Over the last few days Washington has been denouncing AIG for paying out retention bonuses to employees in its financial-products division—the same division responsible for much of the company’s recent losses. Relegated to the background is the fact the bonuses are a lawful contractual obligation. While
Medical treatment for autism is exceedingly expensive. Many parents of autistic children take out a second mortgage on their homes and some even file for bankruptcy because they are unable to pay the costs of autism treatment that insurance does not cover. Many believe that
Some say we finally have a President who is a thinker. Do we? An “open, out-of-the-closet, practicing intellectual”—this was New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s laudatory description of America’s new president. Kristof, echoed by a chorus of similar commentators, was expressing hope that Obama might help
In the aftermath of the substantial Democratic victory in last November’s election, Republicans nationwide are reported to be doing a great deal of “soul searching." Indeed they should. After all, times are not looking good for the Republican Party. Former President Bush left office with
In our parents’ generation, academia was a bastion of secularism, and a threat to religion. Amid peace and love, political activism, one small step for man and several giant leaps in science and technology, college campuses had little room for faith. The picture today is quite
As environmentalism continues to grow in prominence, more and more of us are trying to live a "greener" lifestyle. But the more "eco-friendly" you try to become, likely the more you find yourself confused and frustrated by the green message. Have you tried giving up your
In early December of 2008, the California State legislature passed a measure that would attempt to decrease the level of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Tied together with, and following California’s “landmark” Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the measure calls for a 15% reduction of
Voting Democracy Away, February 13, 2009 The Harvard Crimson Harvard University Sir— Your vague hint at Venezuela’s “lack of durable democratic institutions” is striking considering the context. It is, after all, democracy that gave rise to the autocratic regime run by Hugo Chávez. The majority of Venezuelans were seduced
When we hear the word “regulation,” most people immediately think of the government. After all, the government regulates nearly every industry that we rely on in our everyday lives, such as banking, aviation, education, medicine, and countless others. But in addition to government regulation, there are
New Pro-Life Group Splits Off, February 12, 2009 Columbia Spectator Columbia University Madam— Within your article, “New Pro-Life Group Splits Off,” an anti-abortion advocate rightly acknowledges that “When people think pro-life, people immediately think politics”. The reason for this is because the “pro-life” movement is not attempting to promote