I have long argued against the war in Iraq on strategic grounds. I don’t object to war when war is absolutely necessary, but I believe that when war is waged for the wrong reasons, conducted improperly, or for unattainable goals, however good those goals sound, that war is a tragedy and is immoral. Killing is…
By January 2013, at the end of my first term as president, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom. The Iraq War has been won and Iraq is a functioning democracy. The threat from a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan…
Over and over I’ve heard the refrain, “The invention of the _________ is causing the deterioration of society because it _______.” The technology may be rapid transport, from the steam driven train to the airplane, or communications from radio to television to the internet, or any other form of technology. The internet is a favorite…
I’ve written a few posts that reference Walmart (here, here, and here) and the various accusations and calls for boycotts that have come out about it. This is one area where my free market bias comes into play. I think that low prices are a good thing, and I don’t believe that Walmart wages and…
The value, of course, is that they provide us with more objective views than eyewitness testimony, for example. There’s a bit of a forensics craze running the country with shows like CSI making the idea of forensic evidence popular and fun. But such shows tend to distort the picture in various ways. To make an…
The day after the Iowa caucuses I’m left to wonder how I could have gotten so uninterested in politics. I have been fascinated by government as long as I can remember, and when I turned 18 and could vote I not only registered immediately, I also started working as a precinct worker for a presidential…
Thanks for this clip. When people are in power and doing a good job (in their profession) – and are likeable – it probably happens more often than we know – turning a deaf ear, making a very weak response and soothing one’s conscience, apples and oranges (I’m a great coach – this is not my responsibility) – on and on. Of course, it was Paterno’s responsibility – and others’ who knew what was happening. When did coming to the aid of a victim and calling the police and “risking” the reputation of a sports team become the norm? Always, always the disadvantaged, vulnerable, minorities – and, yes, people in high places – can be victimized. Witnesses and people who know and keep silent are as guilty as the perpetrator.
There is nobody whose reputation and position entitles them to avoid accountability. I’m just glad someone eventually brought it all to light!