Government is Not Your Daddy

Liberals don't want to be called liberal anymore. They prefer to be referred to as "progressive." Conservatives don't mind being called conservative. In fact, most conservatives are proud to be conservative (and equally proud to be American). And why not? Starting with the vision of our founding fathers, the traditional conservative values of independence, individualism, and...

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In response to my post on The "R" Word, some people expressed that a comparison of the "R" word to the "N" word is unfair. After all, as one person stated, "the 'R' word has to be earned." When I pointed out that anybody can call anybody a racist, true or not, they responded "If that label is directed at someone who isn’t a racist, I’d argue that the word has no power at all. Sticks and...

I've always been intrigued by the sheer power of language. Usually, the power of words lies in their context, and in the way they're strung together to communicate a complex concept in a way that disposes the listener to accept or reject it. Certain words, however, have their own intrinsic power, irrespective of context. I think of those as magic words. The "F" word is a magic word because of its...

Affirmative action, like labor unions, once served a legitimate purpose. But, as is often the case when remedial measures get institutionalized, having addressed the problems that gave rise to them, they entrench themselves in self-sustaining bureaucracies and set about creating new problems to solve. I'm not suggesting that there are no longer any inequities in pay scales or hiring practices. But...

A year ago, the minimum wage went up from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour. Last week, it went up to $6.55. Next year, it will go up to $7.25. That's more than a 40% increase in two years. My friends on the left tell me that's a good thing. What could possibly be bad about legislating raises for poor people? They're absolutely incredulous that anybody could be against it. After all, it doesn't come...

I was told yesterday that we should "give peace a chance," and that the sanctions against Iran are working. We just need to give it time. I asked the person who told me that what makes them so certain the sanctions are working, even as Iran continues to amass and enrich uranium and conduct missile tests? I asked what are the criteria for success? I did not get an answer. Ahmadinejad is...