Where you fit politically
May 18, 2011 By Gene Veith 108 Comments
The Liberal/Conservative dichotomy does not really explain where people are on the political spectrum. There are different kinds of conservatives and different kinds of liberals. This has been a theme of a number of our blog posts. But now the Pew Research Center has formulated a “political typology” that consists of nine different positions: Staunch Conservatives take extremely conservative positions on nearly all issues – on the size and role of government, on economics, foreign policy, social issues and moral... Read more
Strong dollar vs. weak dollar
May 18, 2011 By Gene Veith 26 Comments
“Strong” usually means good, and “weak” usually means bad. Ezra Klein says that those positive or negative connotations shouldn’t necessarily apply to the dollar: Sometimes, of course, a strong dollar is in our best interest. And over the long run, a strong economy will produce a strong dollar. But there are moments when stronger isn’t better. Moments like, well, this one. The dollar’s “strength” or “weakness” is relative. “A strong dollar means that when you exchange it for another currency,... Read more
The wealthy politician as rapist
May 18, 2011 By Gene Veith 24 Comments
The head of the International Monetary Fund, a likely Socialist candidate for the presidency of France, was yanked out of his first class cabin on a plane just before it was set to take off and was arrested for sexual assault. Haggard and unshaven after a weekend in jail, the chief of the International Monetary Fund was denied release on bail Monday on charges of trying to rape a hotel maid as allegations of other, similar attacks by Dominique Strauss-Kahn... Read more
The new radical ideology for our time
May 17, 2011 By Gene Veith 134 Comments
I had an epiphany while reading reports of protests in Europe against the various austerity measures being imposed due to the different government’s economic woes: The radical ideology for our postmodern times is anarchism, the rejection of all authority. Let me explain, but first read what is happening in Europe: Already struggling to avoid a debt default that could seal Greece’s fate as a financial pariah, this Mediterranean nation is also scrambling to contain another threat — a breakdown in... Read more
Maxed out
May 17, 2011 By Gene Veith 64 Comments
As of yesterday, the federal government is officially maxed out on the great national credit card. We reached our credit limit of $14.294 trillion. Government accountants think they can keep the bills paid using accounting tricks until August 2. In the meantime, Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling. Otherwise, the government could go into default. Usually, raising the debt ceiling was more or less automatic, like passing resolutions celebrating Flag Day, but this time fiscal conservatives in Congress are... Read more
Bin Laden’s porn stash
May 17, 2011 By Gene Veith 34 Comments
From the New York Times: The enormous cache of computer files taken from Osama bin Laden’s compound contained a considerable quantity of pornographic videos, American officials said on Friday, adding a discordant note to the public image of the Islamist militant who long denounced the West for its lax sexual mores. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity about classified material, would not say whether there was evidence that Bin Laden or the other men living in the house had... Read more
New movement of the Holy Spirit?
May 16, 2011 By Gene Veith 482 Comments
From a collection of responses to the PCUSA’s decision to remove the celibacy requirement for single pastors. Donald Fortson III observes that “Church history is crystal clear: Homosexual practice has been affirmed nowhere, never, by no one in the history of Christianity.” Adoption of amdendment 10-A is therefore, by definition, anti-catholic. Archpriest Siarhei Hardun from the Orthodox Church of Belarus, an ecumenical observer, said this to the Presbyterians at last year’s convention, which passed the proposal that was recently ratified... Read more
Eye of Newt and Mitt of Romney
May 16, 2011 By Gene Veith 98 Comments
Finally two big-name, legitimate candidates have thrown their hats into the ring, running for the Republican presidential nomination. They are: Newt Gingrich. And Mitt Romney. Those of you whose Christianity shapes your politics, could you vote for either of these guys? Newt has lots of creative conservative ideas, but he has a history of admitted adultery, has been divorced twice, and is on his third marriage. Would you say that character is more important than ideology? And if so, would... Read more
Oklahoma City Thunder
May 16, 2011 By Gene Veith 22 Comments
Oklahoma finally has a professional sports team–the Oklahoma Sooner don’t count–and, within just a few years, it’s in the championship hunt! The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 105-90, to win the seventh game playoff, putting them up against the Dallas Mavericks for the Western Division championship in the NBA. The winner will play the Eastern champion, either the formerly always dominant Chicago Bulls or the superstar team of today the Miami Heat. Wouldn’t it be something if the... Read more
Let us now praise comic books
May 13, 2011 By Gene Veith 122 Comments
Nice article about Stan Lee of Marvel Comics, now 88, whose comic book creations such as Spider Man and now Thor, have gone from cheap pulp paper to the silver screen, making him a rich man: Stan Lee professes no deep and analytical insight into the human soul. “I’m not a psychiatrist,” he begs off. “All I know is, the good superhero movie has got action, suspense, colorful characters, new angles — that’s what people like.” The rangy 88-year-old —... Read more
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