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Just before the election, Reason’s senior analyst Shikha Dalmia pointed out some very unpleasant facts: …instead of pulling Democrats in the direction of reform, the Tea Party candidates themselves are moving in the direction of the status quo. This wouldn’t happen if these candidates could count on a strong and large constituency for reform within…

This is an article Frank W. and I have been working on for the last two weeks or so. Frank did all the writing and I provided some editorial advice and minor editing. === Today, November 9, is the anniversary of Kristallnacht. It is the day when Nazi Germany unleashed its thugs against the Jews.…

Today is the anniversary of Kristallnacht. Seventy two years ago – 1938. The wiki can get you started on the history. Cross Posted at Power and Control

When I saw Glenn Reynolds’ link to what he called “a guide to cancer etiquette,” I had no idea I would encounter such tidbits of wisdom as this: there’s a growing need for ground rules that prevent us from inflicting ourselves upon one another While he was talking about the difference between those who are…

No matter where I look, it seems there’s no getting away from people who seek to impose their morality on others. Take today’s headline. “Climate scientists plan campaign against global warming skeptics” John Abraham of St. Thomas University in Minnesota, who last May wrote a widely disseminated response to climate change skeptics, is also pulling…

An excerpt from the latest Ulsterman post. This is a discussion of the future of the Democrats. So there’s no hope for the party right now? Hope? That’s a tough commodity to come by for the hopeless. Look, the Democratic Party is suffering from temporary insanity right now. It’s a complete cluster -expletive- these days.…

My evangelical friends have been at it again. Some of these Biblical Christians have gotten involved in the internal affairs of Uganda. This report is from Jan. 2010. KAMPALA, Uganda — Last March, three American evangelical Christians, whose teachings about “curing” homosexuals have been widely discredited in the United States, arrived here in Uganda’s capital…

It took a while, but Iraq’s major parties have agreed on a national unity government. This will arguably be Iraq’s first true unity government, as it will bring in major representation of the Sunnis who had largely avoided the polls in 2005. Allawi’s party will reportedly hold the speakership, while Maliki continues as PM. The…

Both M. Simon and I have written previously about Dr. Stephen Schneider, who was vigorously prosecuted for and convicted of prescribing narcotic drugs to addicts. If he in fact did that, I have no philosophical problem with it — any more than I have a problem with a liquor store selling booze to an alcohol-addicted…

In case you haven’t heard we are now – for the winter – off daylight saving time. All your manual clocks need to be set back one hour. If that is a hassle – it is – may I suggest this radio controlled clock (sometimes called an atomic clock because it uses the American atomic…

It seems the Mexican government has found and destroyed 121 1/2 tons of marijuana. If you engage in a bit of the wacky tobacco, you probably have a pretty good idea of what a gram of marijuana looks like — maybe even an ounce. But even the most expanded mind would have trouble conceptualizing the…

I don’t like to gloat. But if I did, I’d be pretty happy about what happened here in Michigan on Tuesday. It’s the first Saturday night after the election, and I hope it’s OK to celebrate for a moment now. (I should point out that I was pretty busy that day watching the polls from…

Via Reason, Matt Taibbi makes a strange argument. It’s amazing to me that people who should know better are missing some of the most obvious facts here. Markets have winners and losers. Inevitably some banks will fail in a major economic adjustment. Why did we need the bailout? Because the Feds allowed institutions to become…

I was reading this LA Times article on a five year old killed by Los Angeles gangs. So I posted this comment: The Drug War finances the gangs. Had enough yet? And within five minutes the comment was gone. I wonder if it was a glitch or editorial policy? Cross Posted at Power and Control

I just can’t get over this idea that if someone imposes on me and I refuse to go along with it, that I am then imposing on him. While the discussion revolved around imposing morality, and it began as a discussion of social conservatism, the mechanics of imposition is the same, and I just can’t…

Stuart Rothenberg is served some crow for predicting a GOP recapture of the House was impossible, but not everyone blames him: This failed prognosticator’s mistake is an easy one to understand. How was he to know that he lived in a nation populated by raving loons who would lash out against the very people who…

There is a recount going on and she needs money to pay for it. RSM has the details. Here is a comment I made at RSM’s site: I believe what is going on is the NRCC is trying to keep as many TEA Party people from winning as possible. How can they cut deals with…

The earlier post about “legs” has generated a lot of comments, as well as several related posts. One commenter took issue with the questions I raised about the nature of the social conservative, traditional values “leg.” Here’s what I said: Yet still, I want to know more about the leg I don’t like. What are…

This is certainly an auspicious beginning, assuming he actually follows through. No earmarks, no passing bills until the public has three days to view them, explicit Constitutional authority needed for all bills… I feel like it’s morning in America.

In the comments at Eric’s post If I may strain a strained analogy, how many “legs” are under the Tea Party “stool”? A commenter made this point about my political position: I know how M. Simon has chosen. He has chosen poorly. Given the extreme choice between gulags and blue laws, I’m not certain which…