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November 29, 2006

Dispatches from the Fall of Western Culture

Two different stories from two different countries highlight two different aspects of a single theme: the West’s growing lack of cultural confidence. First, this story from The Telegraph: Islamic sharia law is gaining an increasing foothold in parts of Britain, a report claims. Continue Reading...
November 29, 2006

Carbon Dioxide’s Day in Court

The Supreme Court is hearing a case today brought by 12 states and a coalition of environmental groups that sued the Bush administration in 2003 for refusing to issue regulations limiting carbon emissions. Continue Reading...
November 29, 2006

Letting Business Help: The Promise of Education Tax Credits

In the wake of the November elections, with politicians promising less partisan bickering, a perfect opportunity presents itself for real cooperation: educational choice. Kevin Schmiesing looks at the state initiatives that have already empowered “poor and middle class parents to send their children to schools that they believe will best serve their educational goals.” Continue Reading...
November 29, 2006

Pope Benedict in Istanbul

It won’t be news to anyone that the pope is currently visiting Turkey. It is tempting to read too much into a single visit, which can only accomplish so much one way or another, but it is true that the implications and symbolism of the visit are manifold. Continue Reading...
November 29, 2006

Climate Change Hype Reaches Supreme Court

Right about now, the Supreme Court of the United States should be hearing the beginning arguments in Massachusetts, et al., v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al. (05-1120). Not much attention has been paid to this case over the last few months, but recently a spate of media attention has arisen, citing this case as perhaps “the most important environmental case in many years,” as well as “one of the biggest environmental cases in years.” Continue Reading...
November 28, 2006

Corruption in Health Care

Transparency International is a group devoted to exposing corruption of all kinds. One of the most sickening forms of corruption in many poor countries is health care corruption. One sort of corruption is absentee-ism: medical personel bill for their services even when they aren’t at work, but are doing another job. Continue Reading...
November 28, 2006

Hugh Hewitt and the Mormon Question

In a plenary address a couple weeks back to the Evangelical Theological Society, law professor and journalist Hugh Hewitt spoke about the religious affiliation of political candidates and to what extent this should be considered in the public debate (Melinda at Stand To Reason summarizes and comments here). Continue Reading...
November 27, 2006

Rule of Law and Economic Development in Mexico

This article, by California Western School of Law Professor James Cooper concerns me quite a bit. A legal specialist in Rule of Law, Cooper has been trying to establish legal reforms in Mexico that would make its judicial system more transparent. Continue Reading...