Politics & Current Affairs

Eliot Spitzer wonders whether investment banks do anything that helps America anymore—and, as such, whether these banks deserved the government bailouts they received.

“The need for Americans to enter the arena has never been greater,” write Bob and Elizabeth Dole. They write in favor of Theodore Roosevelt’s idea of “robust citizenship.”

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has amassed a $12 million fortune in the past year. She is “a singular national industry,” writes Gabriel Sherman.

The National Review comments on one of William F. Buckley’s favorite quotes: “The problem with socialism is socialism; the problem with capitalism is capitalists.”

Islam is not a monolithic religion or a single coherent ideology, any more than Christianity is. Yet many people—as I discovered in the comments on my last article—are willing to […]

When evangelist Franklin Graham—son of the better known Billy Graham—had his invitation to the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer service rescinded after Muslim members of the military complained about comments […]

“Who is Nick Clegg?” I hear you ask? Well, actually I don’t really hear many of you asking at all. And you may be forgiven. Until a week ago he […]

How will the effects of climate change impact politics in America over the next 25 years? Internal migrations could “open up all sorts of new routes to the magic number, 270.”

Sue Lowden thinks we should barter with doctors for our medical care. Lowden—currently the leading Republican candidate to challenge the very-much-in-trouble Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in the fall—says […]

While he’s kept his profile remarkably low since leaving office, President George W. Bush has been thrust back into the spotlight of late, both with and without his consent. It […]

The second week of Britain’s General Election campaign ended with many commentators – and even more voters – yawning and complaining that this is fast becoming the most boring General […]

“The laughter is unlike most settings you’ll find.The level of intensity, the adrenaline, the stakes are incredible.I mean, it is addictive.” As an actor and playwright, you might think John […]

In his State of the Union address, President Obama said the Supreme Court had “reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests—including foreign […]

“Right now, America has neither the opportunity nor frankly the balls to do truly big things on Arab-Israeli peacemaking,” writes Aaron David Miller.

The Oklahoma City bombing fifteen years ago “proved once again that without the law there is no freedom,” writes former President Bill Clinton.

The Palestinian Authority is boycotting goods sold in new Israeli settlements, but the new policy is merely a cosmetic change, writes one Guardian contributor.

Columnist Gail Collins asks what makes us prefer lawyers as politicians even though the story often ends the same way: with failure.

Tim Rutten at The Los Angeles Times writes that the Tea Party has no manifesto as such and is only the rebranding of the “Angry While Male”.

Bill Clinton compares today’s anti-government rallies to the nation’s attitude during his Presidency at the time of the Oklahoma City bombing.

An e-mail exchange between a Washington and Jerusalem-based reporter takes stock of the changing relationship between the U.S. and Israel.

Washington “think tanks” are more like lobbyists than academic institutions these days, writes Bruce Bartlett. And it’s only going to get worse.

Members of Mexico’s drug cartels are throwing grenades into U.S. consulates—so why aren’t the groups designated as terrorist organizations?

IT became known in the end as the ‘Rotten Parliament’. Mired in scandal, exposed as money grubbers and expenses abusers, there will be few tears shed in Britain for many […]

Gordon Chang writes that this will likely not be the “Chinese century.” Rather, the country has “just about reached high tide, and will soon begin a long, painful process of falling back.”

Former CIA director James Woolsey says America can end its oil addiction (and its reliance on OPEC) by using more electricity, natural gas and biofuels for transportation.

John Dickerson writes that Sarah Palin has become more a celebrity than a politician. Like Al Gore, she is “a personality–influential, polarizing, and not likely to be president–who talks about political affairs.”

With several relatively youthful Republican members currently serving on the Supreme Court, Mark Greenbaum argues that the age of Obama’s nominee will be a critical factor.

Does assassinating top terrorists really make us safer? Robert Wright looks at research suggesting that “decapitation doesn’t lower the life expectancy of the decapitated groups.”

Michael Lind thinks that changing immigration policy shouldn’t be considered as a way to address projected Social Security and Medicare budget deficits.

Many liberals want President Obama’s coming Supreme Court nominee to be in the mold of Justice William J. Brennan Jr. But today’s court may not be a place for a consensus builder.