I published my take on Henry Kissinger, who died this week at age 100, in 2014, when presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was courting his support. Read it here.
Politics
TGIF: Jewish Dissent on the Balfour Declaration
by Sheldon Richman | Dec 1, 2023 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy, History, Justice, Politics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
In the fateful year 1917 the British cabinet had one Jewish member: Edwin Montagu. He was also the only cabinet member to oppose the Balfour Declaration of that year, which paved the way for the self-declared creation of the state of Israel, the so-called Jewish...
TGIF: Arms Sales and Democracy
by Sheldon Richman | Nov 24, 2023 | Economics, Featured Articles, Foreign Policy, Libertarianism, Politics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
The U.S. government's role as the world's premier arms donor and dealer is now under renewed scrutiny. I can't imagine why. But seriously... We may legitimately ask if this role fulfills democracy's promise of, in Lincoln's words, "government of the people, by the...
Annoying Protests Are a Price of Freedom
by Brad Pearce | Nov 21, 2023 | Featured Articles, Politics
Over the past couple of years there has been a trend where climate activists deface valuable art in order to “raise awareness” about the perceived catastrophic threat of global warming. It’s a crime against culture and private property which has discredited their...
The Problem with Joe Manchin’s Centrism
by Connor O'Keeffe | Nov 16, 2023 | Featured Articles, Politics
Last week, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced he would not seek reelection in 2024. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Manchin explained his reasons for leaving. He starts with a relatively noncontroversial assessment of the problems facing America—rising costs,...
TGIF: Don’t Police the World
by Sheldon Richman | Oct 27, 2023 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy, History, Justice, Politics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
"We" -- to be precise, U.S. policymakers and their quasi-private-sector, tax-nourished enablers-beneficiaries-- must not police the world, become directly involved in wars, covertly assist belligerents, or act as arms merchants and bankers. The central government...
TGIF: Extend Tolerance to Commerce
by Sheldon Richman | Oct 20, 2023 | Economics, Featured Articles, Justice, Politics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
Perhaps you've noticed that we live in intolerant times. Many people claim to be endangered by the mere spoken or written expression of views on a range of issues. This has led to direct action to disrupt speakers on college campuses and elsewhere and to indirect...
TGIF: Why Is Government Stuff Called “Public”?
by Sheldon Richman | Oct 13, 2023 | Criminal Justice, Economics, Featured Articles, Justice, Politics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
Government facilities and services -- which are actually disservices overall -- are called "public" while services that are efficiently responsive to the public are dubbed "private." Why is that? That way of framing the distinction could be intended to subtly...