Via the estimable Marginal Revolution, we see that some intrepid soul has been playing the computer game Civilization II for the past ten years. The results: The world is a hellish nightmare of suffering and devastation.There are 3 remaining super nations in the year 3991 A.D, each competing for the scant resources left on the […]

The dissolution of Parliament by Egypt’s military rulers failed to ignite a major new round of demonstrations yesterday, and today Egyptians are trooping somewhat unenthusiastically to the polls in presidential elections.The absence of major demonstrations last night was close to conclusive proof that the Egyptian revolution is over. The military could dismiss Parliament and Egyptians […]

David Rosenberg, the perma-bear economist whose pessimistic outlooks generally align with those of his fellow Cassandra, Nouriel Roubini, has caused “a mini sensation” in financial circles this week, expressing uncharacteristic optimism about the direction of the US economy. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Rosenberg, who explained his thinking in a newsletter titled “Parting of […]

Last week we marked a major milestone here at the stately Mead manor in the glamorous and exclusive residential borough of Queens. I reached the grand old age of 50.I see a lot of you out there using your pencils and calculators… 2012 take away 1952: that doesn’t leave fifty, you are saying.  That’s sixty, […]

Much more important than Jeb Bush’s recent lecture to Republicans on a “broader approach” toward immigration is the new plea for policy overhaul from a core part of the party’s constituency: conservative evangelicals.As the NYT reports, these evangelicals are calling for a new look at immigration: The call by the groups represents a recognition that […]

Yesterday Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court handed down rulings that dismissed the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated parliament, in what has been called a coup by military leaders apparently dissatisfied with “transitional authority” status. Egypt is now the newest example of an old trend in Middle Eastern politics in which Islamist gains inspire pushback from secular authoritarian elements in the government.Now […]

Yesterday’s events in Egypt are more of the same, but in this case really something new. The dissolution of the parliament confirms beyond all doubt the contention made here in February 2010 that the Egyptian military would not cede power to civilians if it could at all help it. The dissolution, combined with a court […]

For the most part, the cocoon spinners—those who weave those cozy refuges where liberals can snooze undisturbed by nasty developments in the outside world—seem to work at the New York Times. But a story in today’s Washington Post on the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on Obamacare shows that there are cocoon spinners in the nation’s […]

A report by Israel’s state comptroller is taking the country’s top political leaders to task over the botched May 2010 raid on a Turkish aid ship defying the naval blockade of Gaza. The incident led to the deaths of nine activists and severe injuries to several Israeli soldiers.The New York Times highlights the major findings of […]

Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has called for the United States to drastically cut its nuclear arsenal to a level far below that which is allowed under current agreements. The U.S. signed a treaty with Russia in 2010 that requires both countries to reduce their deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 over […]