During a recent campaign stop, President Bush gave West Virginians a preview of the GOP convention and his reelection theme for the fall. Bush summarized his "Ownership Society", stating that "when you own something, you have a vital stake in the future of our country." The Ownership Society is Bush's attempt to offer the "vision […]

For those who have been following the controversy created by Google's ban on advertising from Perrspectives, a Najaf-like truce of sorts has been reached.  On July 23,  Google reversed course and upon further review concluded that Perrspectives did not violate its guidelines on advocacy speech. Unfortunately for all involved, however, Google did not change its […]

In April 1961, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation to accept full responsibility for the Bay of Pigs disaster in Cuba, an operation planned by the CIA of his GOP predecessor. Fast forward 43 years as George W. Bush and Tony Blair confront American and British reports documenting the Iraq WMD intelligence fiasco. While […]

2004 could be a big year for Internet search giant Google. Its IPO will be one of the biggest crossover business, technology and social news stories of the year. The launch of its Gmail service could put the company in the forefront of web-based email services while creating a major new revenue stream. Its pervasiveness among users (“to Google”) and advertisers […]

Within minutes of Senator John Edwards’ selection by John Kerry as his running mate, the Republicans started their predictable onslaught of attacks on his national security experience and high-profile career as a trial lawyer. An instantaneously updated GOP web site called Edwards “a disingenuous, unaccomplished liberal and friend to personal injury trial lawyers.” Trent Lott (whose wistful, […]

Every once in a while in America’s consumer society, a company, product or service rises above its mere utility to achieve iconic status in the culture. Its very novelty, innovation, or just manufactured “cool” allow it to enter the daily American lexicon. As nouns, brands like Kleenex (facial tissues), Rollerblade (in-line skates), or Coke (any soft […]

That giant sucking sound you may have heard last week was the last vestiges of American unilateralism spinning down the drain. Perhaps barely noticed in the din and drumbeat of the Reagan commemoration, the short and unhappy life of President Bush’s policy of “America Alone” mercifully came to an abrupt halt. In securing passage of a U.N. […]

Now that the orgiastic collective mourning of Ronald Reagan is complete, we can from the distance of a week honestly reflect on the legacy of Ronald Reagan.  Here is a look back at the man and the myth, in his own words and those of who (threoretically) admired him. Ronald Reagan's Halo Former President Ronald Reagan […]

Once is a rare while, conspiracy theorists get it right. In the case of Enron, this occasional conspiracy theorist and ex-Californian hit it right on the head in 2001. As the audiotapes of its traders released by CBS News clearly show, Enron clearly manipulated the newly deregulated California energy market to extract outrageous – and illegal – […]

My wife and I have just completed “USA Road Trip 2004”, a month-long vacation around America. In our minivan, we drove from Boston to national parks and rural backwaters, sunny beaches and snow-capped mountains. Getting back in touch with America couldn’t have come at a better time. The Abu Garaib abuse scandal in Iraq left […]