NY Times bestseller list for hardcover non-fiction (for the second week in a row). His book, The Unforgiving Minute, is the story of his time at West Point, Oxford, and Afghanistan. If you need some persuasion to part with your money, check out Vanity Fair's excerpt from the book, about Craig's boxing match in … [Read more...] about I Know A Bestselling Author
The Huffington Post Investigative Fund
From the press release: The Huffington Post announced today that it is launching a new initiative to produce a wide range of investigative journalism -- The Huffington Post Investigative Fund. It is being funded by The Huffington Post and The Atlantic Philanthropies, and will be headed by Nick Penniman, founder of The American News Project, which will be folded into the … [Read more...] about The Huffington Post Investigative Fund
Minor Glitch
03/29/09: Due to a technical problem, we can't post photo images or cartoons on TMV today. We're working on the problem. UPDATE: We are still working on image issue today. I know many of you look forward to the stellar images that TMV procures but, never fear, we should have this issue fixed today. Thank you for your continued patience. … [Read more...] about Minor Glitch
The Prime Time Presidency
How much is too much of a good thing? Everybody loved CSI when it first debuted and CBS ruled the airwaves with it for some time. However, by the time the franchise had expanded to three cities viewers were burning out on it. President Obama has been grabbing more television time than Uncle Milty during his salad days. This is the subject of my Pajamas Media column this week, … [Read more...] about The Prime Time Presidency
The Worm Has Turned (Spain’s Criminal Inquiry of Former Bush Officials)
In October of last year, a Miami court handed down a conviction. It was a very unusual conviction. It was the first time a U.S. Court handed down such a conviction. “This is the first case in the United States to charge an individual with criminal torture. I hope this case will serve as a model to future prosecutions of this type," proudly said none other than Bush's … [Read more...] about The Worm Has Turned (Spain’s Criminal Inquiry of Former Bush Officials)
Our Lady of Guadalupe, A Catholic Latina’s Take: Hillary Clinton Vindicated
Well, look. Our Lady can withstand anything, including people who want to hijack her into their internecine fighting. She grew up that way, remember? Pregnant and not married. Bearing the Son of God. Yeah sure, said the people of her time and they were mightily insulted. But, Guadalupe is the major girl gang leader in heaven. She can handle herself just fine. Remember, she … [Read more...] about Our Lady of Guadalupe, A Catholic Latina’s Take: Hillary Clinton Vindicated
Obama’s Afghan Plan Is His Vietnam
President Obama's announced new foreign policy shifts in Pakistan and Afghanistan leaves little doubt the war against terrorists in that Middle East region is his. We see it as his Vietnam. The mission is simple but altruistic: Eradicate Al-Qaeda and the terrorist factions of the Taliban, restore the infrastructure of Pakistan, train the Afghanistan army and police and … [Read more...] about Obama’s Afghan Plan Is His Vietnam
In Custody Battle Over 9-Year-Old, Brazilian Stepdad Calls American Dad ‘Liar’: O Globo of Brazil
João Paulo Lins e Silva, his wife Bruna and Sean, some time in 2006. When Bruna Goldman took her son Sean to Brazil, she decided to divorce her American husband David, marry another man and remain in Brazil. She subsequently died and left the boy with his stepfather, resulting in an epic international custody dispute. In this interview with nine-year-old Sean's Brazilian … [Read more...] about In Custody Battle Over 9-Year-Old, Brazilian Stepdad Calls American Dad ‘Liar’: O Globo of Brazil
Spokane Residents Dealing In Illegal Substances
It seems that folks in Spokane Washington are dealing in the latest of illegal substances................. dishwashing soap. A recent law passed in Spokane County prohibits the sale of dish soap containing phosphates as part of an effort to reduce water pollution. The problem is that the eco-friendly detergents do not perform as well as their counterparts. Many people were … [Read more...] about Spokane Residents Dealing In Illegal Substances
The United States As A Banana Republic
The Atlantic has a very important piece written by former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson entitled "The Quiet Coup." The author is one of the world's foremost experts on dealing with countries that are suffering from massive amounts of debt and ineffectual governance. What he has to say about our current crisis is scathing, driven not from bombastic proclamations, but a quiet … [Read more...] about The United States As A Banana Republic
Non-Violence in Our Times
Gershom Gorenberg has an unbelievably good article in The Weekly Standard taking a look at the possibility of a genuinely non-violent Palestinian resistance -- one set to the mold of Gandhi and King. He looks at the people advocating such a stance today, the reasons why it hasn't manifested in the past, and the barriers to producing such a movement in the future. It is a … [Read more...] about Non-Violence in Our Times
Robert Gates: Military “Too Busy” to Stop Persecuting Gays and Lesbians
Matthew Yglesias's response just nails it: It’s simply the nature of the military that this “a lot on our plates right now” excuse will almost always be available. In retrospect, the 1990s were a period of relative peace and quiet for the military, but at the time it was seen as a stressful period of multiple deployments (to Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia) around … [Read more...] about Robert Gates: Military “Too Busy” to Stop Persecuting Gays and Lesbians
Resignation Rumored at GM [UPDATED]
UPDATE from The Politico: The Obama administration asked Rick Wagoner, the chairman and CEO of General Motors, to step down and he agreed, a White House official said. The White House confirmed Wagoner was leaving at the government's behest after The Associated Press reported his immediate departure, without giving a reason. Just got two emails: MSNBC BREAKING … [Read more...] about Resignation Rumored at GM [UPDATED]
Torture Charges Filed Against Bush Legal Team; Judge Garzon Handles Case: Publico of Spain
As readers of the Moderate Voice are now aware, legendary Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon Real has asked the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Madrid to examine a complaint against President Bush's legal team, including Alberto Gonzales, Bush's White House Counsel and later attorney general; David Addington, counsel to Vice President Dick Cheney; William J. Haynes, counsel to the … [Read more...] about Torture Charges Filed Against Bush Legal Team; Judge Garzon Handles Case: Publico of Spain
The Derivative At The End Of The World
Everyone knows by now that derivatives are a major cause of the world's present economic crisis. Some long used and very valuable derivatives known as options have always proven their worth as insurance vehicles in various markets. But a new crop of derivatives that started to appear in the 1990s, known in the trade as "exotics," were untested, highly theoretical mathematical … [Read more...] about The Derivative At The End Of The World
Some Big Bumps In The Road For Sarah Palin’s National Career
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has hit some bumps in the road in what some consider to be her inexorable attempted journey to the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination. She has some public relations problems at home -- typically being blamed on poor staffing that doesn't do the real Sarah Palin justice. And the man who plucked her out of being just one more GOP governor and … [Read more...] about Some Big Bumps In The Road For Sarah Palin’s National Career
Grand Old Contradictions: Obama and the GOP (Guest Voice)
Grand Old Contradictions: Obama and the GOP by Dalitso Njolinjo I have always been fascinated with American popular culture from an early age. The mythical promise of the American dream found me at an early age, while I still roamed my birth place of Blantyre, Malawi. Whether it was the dream of drinking an ice cold bottle of Coca Cola while watching Jordon fly to dunk a … [Read more...] about Grand Old Contradictions: Obama and the GOP (Guest Voice)