From being asked to spare some change, to major disasters like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, we often face the question: should we give to charity? If so, to whom and how much? For many, the answer to the first is treated as self-evident: of
Atlas Shrugged seems to be everywhere—with its movie adaptation now in theaters, many people have taken notice. Ayn Rand’s novel has long been recognized by literary enthusiasts and philosophy students—but today, the name is familiar to many for its political ideas and its consistently high
Humans go without heat in the quest for energy efficiency As China has rapidly industrialized in the last few decades, it's taken no small amount of abuse from environmentalists and climate change activists over the amount of energy it has consumed and the consequent carbon emissions
During debate over the recent tax bill, many people complained bitterly about the idea of allowing the wealthiest taxpayers to continue paying their current (higher) rates. They argued that it would only be “fair” to force the rich to pay even more than their less-well-off
Not since 1938 have Republicans gained so many seats in a single Congressional election as they did in the recent election. Voters were not merely angry, but were aware of the policies of the party they voted against. There is good reason to think that
Are those who oppose health care reform simply racist? Or perhaps just trying to fill their unemployment-related free time? Two articles recently appearing in the New York Times offer just such accounts of what motivates the Tea Party protesters and other vocal opponents of the
Writing for South Carolina’s Sun News, journalist Isaac Bailey offers us cutting commentary about how his State’s General Assembly recently failed to impeach governor Mark Sanford. Sanford has admitted to lying to his State, flaunting State travel laws, and engaging in a range of disgraceful
Are children naturally altruistic? A recent study seems to suggest so: “When infants 18 months old see an unrelated adult whose hands are full and who needs assistance opening a door or picking up a dropped clothespin, they will immediately help" Michael Tomasello writes in “Why
Last month, Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded several others in a massacre at Fort Hood. Newly revealed details depict an outrageously delicate handling of Hasan preceding the killings. For instance, Hasan’s superiors at Walter Reed Medical Center found him to be incompetent
The national community-based group, ACORN, recently underwent some investigative journalism Sacha Baron Cohen-style. What the amateur journalist/actors/videographers found were several employees well-versed in and comfortable with fraud. The employees openly advised the actors, who pretended to want to start a brothel in order to raise