Political Thought
Yeah, I gotta vote “no” on this one: Having tried without success to unlock frozen credit markets, the Treasury Department is considering taking ownership stakes in many United States banks to try to restore confidence in the financial system, according to government officials. Treasury officials say the just-passed $700 billion bailout bill gives them the…
I’ve got a letter in the current Sakonnet Times looking ahead in the effort to get Tiverton on a better, more sustainable track: In short, if a revolt is to be successful and enduring, it must be considered, and from that necessity derives the difficult, often tedious work that must be done. Razing the town…
Something from a recent David Brooks column ought to sound familiar: The government will be much more active in economic management (pleasing a certain sort of establishment Democrat). Government activism will provide support to corporations, banks and business and will be used to shore up the stable conditions they need to thrive (pleasing a certain…
Perhaps it was inevitable, in view of their advocacy of certain issues which they perceive benefits all women, issues primarily, though not exclusively, advanced by one political party. And they certainly telegraphed this action ten years ago with silence in the face of Bill Clinton’s serial harassment of vulnerable and subordinate women, a group whom…
Charles Pinning’s op-ed in today’s Providence Journal may present an awkward blend of maudlin setting and ideological sneer, but perhaps it offers a chance for productive conversation. Pinning puts the following in the mouth of an older male character from Providence’s west side, speaking of the regular schmoes whom his elderly sweetheart just encountered at…
Although I obviously agree with his immediate point, something in this post by Damon Root strikes the ear funny, in a way that betrays the lack of long-term thinking among libertarians (emphasis added): McCain’s response? “That’s an excellent point.” I don’t know if excellent is the word I’d use. When conservatives complain about judges “legislating…
Most workday mornings (especially if everybody in the house slept through the night), my drive over the Sakonnet River Bridge brings a wave of gratitude for the sights that fill my days. Similarly, the breeze off the water, whether warm or cool, as I cross the parking lot to church come a Sunday morning makes…
Tiverton’s public hearing on charter-related questions potentially to be placed on the next ballot didn’t let out until after 11:00, Monday night, although many in the audience (including the Providence Journal’s Gina Macris) left after the headline-grabbing debate over the future of the financial town meeting had ended. I stayed so late — despite dying…
Given past experience with the vulnerability of our trash receptacles on garbage day, we should have known better. We shouldn’t have run out of garbage bags. The children shouldn’t have filled an unlined can. My wife shouldn’t have put that can out on the street to be emptied into the truck. But it seems to…
I’ve been busy with “life” (work, family, volunteering, recreation, Citadel board meetings;) and haven’t had a chance to post much of substance. That trend continues, so here are a couple things I’ve found interesting over the last few days. Jim Lindgren has looked into–and exposed–the activities and agenda of a group calling itself Service Nation…