Justin Katz
Senator Reed’s “four-point plan” for resolving the Iraq conflict is reasonable — even if short on practical methodology — but he undermines his entire strategy with his statement of principle: Now the president needs to take the next step and make it clear to the Iraqis that our military presence is not open-ended and we…
A piece by Bernard F. Sullivan in Tuesday’s Providence Journal brings to light an interesting paradox. On the one hand, it’s difficult to fathom that a man with such apparent deficiency in categorical comprehension could have ever been a regional editor for a major newspaper. On the other, his expressed concept of government enables insight…
I don’t think Julian Sanchez understood what I was saying: … let me just address one qualm about the analogy between skeptical science and liberal societies. Katz doubts it will go through because while scientists have the shared goal of improving science (let this rather rosy view of actual scientists’ motivations pass for the moment),…
Perhaps I’m particularly attuned to such discussions because the past few months have brought an increase in Rhode Island progressives’ declarations that their goals are evolutionary inevitabilities, but I can’t get the ring of their proclamations out of my ear when listening to somewhat rightish rationalists. Take the following from Julian Sanchez: [Jonah Goldberg] mocks…
… that Brown University professor emeritus of psychology, medical science, and human development Lewis Lipsitt doesn’t offer one single example of what he means by “learning processes and socialization on a grand scale [that] will ensure human survival.” The same intelligence that brought us here must now be used to reverse aggressive assaults and promote…
Perhaps it’s needless to say that I disagree with commenter Anthony’s assessment, offered in a comment to a recent post by Marc: I think this election will force incumbent Republicans to move left, just as the Democrats were forced to put up more conservative candidates after years of unsuccessful attempts to elect left-wingers. The central…
How oppressive it will be depends on whether the Senate falls, as well. Regardless, and speaking with some restraint, the next two years (at least) promise to be difficult and perhaps dangerous. Who can doubt, for instance, that the regime in Iran and terrorists across the globe feel as if they, themselves, have won a…
If Fogarty were to win, it might be time to reassess the wisdom of remaining in this state, because it would signal either: that Rhode Islanders have a sort of civic death wish (even if of the passive flavor characterized by ignorance and apathy), or that the state is so hopelessly corrupt that the democratic…
