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Time for the Administration to back its “science over ideology” slogan with action.
Archive for January, 2010
January 19th, 2010
I’m not sure what Andy is disagreeing with me about; while the good news from Chiaromonte is nice to hear, it isn’t overwhelming (60% of families with cars and telephones, in the early 90s?). But the important thing is that the crushing poverty, stasis, and fatalism that bound the community until so recently was only [...]
January 18th, 2010
Category: Energy and Environment
The Economist letters editor went on holiday (or something) and let two missives into print that need a knuckle rap even though letters aren’t exactly a critical outlet for consequential policy analysis. Both writers are articulate and thoughtful and one is a real live economist with a whole career under his belt. They are also [...]
January 18th, 2010
Category: Disasters, Economics, Haiti, Organizing, Political Science, Politics and Leadership, Post-disaster reflections
Haiti is not doomed. To the extent that Haitian culture inhibits prosperity, Haitians will do as people in that condition always have: they will work around their culture—or leave it, and benefit their home countries no less by doing that.
January 18th, 2010
Category: Watching Conservatives, Wayward press
Apparently the Rights wants an incompetent press corps — bad reporters, it seems, serves its interest.
January 18th, 2010
Category: Disasters, Organizing, Political Science, Politics and Leadership, Post-disaster reflections
I’ve been waiting for this story ever since the earthquake. It turns out the rich folks up on the hill are pretty much OK, and they are being protected from looters as always by the police who have been invisible to date down among the poor. Haiti is a society operating under rules called amoral [...]
January 17th, 2010
Category: Uncategorized
Obama’s proposed Wall Street tax should split the money-cons in the GOP from the Tea Party wing, leaving people like Scott Brown caught in the middle.
January 16th, 2010
Category: Uncategorized
Supposedly – this is thinly sourced – a story is to break Monday that three detainee deaths in 2006 were torture-murders, with the torture and the cover-up of the cause of death ordered “from the top.”
January 16th, 2010
Category: Uncategorized
Just in time for Obama’s visit, a rather nasty piece of video emerges from 2008.