The Economist has an article about the history of paranoia and conspiracy theorists in American politics. It is a long, rich and tragic history.
Tag: Politics
WaPo – Palin’s Red Menace
Richard Cohen writes in the Washington Post today about the similarities between Sarah Palin and Joe McCarthy. Cohen touches on the frequent and casual lying, the demagoguery and the constant demeaning of knowledge. It’s a comparison that occurred to me while reading Robert Caro’s excellent third volume on LBJ, which has a couple of chapters on Joe McCarthy.
NY Times – The Women’s Crusade
Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn write in the NY Times about the impact the women’s rights and equality movement has had, and the long road ahead. Along the way they discuss female infanticide and the economic multiplier effect of educating girls. It’s a moving article, definitely worth a read.
NY Times – Climate, Growth and Floods in Mumbai
The NY Times writes on the threat climate change may pose to Bombay, and the impact unrestrained development is having on the local ecology.
WSJ – The New American Dream: Renting
The WSJ has an article by Thomas Sugrue about America’s long fascination with home-ownership. It’s an illuminating piece and a good overview of the history of government supported home-ownership programs in the 20th century in the US, including some commentary on how certain populations were discriminated against. One aspect the article does not explore is how home-ownership reduces labor mobility and tends to increase commuting times, the Economist wrote on this subject not too long ago.
NY Times – Stephen Hawking Defends Care in Britain
The NY Times Prescriptions blog writes on the brouhaha created when Investor’s Business Daily claimed Stephen Hawking (the disabled physicist) would have been uncared for under the British health-care system. Of course, Stephen Hawking is British and he had something to say about the NHS.
NY Times – 10 Steps to Better Health Care
Atul Gawande and fellow contributors write about ten hospital systems in the US who consistently deliver better patient outcomes than their peers, and how their experience can help improve the delivery of health-care across the country.
NY Times – A Century-Old Principle: Keep Corporate Money Out of Elections
NY Times op-ed on the history of corporate funds influencing politics.
NY Times – Iranian Lawmakers Demand Say on Cabinet, Hinting at a Rift Among Hard-Liners
The NY Times reports on a letter sent by a large number of parliamentarians to Ahmadinejad asking that they be consulted on any cabinet appointments.
Economist – Iran’s enduring turmoil: It is far from over
The Economist writes about the political drama unfolding in Iran and the longer term implications this has for Iranian society and the current regime.