American Exceptionalism

In this campaign season, a lot of Republican candidates, particularly Newt Gingrich, have been talking about American Exceptionalism. When Gingrich says that President Obama doesn’t understand how exceptional the United States is, he means this in only a positive sense: that we are freer, more entrepreneurial, or have been a greater force for good in […]

Here We Go Again… Labor Battle Looms in Middle West

Governors Scott Walker of Wisconsin and John Kasich of Ohio made headlines in 2011 with their fights against unions in their states. Walker won but was weakened; Kasich lost. Scarcely three days into the new year, Indiana is carrying this tradition into the new year with a debate over a right-to-work law that may reach […]

Blue Meltdown Hits The Pentagon

Budgetary meltdowns in states and municipalities throughout 2011 have made one thing abundantly clear: the Blue Model is slowly bankrupting America at all levels of government. It isn’t just rust belt cities with public unions that are feeling the pain: not even the Pentagon is immune. From the New York Times: Many who are more […]

China Feeling Hemmed In

An interesting piece in the NYT this morning looks at what Chinese leaders see as a dangerous problem of cultural encirclement.  From the lead: President Hu Jintao of China has said that the West is trying to dominate China by spreading its culture and ideology and that China must strengthen its cultural production to defend […]

Yule Blog 2011-12: How Real Is The Meaning?

By now, the Three Kings are well on their way to Bethlehem, and the Christmas season is drawing to a close. But the Three Kings (actually, ‘wise men’ according to Matthew’s gospel) aren’t just bringing their famous three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They bring with them another set of questions that we have […]

Boko Haram Tells Christians: Run or Die

The fanatical no-nothing pseudo-Islamic sect Boko Haram has issued an ultimatum to Nigerian Christians living in the mostly Muslim north of that country: get out within three days or face dire consequences.  The group’s spokesman, a Mr. Qaqa (who probably does not want to know why American schoolchildren snicker when they hear his name) has […]

Going Postal: The Continuing Tragicomedy of the USPS

In 1980, future famed environmentalist and activist Bill McKibben published an undergraduate piece in The Harvard Crimson detailing “Six Ways to Argue with a Libertarian.” The first? “Cede the Post Office.” Already three decades ago, even the most staunchly Blue writers could recognize the lost cause that was the United States Postal Service–an increasingly outmoded […]

Bad News for Assad: Putin Too Busy To Take His Calls

Civil unrest continues apace in Russia, with a New Year’s Eve protest resulting in mass arrests. The Washington Post reports: About 200 people converged on Triumfalnaya Square in the early evening darkness, perhaps half of them journalists, for a rally organized by Eduard Limonov in support of freedom of assembly.Limonov, founder of the National Bolshevik […]

Please Drill Responsibly

While we here at Via Meadia have generally been bullish on the prospects of hydro-fracking, it is important to note that the technology is still in its infancy and comes with real problems in need of solutions. As the Associated Press notes: Officials said Saturday they believe the latest earthquake activity in northeast Ohio is […]

Yule Blog 2011-12: God’s Dilemma

Last year at this time New York city was paralyzed by a blizzard; thankfully, I was visiting family outside the city when the snow fell and was able to hole up in my house upstate where I teach at Bard College.  There was plenty of snow up there, but up at Bard people know how […]

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