In a statement following the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, President Obama spoke of “the countless ways in which (Castro) altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation.” That’s an understatement as the thousands who have risked their lives through the years to escape from Cuba have testified. The president […]
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Male dropouts — shirkers or disabled?
WASHINGTON — The work ethic is such a central part of the American character that it’s hard to imagine it fading. But that’s what seems to be happening in one important part of the labor force. Among men 25-to-54 — so-called prime-age male workers — about one in eight are dropouts. They don’t have a […]
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Mayflower Compact was an exercise in freedom
The Mayflower had a harrowing two months crossing the Atlantic. Its mast splintered in rough water and two people died, as supplies dwindled and passengers grew sick. It arrived in the New World later than expected, on the cusp of a punishing winter. It was this voyage, of course, that gave us one of the […]
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Trump should consider McFarland for top position
President-elect Donald Trump says Brandon Victor Dixon, the actor who currently plays Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” should apologize for his tacky lecturing of Vice-President-elect Mike Pence about diversity and the “fear” of people like himself, an African-American, about a Trump-Pence administration. Conservatives are denouncing the incident. Some are calling for a boycott […]
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Newspapers the answer to fake news
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free … it expects what never was and never will be.” — Thomas Jefferson There is good news on fake news. As you doubtless know, the proliferation thereof has people fretting. President Obama has dubbed it a threat to democracy. And there is a rising demand for […]
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Being loyal to life involves finding things to be thankful for, even now
The day before Thanksgiving, I woke up at 5 and bolted out of bed to get a head start on a day full of preparations. That plan derailed in the time it took me to turn on the shower and brush my hair before sticking my hand under the running water. Ice-cold. “Oh, no,” I […]
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Plenty of lessons for liberals if they will learn from them
WASHINGTON — One of the more salutary outcomes of the recent election is that Democrats are finally beginning to question the wisdom of basing their fortunes on identity politics. Having counted on the allegiance of African-Americans, Hispanics, gays, unmarried women and the young — and winning the popular vote all but once since 1992 — […]
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Senators Smith, Muskie launched move to scuttle electoral college
With even Donald Trump advocating electoral college reform, it’s likely that this school’s accreditation may be seriously challenged when Congress matriculates next year. It’s now well known that Maine stands out in the present system for being the only state this year expected to split its electoral votes, something not done any place since Nebraska […]
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Islamic State may look to Afghanistan
On November 21, an Islamist terrorist entered the Shia Muslim Baqir ul-Uloom mosque in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. He detonated his explosive-laden suicide vest, killing 30 people and wounding more than 70. Afghanistan’s Taliban militant organization denied responsibility for the attack. However, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria claimed credit for the slaughter, touting it […]
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Saying goodbye to Facebook’s fake stories
Dear Facebook friends, If you don’t see me gushing over the pix of your Thanksgiving pies, take no offense. It’s not that your pie is a bore (though, frankly, it is). And it’s not because I unfriended you. It’s because Facebook has become a platform for the sort of fake news stories that helped elect […]