History
As the referendum on Scottish independence approaches, it's worth noting that for all of the nationalism north and south of the River Tweed, Scotland and England really have become a united kingdom that would be painful to disentangle: * Millions of English have at least some Scottish ancestry. * Most
Politics
"[Latin America] must pass from nationalism to interdependence, but interdependence is senseless without a basis in independence. Only independent nations can become interdependent partners. If not, they become protectorates, neo-colonies, subject states." -- Carlos Fuentes, Foreword, Ariel by José Enrique Rodó (Austin, TX : University of Texas Press, 1988)
Politics
Andrew Pace notes the perils of "doing more with less". A related question: If someone is saying that a public agency should do, say, 110% of its previous work with 90% of its previous resources, then who is getting that 10% of the resources that has been taken
History
"Conversely and significantly, the vast majority of the joke tellers who were denounced and brought before special Nazi courts received a mild punishment, if any. Usually they were let off with a warning. 'Whispered jokes' were a surrogate for, and not a manifestation of, social conscience and
California
The years 1945 to 1965 were the Golden Age of the Golden State. The economy was booming and jobs were plentiful. A torrent of tax revenue (and the bond issues it supported) led to widespread expansion of the parks system, the university system, K-12 schools, and public works. In 1962,
History
During the new Obama administration and 111th Congress, the old South will be shut out of power, for only the third time since 1930. The other two times were brief (1953-54 and 1965-66). If Obama does well, then the coming dry spell for the old South could match the post-Reconstruction
Politics
Tom Hayden is still not a member of the reality-based community. If we've learned anything from the last eight years, isn't it that evidence is a good thing?
History
It just hit me what Barack Obama's biggest accomplishment was this week. Let's look at the last three Democratic presidential wins. When Clinton won in 1992 and 1996, Republicans could blame Perot. When Carter won in 1976, Republicans could blame the long-departed Nixon. Obama's
Politics
Karl Rove aspired to be the Mark Hanna of our time. He has ended up being its Harry Daugherty.
Politics
VauvenarguesSpinoza -- Jonathan I. Israel, Radical Enlightenment (New York: Oxford University, 2002), page 71.
Politics
Oregon State Measure 60: No. School districts should be allowed discretion in determing what policies are best for their students. Oregon State Measure 61: No. Judges should be allowed discretion in determining sentencing for crimes. Oregon State Measure 62: No. Lottery proceeds currently fund job creation, economic development, and education.
Politics
Oregon State Measure 54: Yes. A little bit of Constitutional clean-up that I'm glad we're doing. Oregon State Measure 55: No. Is pretending that the old district lines are still in force any less confusing a way to deal with redistricting than the current way? Oregon