When America's King of Steel, immigrant Scot Andrew Carnegie, sold Carnegie Steel to J.P. Morgan more than 100 years ago, for $480 million, the renowned financier told him, "Congratulations, Mr. Carnegie, you are the richest man in the world." Carnegie who had grown up in poverty in Scotland to become one of America's most ruthless and successful businessmen, became a … [Read more...] about India’s Lakshmi Mittal : World’s New Steel King

Once individuals/nations get caught in a vicious web of violence/revenge/lies, it is difficult to have a level-headed discussion on any subject. But this question would always haunt us: WHAT PRICE THE IRAQI WAR? It is the sign of our time that we have begun to view the entire ugly episode in terms of statistics regarding "how many soldiers killed", "how many civilians killed", … [Read more...] about Towards A Cul-De-Sac in Iraq?

… [Read more...] about Is Rep. Jack Murtha Being “Swiftboated?”

In the backdrop of increased military cooperation between India and the United States, the Indian defence establishment has now gained direct access to the Pentagon, which houses the American Department of Defence, for working out issues of "mutual interest", reports The Tribune. In another significant development, there have also been reports that India is to station … [Read more...] about Indian Defence Cosies Up to Pentagon

A New York Times report that is likely to be an officially-originated leak says a top general is in effect planning the initial states of a withdrawal timetable for Iraq at a time when Republicans are accusing Democrats of advocating "cut and run" (a political codeword phrase for being cowards) for calling for a withdrawal timetable:The top American commander in Iraq has … [Read more...] about U.S. Troop Cuts By Fall 2006 May Be In The Offing (UPDATED)

Some readers emailed to say they like Around The Sphere. We've recently done some links as individual posts. We'll do a mix; some stand-alone lines and try to aim for about 6 or 7 links each day (if we can) on our linkfest (which will still offer a variety of viewpoints). … [Read more...] about More About Around The Sphere

The day had to come. … [Read more...] about Good News In Texas

Something interesting is happening in California. Arnold The Independent is seemingly "baaack." The question: is he going to win independents "baaack?" Not a week now goes by when there isn't something in the newspaper showing how "Ahnold" is taking a position that doesn't quite allow him to fit into a cookie-cutter Republican OR a cookie-cutter Democratic slot. He seems to … [Read more...] about Schwarzenegger Rejects Bush Border Troops Request Amid Triangulation

From moderate cartoonist Tom Briscoe: … [Read more...] about Obesity Crisis

If THIS had happened in another country several years ago, what would Americans have said about that country? … [Read more...] about How To Betray Your Medical Oath

Yes, sometimes things do work out in a way that makes you breathe a sigh of relief:An agreement has been reached to allow thousands of papers from the estate of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior to remain in his hometown in the southeastern United States. The collection of handwritten documents was to have been auctioned in less than one week. A group of … [Read more...] about Auction Is Canceled As King Papers Go To College

You never made the connection? Michael Grant does HERE. … [Read more...] about Why Reading Ann Coulter Is Like Watching MTV

I read Washington Post reporter Juliet Eilperin's new book Fight Club Politics this morning and have posted a review here. Quite a good book, and an important discussion of excessive partisanship, redistricting and other centrist themes. … [Read more...] about Book Review: “Fight Club Politics”

Plenty of people manage to support him (a slight plurality of the country, if I recall). But few really are inspired by him. Count me among the few. … [Read more...] about Why I Love Al Gore

Booker Rising (one of TMV's favorite centrist sites) has an intriguing post by Shay who notes in part:Seven men concocted a terrorist plot to "kill all the devils we can" - starting by blowing up Chicago's Sears Tower in the name of Al Qaeda - according to charges in a federal indictment...(That) devil language sounds oh-so-Nation of Islam-ish. Now Arab Muslim jihadists like Al … [Read more...] about The Sears Tower Terrorist Plot: A Racial Tie In? (UPDATED)

"Party unity is important but not as valuable as an open debate about how best to change course." — Hillary Clinton. On reading Joe's post on Hillary Clinton: Democrats Do Not Blindly Follow Like Republicans, I am reminded of my Delhi University days where I was studying for my honours degree in political science in the mid-1960s...the days of Vietnam, flower children, … [Read more...] about “Open Society And Its Enemies” : the US & the World

"Party unity is important but not as valuable as an open debate about how best to change course." — Hillary Clinton. On reading Joe's post on Hillary Clinton: Democrats Do Not Blindly Follow Like Republicans, I am reminded of my Delhi University days where I was studying for my honours degree in political science in the mid-1960s...the days of Vietnam, flower children, … [Read more...] about “Open Society And Its Enemies” : the US & the World

...this is the place to be. (Ironically, yours truly can't be there since he's doing an out-of-state, multi-day event.) … [Read more...] about If You’re Interested In Ventriloquism

Two interesting affirmative action posts over at BlackProf. The first has to do with the upcoming supreme court cases which will test diversity programs in the K-12 system. It seems like a very similar question to what was already resolved in Gratz and Grutter v. Bollinger, but the Court has lost one (barely) pro-AA member (O'Connor) and gained one who is almost definitely … [Read more...] about Black Profs

It sounds as if the Democrats are getting their political message together — by moving towards a message that is less-defensive. One that raises a key concern independent voters have had about the present incarnation of the Republican Party. First, note this from New York Senator Hillary Clinton:One day after suffering a pair of defeats on the Senate floor, Democratic … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton: Democrats Do Not Blindly Follow Like Republicans