Going for Lofty Goals
Congratulations to the United States Army. When Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki gave his recent “Army Vision” speech to an Army audience, he offered a set of goals that are correct, compelling, and–if aggressively pursued and adequately funded–the best thing to happen to the service since Desert Storm or the day they consumed the last of their Nam-era C-rations, whichever Read More ›
Think tanks instrumental weapons in conservatism’s arsenal
Polls show that the public primarily blame Republicans in Congress, rather than President Clinton, for the recent (and future?) government shutdown. Those who blame both sides equally think that the battle is merely “political” in the worst sense. At the state level, Referendum 48, the property rights initiative, was soundly defeated earlier this month by a margin of 60-40. Is Read More ›
Continued socialization will derail passenger service
Budgetary choices that ask voters to decide between equally unpalatable alternatives are often unnecessary. With a bit of imagination, budget cuts can be therapeutic rather than painful. A good example is Amtrak. Do we really have to choose between losing passenger rail service and subsidizing a cripple Amtrak? The present budget fudges this question by phasing out the roughly $700 Read More ›
Lynne Cheney tells Seattle the Truth
“The idea that truth is something to be invented rather than pursued,” Lynne Cheney writes in her new book Telling the Truth, “has passed beyond narrow academic circles to influence many fields of endeavor” including: education, historical writing, journalism, psychology and even politics. Cheney, former Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, will speak about the importance of truth and Read More ›
Only a fathead would ban fat substitute from my junk food
California v. Gnatcatcher?
Not long after his firm bought more than 2,300 acres of prime southern-California real estate, John Barone learned that the property was full of gnatcatchers. A compactly built man with shaggy black hair, Barone has a confident, loquacious style that some people might describe in terms of the can-do optimism of the American West, which is where Barone has lived Read More ›
Ethnic nationalism risk not unique to Quebec
What do you follow in politics, economics or your heart? The moral discipline of the market or the lure of memory? Your future as an individual or the passions of your group? When Quebec was asked such questions this week, it split almost neatly in two. And so might many of us. Indeed, what Canada faced, and will face, is Read More ›
Puget Sound Chinook and the Endangered Species Act
On March 9, 1998, the National Marine Fisheries Service officially announced its intent to add the Chinook salmon of Puget Sound to the endangered species list. The Service has until next March to make a final decision, and all indications point to a listing of the Chinook. Should that happen, residents of the Puget Sound area will come face to Read More ›
Surprise, Surprise
On October 4, 1995, Hurricane Opal made landfall along the Gulf coast near Pensacola, Florida. With 125-mph winds and 20-foot storm surges, the hurricane smashed boats and buildings, cutting a swathe northward through Alabama. As it crossed the border into North Carolina, the storm finally dissipated. Twenty-seven people lost their lives, and the hurricane was responsible for nearly $2 billion Read More ›