It was tragically comical that the commander in chief in just a few weeks could go from referring to ISIS as “jayvee” and a manageable problem to declaring it an existential threat, in the same manner he upgraded the Free Syrian Army from amateurs and a fantasy to our ground linchpin in the new air war.
Liberalism, most people would agree, stands for the state's responsibility to actively improve the social, economic, and political quality of citizens’ lives. In a more fundamental sense liberalism also denotes certain qualities of mind and character, among them tolerance, generosity, the capacity to engage civilly competing opinions, and a determination to base politics on reason rather than physical force or arbitrary authority.
There are several stories today about how Islamic State militants are threatening Baghdad. Some of the stories suggest that “an all-out assault on Baghdad” may be in the cards, while others say that the militants will instead simply “wreak havoc” on the city from its western edge. Whichever is right, Islamic State forces are threatening Baghdad itself.
Here’s a story of two Republicans running for governor in big blue states but on opposite coasts — both far behind in the polls and wondering where’s the cavalry.
In this episode of Uncommon Knowledge, Peter sits down with Liam Fox, member of Parliament and former secretary of state for defense, to discuss his new book, Rising Tides, as well as current issues regarding the purpose of NATO, Scotland’s move for independence, and the conflicts in the Middle East.
EconTalk host Russ Roberts is interviewed by long-time EconTalk guest Michael Munger about Russ's new book, How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness. Topics discussed include how economists view human motivation and consumer behavior, the role of conscience and self-interest in acts of kindness, and the costs and benefits of judging others. The conversation closes with a discussion of how Smith can help us understand villains in movies.
The Mid-Term Elections can become a mini-referendum on the Obama administration’s inaction towards Ukraine. With a continued Democratic senate majority, Harry Reid will block the pro-Ukraine bills working their way through Congress. Ukraine has a chance of getting weapons to fend off Russian aggression only with Republican control of the Senate.
On October 12, officials in Texas announced that a “health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for the Ebola patient hospitalized there has tested positive for Ebola.” According to Dr. Daniel Varga, the chief clinical officer of Texas Health Resources, the health system that includes Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, the transmission occurred despite the use of “full CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] precautions,” including “gown, glove, mask and shield.”
Distinguished Visiting Fellow Henry Kissinger discusses current American foreign policy on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on NBC News.
Later today the Nobel Prize in economics will be announced. Winners of the prestigious award are notoriously hard to predict but a slew of gifted economists have been mentioned as strong contenders.
Those who fear that the big problem with America’s schools is the teachers who work in them would be heartened by spending a little time at an Educators 4 Excellence (E4E) conclave. Sydney Morris and Evan Stone launched Educators 4 Excellence in 2010 to push unions and schools to get serious about recognizing excellence and addressing mediocrity.
Along with former Defense Secretary William Perry, retired Army Gen. John Abizaid, of Gardnerville, who commanded U.S. forces in the volatile Middle East, co-authored a recent bipartisan report titled “Ensuring a Strong U.S. Defense for the Future.” About 10 days ago Gen. Abizaid summarized provocative report for members of Ty Cobb’s National Security Forum in Reno.
