President Trump’s plan for lowering Medicare drug costs is good, even cutting-edge. As Democrats successfully campaign on health care, Trump has come back with a proposal that could save Medicare patients and taxpayers $17.2 billion over five years. Too bad its chances of happening are close to nil. We’ve seen this talkie before. As Election […]
Op-Eds
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Can capitalism survive?
WASHINGTON — The story of American capitalism is a contradiction. It has succeeded brilliantly in creating widespread material well-being; and yet, it has not satisfied a popular yearning for a society with less economic insecurity and more “fairness” and equality. Can the two faces of capitalism coexist? Or is one bound to triumph over the […]
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Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Caravan is for real, despite what Democrats will say
The last thing the left wants prior to the midterms is an image dramatizing the weakness of our southern border. So the caravan of thousands of migrants, emanating from Honduras and headed toward the United States, is considered an illegitimate story, a shoddy excuse for President Donald Trump’s fearmongering. It’s certainly true that Trump and […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Immigrant women and girls: The silent heroes
In a post-Anita Hill world, the #MeToo Movement has brought to light rampant sexual assaults and violence experienced by women and girls across the world once again. Despite the progress, many women of color continue to suffer in silence. One specific group of women of color who deserve a spotlight in the movement can be […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Yes, the US sometimes supports warlords and dictators — so when should we stop?
“He may be an S.O.B., but he’s our S.O.B.” That maxim, sometimes attributed to President Franklin Roosevelt, has frequently served as a credo for U.S. foreign policy. During the Cold War, the United States made common cause with too many dictators to count. A partial list includes: Fulgencio Batista, Anastasio Somoza, Ferdinand Marcos, Mobutu Sese […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
People before politics before people
The headline on Nov. 5, 1936, in the Fairview Republican read something like, “Landon wins Maine, Vermont and Major County.” The weekly newspaper was gently poking its readers and itself, aligning them with a bunch of crusty Yankees as the only majorities for Alf Landon against FDR’s steamrolling re-election. Fairview and Major County in northwestern […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
The US needs Saudi Arabia, and vice versa
After the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, there have been many calls for reexamining the U.S.-Saudi relationship, even for imposing sanctions. As an economist, I understand there are diplomatic fine points to this relationship that lie beyond my expertise, but still: It is worth reviewing the economic and exchange-based reasons why U.S.-Saudi relations have been so […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Invasion of the country snatchers
Is it more than coincidence that thousands of migrants from Central America are seeking to enter the United States illegally just two weeks before the midterm election? Who are these people? Who’s paying for their transportation, food and expenses? Why doesn’t the media find out? Is this migrant caravan a ploy by Democrats to win […]
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Reality always has the last word
“If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously. Just knock the hell — I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees.” — Donald Trump, Feb. 1, 2016 “I’d like to punch him in the face.” — Donald Trump, Feb. 22, 2016 “You […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Trump owns the bloody crossroads of American politics
NEW YORK — For those who believe that Donald Trump is a clownish know-nothing who somehow tapped into the mood of the electorate or just got lucky in 2016, the last month has been instructive. Trump has demonstrated uncanny political instincts. When combined with his ruthless “amorality” — a term used by one of his […]