Blue v. Red

Cold War Divisions to Return?

By Justin Katz | August 12, 2008 |

Not to scuttle all that harmony over dreams of a “working waterfront,” but something’s too eerie about this not to highlight it: Launching an invasion while the world news is focused on the Olympics is pretty savy… and a grand first step towards a renewed, major US/Russia confrontation. Yes, quite a clever fellow, that Putin,…

The Pseudo-Intellectuals’ Candidate

By Justin Katz | August 7, 2008 |

Has anybody else gotten the sense that the Obamanation has the interesting effect of highlighting how extensively the zany intellectual clichés from the academic Left are ingrained in the liberal/Democrat movement? Consider Victor Davis Hanson’s post aptly titled “Postmodern Architecture”: What was stunning about the NY Times’ Bob Herbert’s charge that the McCain campaign, in…

Waiting for the Lightning Flash

By Justin Katz | July 22, 2008 |

Personal stress and strain is always a factor, but I’ve had a vague sense that dialog is becoming more difficult and the tone of political/ideological debate is becoming more vicious of late. The disclaimer, here, is that I remain deliberately naive; heck, I’ve been surprised to gather first-hand experience of the extent to which the…

Progressive Culture Shock

By Justin Katz | July 12, 2008 |

Believe it or not, I’m not a big fan of class warfare. I’m a blue-collar capitalist, after all. I break my back merely to get by, but I’m deeply suspicious of plans to grant the government authority to redistribute income away from those who are more likely to have their backs massaged than strained. Still,…

The Sweet Simplicity of Progressivism

By Justin Katz | June 21, 2008 |

If only progressives’ plans were always this straightforward: Statewide Wifi available everywhere to everyone… for free . And let the cable/telephone companies bid on the right to be the State’s sole provider. How would it be paid for? The company winning the bid to provide the service will maintain sole rights to sell advertising space…

It’s Settled, Then

By Justin Katz | June 15, 2008 |

Peter Schweizer offers a very interesting read on studies finding that conservatives are happier, friendlier, more charitable, and more likely to hug their children, while liberals are… ahem… otherwise: Much of the desire to distribute wealth and higher taxation is motivated by envy – the desire to take more from someone else – and bitterness.…

Economic Savvy When It Really Matters

By Justin Katz | June 12, 2008 |

Yes, it does seem that leftward politicos do seem to have a better grasp economics when they are directly affected by a policy: Feinstein, head of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, was forced to deal with reality. “It’s cratering,” the Washington Post quoted Feinstein as saying [referring to the government-run Senate dining services].…

Palatable Decline

By Justin Katz | May 26, 2008 |

It’s a small thing, to be sure, but a comment that Ian Donnis made to his own recent post on economic development in Rhode Island points to an increasingly sore spot: … hopefully the effort to promote “green jobs,” which I’ve written about previously in the Phoenix, will also yield dividends. It is not my…

Engaged Citizens and In-Group Activists

By Justin Katz | May 1, 2008 |

As commenter Will noted in response to Marc’s post, Matt Jerzyk thought it worth pointing out something that surely we all noticed (indeed, on which we three mused when the photographer told us that he’d be shooting the RI Future gang the following night): that the Phoenix photos buck left/right stereotypes. In that quality, however,…

Don’t Pie Me, Bro!

By Justin Katz | April 23, 2008 |

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman joins the list of pundits to face the confectionary firing squad: Friedman ducked, and was left with only minor streams of the sugary green goo on his black pants and turtleneck. He stood in bewilderment and mild disgust as the young man and woman bolted from the stage and…