March 2002 Archives

Archives of the entries for this month are listed below, by category. You may jump directly to categories using the navigation bar thumbnails. Please keep in mind that links do expire, and that archived links may not still be available.

American Politics

Bush v. The Right
(03-31-2002) Lately, conservatives have been vocal in their criticism of George Bush. They have blasted him for everything from signing the McCain-Feingold restrictions on speech to imposing steel tariffs that conflict with his professed support for free trade. Jack Kelly agrees with them -- but thinks Bush is practicing smart electoral politics. (via RCP) (More)

Reforming Speech
(03-31-2002) By George Bush's earlier statements, he cannot have been happy with the McCain-Feingold legislation. The people most responsible for it are unhappy, calling it a mere "first step." George Will could not care less about their happiness, and wonders about the Constitution. (More)

The Next World Order
(03-30-2002) A new foreign policy is slowly emerging from the Bush Administration, and it seems to go well beyond the bland realism of the Bush campaign. As Nicholas Lemann writes, the attacks of 11 September have energized the interventionist foreign-policy intellectuals in the administration, many of whom have formed a network of sorts for years.

Invading Your Hard Drive
(03-29-2002) Like most schemes devised by economic statists, the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act sponsored by Senator Fritz Hollings attempts to solve a complex problem by intrusive government edict. As Paul Botin puts it charitably, "It's just the latest Beltway foolishness."

The New Shakedown
(03-28-2002) To head off a public relations nightmare, MetLife recently announced it would set aside a quarter of a billion dollars to settle a lawsuit brought by former black policyholders. More companies are being sued, and many are sure to settle. Civil rights activists Ward Connerly and Edward Blum argue they should never have given in to the shakedown movement.

Green Data
(03-27-2002) Over the past few months, a number of government agencies have engaged in scientific fraud to further the anti-growth ideological aims of radical environmentalists. As Pete DuPont writes, "It seems deceit is the only way the greens can advance their Luddite agenda."

Dems v. New Media
(03-27-2002) The Democrats have a problem. The recently passed "campaign finance reform" legislation ostensibly curtails the influence of large donors and big media. Yet the Democrats are the party of large donors and big media. And if Republicans have any sense, writes Glenn Reynolds, they will act to remain the party of "small media."

Let Bush Be Bush
(03-26-2002) President Bush's advisors, argues Wesley Pruden, are making the same mistake his father's advisors made. By steering Bush towards compromises (or complete reversals) on trade, Palestinian terror, and unconstitutional campaign finance reform, they are gambling that the war on terror trumps everything, even coherent ideology and campaign promises. Is it 1991 all over again?

Gingrich On Campaign Finance Reform
(03-26-2002) Never one to shy away from major issues, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich recently weighed in on the recently passed campaign finance reform legislation. "This bill," he writes, "is of members of Congress, by members of Congress, for members of Congress because the bill protects them the most."

No Free Lunch (Or Healthcare)
(03-25-2002) The New York Times recently reported that many doctors are refusing to take on new Medicare patients. As Debra Saunders puts it, "It had to happen sooner or later to the Great American Quest to Get Other People to Pay One's Medical Bills." So now what?

Airport Insecurity
(03-25-2002) Six months after The Attacks, the United States has a set of colored homeland security indicators that would make Mr. Rogers proud. It has spent millions to improve airport security, including the federalization of workers. And it has confiscated countless tweezers and nail clippers. But as Blake Morrison reports, it has yet to improve airport security.

Bush v. Nietzsche
(03-24-2002) President Bush is neither a philospher nor a theologian. He makes no intellectual pretensions. It's entirely possible he has never read Nietzsche. But in his political action and rhetoric, explains James Caesar, Bush has rejected both Nietzsche's moral teachings and their incorporation by American Progressives of the early twentieth century.

Walzer's Razor
(03-22-2002) The attacks of 11 September, writes Steven Hayward, "brought out the worst instincts in many Leftists." Recently, Michael Walzer called on the Left to redefine itself. But given that the hottest book on the left is Hardt and Negri's Empire, Hayward is pessimistic about the prospects. (More)

Disguised Incumbent Insurance
(03-22-2002) Proponents of the recently passed "campaign finance reform" legislation operate under the premise that money corrupts politics. But so long as Congress is in the business of granting favors and exacting tribute, writes Walter Williams, money will flow to politicians. The best reform would be a return to the limited government spelled out by the Constitution.

Race Myths
(03-21-2002) There is a widely held view that government programs and black leaders like Jesse Jackson are solely responsible for the advancement of the black population. Thomas Sowell disputes that view, contending that "Such myths help race hustlers but hurt the race that they claim to be leading."

Driving Mr. Daschle
(03-21-2002) According to Tom Bossie, Senator Tom Daschle's recent anti-war rhetoric, from which he was forced to retreat, was simply one of many trial balloons. Whether it's criticizing the war effort, lying about his knowledge of the "shadow" government, or appeasing liberal special interests by refusing a floor vote on the Pickering nomination, Daschle's moves are scripted with an eye on the Dem Presidential nomination.

Thinking About The Judiciary
(03-20-2002) President Bush's domestic agenda has stalled of late, as the seemingly innocuous Pickering nomination provided Senate Democrats a perfect opportunity to take a shot at the administration. But as Thomas Bray argues, the judiciary could be a winning campaign issue, if the GOP cares to make it one. (More)

Moralist Of Science?
(03-20-2002) Leon Kass, President Bush's advisor on bioethics, has long studied what Heidegger characterized as the question concerning technology. He has generated controversy with both his polemics and his use of great literature to promote discussion of complicated topics. In this profile, Nicholas Wade tries to understand Kass as he understands himself.

Thinking About The Unthinkable
(03-19-2002) For serious students of defense policy, deterrence theory, and arms control, Herman Kahn's original Thinking About The Unthinkable has long been required reading. Paul Greenberg recalls the great thinker in pointing out that the recent Nuclear Posture Review is something more than Strangelovian warmongering.

Searching For A Better Left
(03-19-2002) Since the civic religion of the Progressives (and their New Deal progeny), much of the Left has gradually drifted towards anti-Americanism. The events of 11 September energized a fair number to decry the outright anti-Americanism of many of their former intellectual allies. Lee Bockhorn investigates their project to recreate a principled American liberalism.

A Labor Change Of Heart?
(03-18-2002) Labor has long been one of the mainstays of the Democratic coalition. But labor is starting to abandon its "All Dems All The Time" approach in favor of a more issue-oriented politics. As Donald Lambro points out, the disintegration of its labor monopoly would be a dire development for the Democratic party.

National Greatness Conservatism
(03-18-2002) Although President Bush's popularity remains high, he continues to lose small battles on domestic policy. So one might be inclined to think Vice-President Cheney's dispute with the GAO might not be worth fighting in federal courts. But David Brooks, one of the advocataes of "National Greatness Conservatism," argues that it's actually one of many important fights.

Judicial Politics
(03-16-2002) Although the popular media has portrayed the defeat of the Pickering nomination as payback for Republican efforts to derail Clinton nominees, in reality no Clinton nominee was ever denied a full Senate vote on the basis of a Judiciary Committee recommendation. The WSJ asks when the Constitution bestowed advice-and-consent powers on the Committee -- and how Republicans should respond.

Reno Rides Again
(03-16-2002) Janet Reno's campaign for Florida governor is stumbling badly. Although Reno's truck tour across Florida is intended to reintroduce the former Attorney General to Florida voters, the campaign's disorganization is hindering the attempt at grassroots populism. If Reno wins the nomination, notes Matt Labash, the campaign will have to improve if she is to defeat Jeb Bush.

Liberal(s) For Terror?
(03-16-2002) As editor of The American Prospect and a columnist in an influential newspaper, Robert Kuttner is a prominent American liberal. He recently wrote that President George Bush "is as frightening as Al Qaeda." John Podhoretz suggests that conservatives shouldn't dismiss his rhetoric as simply the rantings of the fringe Left. Michael Walzer asks, "Can there be a decent left?"

Enforcing Beck
(03-14-2002) While John McPain and followers complain about the pernicious influence of money in politics, no politician (including the first President Bush) has been serious about enforcing the Beck decision, which allows union workers to opt out of financing union politicking. As Robert Hunter notes, that could be about to change.

Rethinking Federalism
(03-14-2002) Much legal commentary on Zelman v. Simmons-Harris has centered on the middle prong of the infamous Lemon test: whether the program has the effect of advancing religion. That commentary would be foreign to the Founders, argues John Eastman, because they intended the establishment clause simply to constrain federal establishment of a national religion.

Nuclear Posturing
(03-13-2002) The incendiary account of the Nuclear Posture Review put forth by the LA Times, argues Frank Gaffney, is a last-ditch effort by the arms-control proponents of past administrations to gain political traction. But as the briefing from JD Crouch in January should have made clear, the NPR is just responsible American foreign policy. (More)

The Resilient American Military
(03-12-2002) Because America is free and prosperous, a common misconception is that its military must also be lazy and undisciplined. "The reality," writes Jonah Goldberg, "is exactly the opposite." The American military is disciplined indeed, but perhaps its greatest strengths are its ingenuity and adaptability.

Edward Said's War
(03-11-2002) One of the surprising aspects of the attacks of 11 September has been the support for America's response offered by many previously left-leaning, pacifist intellectuals and elites. But Edward Said is not among them. As Ronald Radosh points out, the post-colonialist theorist remains on the anti-American, radical fringe. (via LGF)

The Appearance of Corruption
(03-11-2002) The appearance of corruption is the equivalent of actual corruption. At least for institutional advocates of the Shays-Meehan legislation like the New York Times and the Washington Post, excepting themselves of course. George Will explains.

In Defense Of Steel Tariffs?
(03-09-2002) Most conservatives have either blasted President Bush's decision on steel tariffs (see "The Half-Way President" below) or frowned silently. Certainly, not many conservatives outside the Administration have been out defending it. But Thomas Droeser says not to worry, everything will be fine. Sort of.

Silencing People, Expanding Government
(03-08-2002) Behind the latest campaign finance reform legislation is a political philosophy that dates back one hundred years. Although Progressives like Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Herbert Croly fared poorly in expanding the administrative state, they set the stage for FDR to do so. Since then, notes Thomas Krannawitter, gambits like CFR have been a regular feature of American politics.

Cream Of Bleat
(03-08-2002) Contemporary political discourse has become virtually disconnected with observable reality. Instead of arguments based on discernable political principles, today's political rhetoric is all about moral intimidation and focus group polling. Daniel Henninger writes on this "cream of bleat" that dominates American politics.

The Half-Way President?
(03-08-2002) On stem cells, President Bush endorsed a middling policy. Ditto with the education bill. The latest appeal to the squishy middle? A steel tariff package "that might as well be the bastard child of Pat Buchanan and Bill Clinton," as Ryan Sager puts it. Designed to appeal to constituencies in important electoral states, the strategy could easily backfire in Sager's view. (More) (More)

Terms Of Endearment?
(03-07-2002) The big news from California Tuesday was Bill Simon's primary win and Gary Condit's primary loss. Voters in the state also defeated a measure to weaken term limits, despite a $10 million effort from proponents. John Fund analyzes this less reported development.

Golden Rhyme
(03-06-2002) Bill Simon's unlikely primary win in California Tuesday and Ronald Reagan's 1966 primary victory came under eerily similar circumstances, largely due to the machinations of the Democratic opponent. But will the parallels end there? Political scientist Steven Hayward, author of The Age Of Reagan, weighs in. (More)

Business (Not Politics) With Pat Robertson
(03-05-2002) When Pat Robertson ran for President in 1988, he said he was not a televangelist but a businessman. Although liberals like to paint him as a conservative loon, they should take him at his word. As John Corry notes, whether it's promoting vitamin elixir on horseback, cutting deals with authoritarian thugs, or misreading the Koran, it's all about the business.

The Greening Of Jeffords
(03-05-2002) Since James Jeffords bolted the GOP, a fair amount of attention has been focused on his anti-competitive dairy-price scheming. But it's his work on the Environment and Public Works Committee, writes Ryan Sager, that is potentially more harmful. Herb Inhaber argues that Jeffords is reviving the approach of Jimmy Carter.

Unlearning The Supply-Side Lesson
(03-04-2002) The Reagan-Volcker economic policy took aim at stagflation with a combination of tight money and reductions in marginal tax rates. Although supply-siders were derided at the time, their neo-classical approach has enjoyed a renaissance among professional economists. But it's no longer the Republican foundation, laments Robert Bartley.

Saint Or Sucker?
(03-02-2002) In 2001, Alan Greenspan was awarded the Enron Prize for Distinguished Public Service by Houston's Baker Institute. While nobody has ever questioned Greenspan's integrity, his reputation and Enron's have taken some hits lately. As Gerard Baker writes, "Saint Alan . . . has been decanonized."

Steering Clear Of CAFE Hubris
(03-02-2002) Since the imposition of CAFE standards, automobile fuel economy has improved significantly, but foreign oil imports have also grown significantly. Facts don't deter CAFE proponents from wild promises of reducing oil imports, not to mention improving the environment. William Niskananen and Peter Van Doren shine some light on the CAFE debate.

International

The Iran-PA Axis
(03-30-2002) According to American and Israeli intelligence analysts, the Karine A affair was no isolated incident. Iran and the Palestinian Authority have forged a broad relationship, and officials believe that Arafat personally signed off on the weapons shipment. Nevertheless, the American Secretary of State saw no reason then, or now, to break off relations with Arafat. (More)

The Battle For Energy Dominance
(03-30-2002) Saudi Arabia's spare oil production capacity and its willingness to use that capacity to moderate prices have helped drive the complex relationship between Riyadh and Washington over the years. But as Edward Morse and James Richard point out, the emergence of Russia as a major oil producer could change all that, especially after the attacks of 11 September. (More)

End Game
(03-28-2002) With the Passover Massacre, Palestinian terrorists reaffirmed a longtime goal. As former Prime Minister (and perhaps Prime Minister in waiting) Benjamin Netanyahu writes, "The primary objective of Arafat's terrorist regime is not to establish the twenty-second Arab state, but to destroy the only Jewish state. This was and remains the heart of the conflict."

Hit And Run War In Colombia
(03-28-2002) When Colombian President Andres Pastrana broke off talks with the FARC rebel group in February 2002, the guerrillas adopted urban warfare techniques and fanned out. As one rebel puts it, "It means nothing if the army arrives here or not. We don't confront them, but we never leave." Scott Wilson describes Colombia's hit-and-run war.

Culture of Death
(03-26-2002) Too many Americans like to think of Yasir Arafat's Palestinian Authority as a democratic entity with respect for human rights. In reality, over the past eight years, Arafat has exerted autocratic control over most aspects of "civil" society, including education. And he has created, writes Charles Krauthammer, an anti-Semitic society that values death. (More)

Shady Ally
(03-26-2002) For Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan, America's war on terror must seem a little bit like Christmas. In 2001, Karimov was beginning to lose ground in his suppression of the rebel Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and was ready to turn to the old Russian nemesis for help. Then the U.S. needed his help. An exiled Uzbeki opposition leader cautions against becoming too friendly with the autocrat. (More) (More)

Prime Minister Machiavelli
(03-24-2002) Cambodia is a paradox. Although the nation is nominally a monarchy, real political power is exercised by the prime minister. And in his 15 years as prime minister, Hun Sen has managed to accrue power to the extent that he is the de facto monarch. Seth Mydans examines Hun Sen's Cambodia.

The Third Phase Of The Third Way
(03-22-2002) Although Tony Blair has come under increasing criticism from the far Left, Labor still commands a 20 percent lead in polls over the opposition. Blair's response to critics on the Left is that New Labor is finally entering its Third Phase: the implementation of all the promises of "social justice" and a "fairer society." Is the talk just typical New Labor image management? (More)

Cloud Over Pakistan
(03-21-2002) Some analysts have been surprised that the government of Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf hasn't faced greater political opposition from disaffected Islamists. But even though there apparently is not sufficient dissatisfaction to topple the government, Musharraf's safety is another consideration. Raymond Bonner considers the predicament.

The World In 2005
(03-21-2002) The natural tendency of Americans is to believe that world events will unfold from the attacks of 11 September. In reality, much of the world will continue to evolve as it would have, but uncertainties will arise where the American response intersects (even exacerbates) ongoing tensions. Robert Kaplan elaborates.

Saudi Totalitarianism
(03-19-2002) Saudi Arabia is perhaps a perfect example of a totalitarian regime sometimes useful to American interests that Jeanne Kirkpatrick wrote of in her "Dictatorships and Double Standards" essay. But the free world should be under no illusions. It is a totalitarian regime, writes Shlomo Avineri. Some would even say "evil."

China's New Wealthy, And New Poor
(03-18-2002) Communist China once embraced peasants and sought to stamp out class divisions. Rhetorically, at least. Now, China's combination of statism, private property, and pull has led to one of the most economically stratified societies on the planet. It's almost reminiscent of Animal Farm. John Pomfret reports.

Malaysian Islamists Lose Ground
(03-16-2002) Since 11 September, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has used the threat of Islamic terror to crack down on the only significant opposition to his ruling United Malay National Organization (UMNO), the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS). The resulting decline of PAS will likely result in early elections, and a resounding victory for Mahathir's government.

Culture Of Death
(03-16-2002) As their suicide bombers continue to attack Israel with no remorse, Palestinian society is effectively defining itself as a culture of death. Israel has thus far shown more restraint than one might imagine from, say, Saddam Hussein or Bashar Assad. As Michael Freund suggests, that's what distinguishes a culture of life. (More)

Arafat And Arab Double Standards
(03-16-2002) When George Bush used the term "crusade" in its secular sense to describe his war on terror recently, the media elites and international diplomats became apoplectic. But when Yassir Arafat publicly calls for jihad in the bloody sense of the term against Jews, most international elites yawn. Vincent Carroll questions the double standard. (via RCP)

Political Risk And Human Rights
(03-15-2002) In the past, major international energy exploration and production firms managed political risk in a number of dicey countries using whatever means it took to protect their investments, even private armies. The human-rights outcry over Talisman's Sudan operations signalled a new global awareness to the issue. Sarah Murray comments on this aspect of managing political risk.

Phased War
(03-13-2002) The so-called "phased-plan" to eradicate "the Zionist entity" figures prominently in documents and statements of the PLO over the past few decades, even if Western diplomats choose to ignore them. It dates back even further than Michael Kelly suggests here. But how should Israel -- or any democracy -- respond to a phased plan to destroy it?

Communist Paradise
(03-12-2002) Before its collapse, the Soviet Union provided massive outlays to Cuba to showcase the Communist "paradise" just south of the United States. Since then, Castro has relied on tourism and hard currency to keep the "paradise" afloat. But the pursuit of dollars, notes Max Boot, has created a few "haves" and many more "have-nots." So much for the promise of paradise.

Missing Context
(03-11-2002) As Mona Charen points out, most reports from Israel are lacking basic context. Even official American condemnations of the "cycle of violence" imply an equivalence between defensive retaliation and terrorism that notably omits context. Charen lays out six bullet points to keep in mind when considering news reporting on Israel.

Thinking About Yemen
(03-10-2002) The government of Yemen has been surprisingly cooperative in the U.S. war against terror. But much of the country does not support the government. Poverty, geographic isolation, and scattered ethnic tribes make a fertile breeding ground for Osama bin Laden's brand of radical Islam. Hany Fares assesses the situation in Yemen.

Losing The Middle East?
(03-10-2002) "It is no coincidence," writes Reuel Marc Gerecht, "that the two countries whose political and educational systems produced September 11 are now promoting a new Arab-Israeli 'peace process.'" With the assistance of Thomas Friedman, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are trying to change the nature of the post-September 11 conversation. Will the U.S. allow it?

Who Is Wen Jiabao?
(03-08-2002) Wen Jiabao is likely to succeed Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji in the next year. Unlike Zhu, who is known for his theatrics, Wen is known as a leader who quietly builds consensus. Having survived a Communist Party purge despite being seen as a supporter of Tiananmen's Square's martyrs for democracy, Wen is certainly resilient. Susan V. Lawrence profiles the likely next premier. (More)

Bangladesh's Neglected Mountain Folk
(03-08-2002) For twenty years, Bangladesh's government and its Chittagong Hill tribes carried on a civil war. A peace treaty inked in 1997 ended that conflict, but much work remains to be done to bring the various ethnic tribes into the broader political community. Thomas Veser examines the political ethnography of Bangladesh.

The Saudi Peace "Proposal"
(03-06-2002) Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah's peace plan may be the most ambitious Arab-Israeli peace "proposal" never actually proposed. Charles Krauthammer takes apart the peace "proposal" that, thus far, exists mainly in Thomas Friedman's retelling of his conversation with the Crown Prince. Defense policy expert Frank Gaffney is skeptical as well.

Trouble At PDVSA
(03-06-2002) Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA has a long history of meritocratic management, and for good reason. Generally, as PDVSA goes, so goes Venezuela. Hugo Chavez's recent political manipulation of the organization (not to mention the disastrous new petroleum law) isn't going over well, which spells trouble.

Muslim Denial and Reality
(03-04-2002) An overwhelming majority of the Muslim world either has moral reservations about the terrorist attacks of 11 September but doubts Arab involvement, or has no moral reservations at all. For that reason alone, it is difficult to take the New York Times/Abdullah "peace plan" seriously. Barbara Amiel tacks on a few more reasons.

Losing Its Way?
(03-03-2002) In the early 1990s, Latin America looked set to take off as the old dictatorships were replaced with democracy, markets, and trade. Now, the region is mired in economic difficulties, and civil unrest figures prominently in major nations. Will the nations of Latin America return to populism, or even worse, military rule?

Ariel Bombs
(03-03-2002) Ariel Sharon was elected prime minister one year ago by one of the most lopsided margins in Israeli history. Now, flanked by the hawkish Benjamin Netanyahu on his right and the dovish Shimon Peres on the far left, Sharon seems paralyzed as his popularity plummets. As Tom Rose notes, he is looking like a one-term prime minister.

The Axis Of Petulance
(03-02-2002) George Bush's "axis of evil" speech produced the expected handwringing and moaning in European capitals. The Europeans' real complaint, argues Charles Krauthammer, is America's confident exertion of power, and their own irrelevance. In this war of self-defense and, really, the defense of the West, the Europeans can either join America or get out of the way.

Books and Arts

Love, Death, And Politics In Art
(03-30-2002) Much of the great art of the late Renaissance and early Baroque is highly political. The "Sale of the Century" exhibition that recently opened in Madrid, writes reviewer William Packer, is a narrative "of high international politics, impeccable taste, diplomatic chicanery, profit and loss."

Cynical Diplomacy
(03-30-2002) In No Peace, No Honor, Larry Berman argues that Kissinger and Nixon betrayed South Vietnam. Yisrael Medad draws the following lesson: "Czechoslovakia was not the first occasion on which the democratic West sold out an ally and, by implication, Vietnam will not be the last."

Bible Tales
(03-30-2002) The Jewish patriarch Abraham probably never existed. Nor Moses. And the Bible's account of Exodus is probably flawed. So say many contemporary archaelogists. Michael Massing considers Etz Harim, the new Torah and commentary that attempts to reconcile ancient beliefs and text with contemporary science.

Double Fold
(03-30-2002) In the contemporary digital age, are paper books anachronistic? In Double Fold, Nicholson Baker argues emphatically to the contrary. Paper is much more durable than even many librarians realize, whereas microfilm and digital storage methods present problems of their own. But David Honigmann finds Baker's argument one-sided.

Journalistic Nihilism
(03-30-2002) In Media Unlimited, Todd Gitlin critiques the pervasiveness of contemporary media, from the dumbing down of print and movies to the constant advertising barrage. But Jonathan Last thinks Gitlin misses an obvious, important point: that 24-hour coverage of literally every topic has fostered a journalistic nihilism.

Literature And Life
(03-28-2002) Novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, one-time Peruvian presidential candidate and most recently author of The Feast Of The Goat, was recently asked why he ran against Fujimori, and responded "Because I was an idiot . . . I don't think there is another explanation." Mel Gussow discusses literature and life with the colorful writer. (More)

David Brock, Liar
(03-28-2002) The problem with admitted liars is that they can never be trusted. That is the difficulty with David Brock's Blinded By The Right. Timothy Noah (aka "Chatterbox") argues the book is "whiny, histrionic, and so factually unreliable that Chatterbox practically gave himself a migraine trying to figure out which parts of Brock's lurid story were true, and which parts were false."

The Marriage Problem
(03-27-2002) There is no shortage of writers analyzing a divided America. Murray and Herrnstein saw a nation divided by intelligence. Kaplan saw an America divided into pods of prosperity, and others. And there is the red-blue division described by Brooks. In The Marriage Problem, James Q Wilson posits another division.

Rubles From The Rubble
(03-25-2002) In the late 1990s, a new class emerged in Russia. The oligarchs were able to parlay their relationships into lucrative financial arrangements for themselves, and significant political influence (at least until the emergence of Vladimir Putin). David Hoffman's The Oligarchs is the story of four such men. (More)

Etiquette For An Age Without Rules
(03-23-2002) Who better to review several recent books on etiquette than the author of Modern Manners: An Etiquette Book for Rude People (not to mention The Bachelor Home Companion)? P.J. O'Rourke takes a fun look at The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum and Things You Need to be Told.

Oh (Big) Brother
(03-23-2002) The references are everywhere: Big Brother is Back! The Return of Big Brother! It's as if an American Police State once existed, and is making a triumphant comeback. But as political humorist Jonah Goldberg points out, "Big Brother = Not Real. 1984 was a n-o-v-e-l."

Thatcher's 20/20 Foresight
(03-22-2002) Today, it was announced that Margaret Thatcher will no longer speak in public, due to health concerns. Fortunately, her recently released Statecraft can speak for her. As Cal Thomas writes, "It is a book about Truth at a time when people prefer intellectual junk food to true nourishment."

Islam And Origins Of The Koran
(03-21-2002) "Between fear and political correctness," says one American scholar, "it's not possible to say anything other than sugary nonsense about Islam." Despite the chilling effect of death threats and such against various scholars, textual analysis and study of the history of the Koran are proceeding. Alexander Stille reviews the state of the research.

Steinbeck At 100
(03-19-2002) Following the centenary of his birth and coming some three decades after his death, there has been an explosion of interest in John Steinbeck. Lisa Singh (and others) consider what is worth remembering of Steinbeck. (More) (More) (More) (More) (More)

American Jihad
(03-17-2002) Steven Emerson has long contended that a loose network of terrorist cells are operating in the U.S. from places as different as Oklahoma City and Brooklyn. His contentions have apparently even earned him serious death threats from Islamic militants. As Ethan Bronner notes, even Emerson's more fantastic claims in American Jihad deserve serious consideration.

American Jihad
(03-17-2002) Steven Emerson has long contended that a loose network of terrorist cells are operating in the U.S. from places as different as Oklahoma City and Brooklyn. His contentions have apparently even earned him serious death threats from Islamic militants. As Ethan Bronner notes, even Emerson's more fantastic claims American Jihad deserve serious consideration.

Holy War, Inc.
(03-17-2002) For Peter Bergen, years of research on Osama bin Laden suddenly became common knowledge with the vast coverage after 11 September. But Bergen, who conducted the first television interview with bin Laden in 1997, explores the subject with great depth in Holy War, Inc.. Shimson Arad reviews the effort.

Holy War, Inc.
(03-17-2002) For Peter Bergen, several years of research on Osama bin Laden suddenly became common knowledge with the vast coverage after 11 September. But Bergen, who conducted the first television interview with bin Laden in 1997, still explores his subject with great depth in Holy War, Inc.. Shimson Arad reviews his effort.

McTaggart On Plagiarism
(03-16-2002) Stephen Ambrose and Doris Kearns Goodwin have attempted to downplay their well documented "borrowing" from other authors. And to some extent, critics have accepted their explanations. Lynne McTaggart, who was one victim of Goodwin's "borrowing," responds that their "borrowing" should not be conceived as anything but dishonorable plagiarism.

Criticism Left And Right
(03-16-2002) Michael Kelly has come under criticism from the Left for steering the Atlantic Monthly into more relevant political topics. Now, conservative R. Emmett Tyrrell takes exception with Kelly on two fronts: an expose on Tyrrell's former publication The American Spectator, and a brutal Christophen Hitchens essay on Churchill.

The War Against America
(03-16-2002) Even after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, argues Laurie Mylroie, the Clinton Administration was disinclined to take the terrorist threat to mainland America seriously. In The War Against America, she makes the additional case of Iraqi orchestration of terrorism against America. Con Coughlin finds her case compelling as the War on Terror inches towards Phase Two.

Clash Of Titans
(03-14-2002) Thomas Jefferson and John Marshall, two shapers of the early republic and the republic to come, really didn't like each other, personally or politically. James F. Simon's What Kind Of Nation is the story of their clashing political views, and why that clash still matters. Joseph Ellis praises Simon's effort.

Tocqueville Between Two Worlds
(03-12-2002) More than forty years after the publication of his seminal Politics and Vision, political theorist Sheldon Wolin has followed up with Tocqueville Between Two Worlds, as much a work on modern political theory broadly as Tocqueville. Stephen Holmes reviews Wolin's dense text with a dense essay of his own.

We Were Soldiers
(03-12-2002) Popular culture has not treated the soldiers of Vietnam very well. "But overall," writes Mac Owens, "those who fought in Vietnam were the real 'best and brightest' of the baby-boomer generation." The movie We Were Soldiers tells their story.

Watching 9/11
(03-11-2002) S.T. Karnick writes, "In 9/11, filmmakers Gedeon and Jules Naudet wisely do not go over old ground by telling us what motivated the villains behind the September 11 attacks. Instead, they do something equally valuable: They show us what makes a hero." Karnick and other regular contributors to National Review react to 9/11.

Life Changed
(03-10-2002) Jeff Jarvis was in the World Trade Center on That Day. Today, Sunday, six months later, he delivered this sermon of reflection at Pilgrim Congregational Church.

Six Months
(03-09-2002) Six months after the 11 September attacks, things are somewhat back to normal in America. Sure, airport lines are longer, but flags are starting to fade and come down, and trashy women like Tonya Harding are back in the news. Lee Bockhorn suggests the Sunday CBS documentary "9/11" will be a useful, if painful, reminder. (More)

Rethinking Esthetics
(03-08-2002) Why are great esthetic works timeless? What constitutes great musical and visual work? For hundreds of years, the study of esthetics has been relegated by scientists to "humanities" types. But like Aristotle so long ago, investigators are becoming more interested in the "science" of human esthetics. Marilia Duffles investigates the field of neuroesthetics.

Dancing At Armageddon
(03-07-2002) The mere mention of "survivalism" conjures up images of militias (always described as "right-wing" in popular media) and other fringe outdoors groups. But are those images accurate or fair? In Dancing At Armageddon, Robert Mitchell, an academic, sheds some light on the issue by documenting his days as a participant-observer in the survivalist world.

Alexander The Great
(03-05-2002) "In many respects," writes David Brooks in his review of recent works on Alexander Hamilton, "the United States that bestrides the world today is Hamiltonianism in action." But it's typical of America to export dissent along with its values. The world, Brooks notes, should prepare for the contemporary playing out of the old Hamilton-Jefferson tension.

A Is For American
(03-05-2002) In A Is for American: Letters and Other Characters in the Newly United States, Jill LePore considers the political uses of language in the early American Republic through an examination of prominent innovators in communications. Historian Evan Haefeli assesses her work.

The Professors Profess
(03-03-2002) Judge Richard Posner, author of Public Intellectuals: A Study In Decline, recently followed up on that theme in the Atlantic Monthly with an assessment of several prominent academics. When professors pontificate outside of their areas of expertise, Posner concludes bluntly, "quality tends to go to hell."

Almighty Celebrity Roast
(03-02-2002) In his new God: The Biography, Alexander Waugh turns mainly to the Hebrew Bible, but also other sources, to try to figure out what He is like. Raymond Carr, an admitted atheist, is "heartened" by the effort, while Christopher Silvester calls the book the ultimate Celebrity Roast. (More)

Charmed By Tyranny
(03-02-2002) In his profile of eight great modern thinkers, political theorist Mark Lilla attempts to determine why intellectuals, under no coercion, would work to justify tyrannical regimes. Like any serious work of political philosophy, Lilla's The Reckless Mind: Intellectuals in Politics raises at least as many profound questions as it answers. (More) (More)

The Making Of El Presidente
(03-02-2002) Vicente Fox's toppling of the Institutional Revolutionary Party's stranglehold on Mexican politics was so unlikely that his methods make for fascinating reading. Guillermo H. Cantu's spanish-language Asalto a Palacio details Fox's approach. In her review, Denise Dresser asks whether Fox can move from campaigning to governing.

The Anti-Roark
(03-02-2002) Philip Johnson once called Frank Lloyd Wright a genius, and proceeded to say "I hated him of course." The 96-year-old architect has been on the cutting edge of virtually every (bad) architectural trend to hit America. His "new direction in houses is that one room in every building is a scaled-down replica of the Pantheon, maybe 30ft across." Johnson is no Howard Roark.

Texana

Expect The Unexpected
(03-28-2002) Houston's "expect the unexpected" effort to improve its national image may have missed the mark, but the city has a great deal going for it. Despite the collapse of Enron and likely merger of Compaq with HP, writes Joshua Chaffin, the city can boast the second largest number of theater seats in America, trees, and even a fledgling light rail development.

Houston's Montrose
(03-25-2002) The impression most people have of Houston is urban sprawl and clogged freeways. But tucked away just off of downtown is a neighborhood where it's still possible to walk around to interesting shops and cafes, have a beer at an authentic icehouse, and maybe even get a tattoo. Montrose takes eclectic to extremes.

Primary Demographics
(03-20-2002) For two decades, Anglo support for Democrats in Texas has been declining. Dems are ever hopeful that a rapidly expanding Hispanic voter base will help them make a comeback. But even though the recent Democratic primary turned out a record number of Hispanics, Anglos stayed away in numbers significant enough to offset the gain. R.G. Ratliffe analyzes the turnout.

Not Guilty
(03-17-2002) Charles Krauthammer is a respected, Pulitzer-winning syndicated columnist who writes most frequently on international politics. Many people don't know that Krauthammer's first career was medicine, and that he was once chief resident in psychiatry at Massachusetts General. Krauthammer argues that Andrea Yates should have been acquitted.

Ryan Express
(03-16-2002) The Texas Rangers are in such dire straits with their pitching that they've persuaded Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan to go to Florida spring training and work with their pitchers. They might be better served suiting Ryan up. Nonetheless, Randy Galloway reports on the legendary pitcher's efforts.

Texas Political Demographics
(03-11-2002) For two decades, Republicans have dominated the Lone Star state politically. But recent demographic trends could spell trouble. Hispanics are a growing segment of the population, and tend to vote Democratic. Will their nominee for governor jump-start a return to competitiveness for Democrats in Texas?

Outside The Lines
(03-09-2002) Cory Morrow's latest release, Outside The Lines, may well earn him the national spotlight of fellow Texas singer-songwriters Pat Green and Charlie Robison. Paula Phelps thinks it's "a consistently strong album." But is it Texas Music, or dressed up Nashville? Rob Patterson argues the latter.

Remember The Alamo
(03-06-2002) On March 6, all good Texans remember the fall of the Alamo in 1836. For those who wonder why Texans seem to obsess over that Lone Star Flag and all things Texas, a good place to start is the appeal for help from commander William Travis, with its memorable line: "I shall never surrender nor retreat."

Big Red
(03-04-2002) Lone Star, Dr. Pepper, and Pearl have all been absorbed by national conglomerates. But Texas favorites like Shiner Bock and Chik-o-Stix remain marginally independent. And Big Red Soda. As Joe Nick Patoski points out, its makers may not have a website, but the red beverage maintains a loyal following.

KPFT: The Sound Of (Marxist) Texas
(03-03-2002) The eight years Garland Ganter ran Houston Pacifica affiliate KPFT were among its most successful in terms of finances and ratings. His "Sound of Texas" music format by day and left-of-center programming by night was a hit by non-commercial radio standards. But not with the radical Pacifica crowd of Marxists and Vietnam-War protestors, who reclaimed Pacifica in January and booted Ganter.

Texas Independence Day
(03-02-2002) Non-Texans don't always understand the feeling of exceptionalism that pervades the state of Texas, from the fascination with the Lone Star flag to the "Don't Mess With Texas" litter campaign. Texan independence -- declared on 2 March 1836 -- is one major reason that Texans often fixate on their state. (More)

Society

Just Friends
(03-31-2002) Can men and women be just friends? Despite what individuals say, is it the case that one person will always feel more romantically attracted to the other in a male-female relationship? It's an eternal question, really. Jennifer Wolcott explores the issue.

Volcker's Wagon
(03-28-2002) Fifteen years ago, Paul Volcker faced a major crisis in the form of Jimmy Carter's enduring stagflation. Now, he faces another major crisis in his effort to save Arthur Andersen. Lawrence Kudlow describes Volcker's aggressive plans to remake Andersen, and maybe the audit industry itself -- but first he must overcome Andersen's lingering executive arrogance.

Sportswriter Groupthink
(03-25-2002) A recent survey of sportswriters found surprising consistency in their NCAA men's hoops tourney picks -- and not just consistency in picking favorites. In some instances, the sportswriters consistently picked the losing underdog. So what explains this near groupthink of supposed experts? Bryan Curtis investigates.

The Pristine Myth
(03-21-2002) Conventional wisdom (as reflected in grade-school childhood texts) holds that Indians came to America 12,000 years ago over the Bering Strait, lived in small groups, and had minimal impact on the environment. Recent research suggests "this picture of Indian life is wrong in almost every aspect." Charles C. Mann explains. (More)

Hot Air At Delphi
(03-20-2002) Ancient Greek lore always held that the musings of the Oracle at Delphi were partially inspired by intoxicating vapors. Scientists long dismissed the tales, having found no evidence to support them. But as William Broad points out, recent evidence suggests that it's quite possible the Oracle was influenced by gases, probably ethylene.

The Growing R&D Gap
(03-14-2002) Research and development investment generally drives innovation and, therefore, economic growth. Over the last decade and a half, the gap between European and U.S. investment in R&D has grown ever wider, putting future European economic competitiveness in jeopardy. Europe may be further hindered in that there's no easy bureaucratic solution to the problem.

The Great Wi-Fi Hope
(03-09-2002) Regulated phone and cable monopolies control the the last mile of internet pipe into homes, and broadband saturation has lagged. Costs of the regulated cellular spectrum have also constrained wireless internet. The genius of the 802.11 "wi-fi" standard is that it gets around both constraints, via free, unregulated "junk" spectrum.

Misguided Activism
(03-08-2002) One of many dubious contributions of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights under the leadership of Mary Frances Berry was to call for the end of the use of Native American names for sports teams last year. Presumably, the commission was concerned about the civil rights of Native Americans. But, as John J. Miller points out, most Native Americans don't have a problem with the practice.

The Apocalypse Of Adolescence
(03-07-2002) In recent years, the United States has experienced a surge in violent crime committed by seemingly "normal" teenagers. Why? One interviewee suggests to Ron Powers that many adolescents "understand violence itself as a morally grounded gesture, a kind of purifying attempt to intervene against the nothingness." Powers considers the Apocalypse of Adolescence.

Gender Vendors
(03-05-2002) When considering technological and other major purchases, women and men generally ask different questions and turn to different sources for information. So are women likely to buy significantly different products than men, or the same products marketed differently? That's the question, writes Samar Farah, that vexes manufacturers and marketers.

Oh Gods
(03-03-2002) Contrary to popular belief, argues Toby Lester, new religions are springing up everywhere. Americans are now all too aware of the dangers posed by the spread of radical Islam. But the "problem religion" of this century may very well be Christianity. (More).

Treating Customers As Criminals
(03-02-2002) The music industry seems determined to treat its customers like criminals, inconveniencing the vast majority of listeners who prefer the portability of digital music and have no interest in illegal copying. The new wave of copy protection alters compact discs so significantly, writes Amy Harmon, that Sony and Philips will not even allow the use of their "CD" logo on them.

Other Headlines

Friedman: Suicidal Lies

Jager: No Lessons For Israel From Caleb Carr

Kirkpatrick: Goodwin's Counterproductive PR Campaign

Ijaz: Musharraf's Faustian Bargain

Arabia v. The World

Novak: Bush Looks Lost

Hoagland: Deep Impasse

Hanson: Postmodern Palestine

Clinton's War Against Taxpayers

Quagmire

Iraq Awaits U.S. Move

Ignatius: The Burden On Bush And Blair

Oborne: Ian Duncan Smith's Important Speech

Freund: The Right To Be Wrong

Honoring Flight 93

Kurtz: The Invisible Ceremony

Health Insurance: A Policy, Not A Choice

Arab "Peace Summit" Disintegrates

The Passover Massacre

Starr: Every Man A Media Critic

Passover Suicide Bombing In Netanya

Suicide Bomber Found In Palestinian Ambulance

Arab Praise for Intifada Terror

Pipes: Empty "Peace Plan"

MacDonald: Racial Profiling Myths Smashed

Schlussel: Steinem's Islamist NOW Chapter

Fund: A Workable GOP Filibuster Strategy

Lehigh: Kerry's Uphill Battle

An Agenda For Carter

Ibish: Reply To Pipes

Energy Sought Green Advice, Was Rebuffed

Work To Commence On Hydrogen Bombs

Layne: Hussein Funds Palestinian Terrorism

AFL-CIO Endorses Reno Opponent

Podhoretz: How Oscar Ghettoized Poitier

Widening Breach: Chavez v. Military

Zinni's Real Mission

Trouble For Germany's Schroeder

Miller: But Seriously

Kurtz: Dumbing Down The SAT

Hanson: The 1930s, Again

Domino: EU Responds To Bush Tariff Move

Pipes: U.S. Arabs' Firebrand

Bush Slams "Petty" Democratic Criticism

GOP Targets Democratic Rift

Feder: Bush Bungles GOP Primaries

Hentoff: Senator Leahy's Personal Constitution

Campaign Finance Nirvana

America First (Again)

New Link Between Anthrax And Hijackers?

Sudanese File Suit Against Talisman

When Private Words Go Public

Bush Vows To Help Peru

Steyn: Hard To Be A Warrior

Neumayr: The Media-McCain Collusion Act

Lewis: Dumping Rukeyser

Suellentrop: Political Widows

Due Process For Terrorists

Fletcher: Annan's Careless Language

Kudlow: Positive Midterminology

Soffer: Civilized Nations Awake

Senate Dems Tap Social Security

Wallop: Politics Of Satellite Television

Education By Polls

Skinner: Moulin Rouge Sucks

U.S. Spurns Renewed Calls For World Tax

Broder: Stop The Partisan Sniping

Will: Dropping The One-Drop Rule

Kelly: Systematic Corruption Of A Powerful Institution

Chapman: Trading Presidential Places

Barnes: The Terrorism Loophole

Kemp: Buffoonery At The INS

Gazit: Land For Peace (Then And Now)

Missing Explosives In The Philippines

No Re-Election Bid For Swift

Tvaradarajan: Al Gore's Better Half

The Lady Turns

Miller: Power Politics Of Missile Defense

Rubin: Iran's Myth Of Moderation

Young: Bias Against Handguns

Kaus: Clinton Comeback?

Portugal's Conservatives Dislodge Socialists

Pipes: A Majority Of One

Bartley: Post-Clinton Standards

U.S. To Resume Vieques Exercises

Elaine Cassel Reviews Dancing At Armageddon

Homestretch: Carly Versus Walter

Answers At K-Mart?

Will: Newark's Nasty Race

Did The Chinese Beat Columbus To The New World?

York: The Pickering Lesson

Stein: Krugman's Dismaying Morass

Shiflett: Sister Heat

Barnes: Never Forget

Ledeen: Iran Simmers

Wireless, European And American

Schulz: Jeffords and "Scientific" Politics

Brooks: The Books Of Faith And Reason

Goldberg: Bias And Rosie

N Plus 7

Saudi Arabia Pledged To Fill Oil Shortfall

Forest Service Knowingly Used False Data

Judiciary Committee Kills Pickering Nomination

Owens: Nuclear Posturing

No Equivalence

Pat Green Assaulted On South Padre Beach

Annan Blasts Israel's "Illegal Occupation"

Gaffney: Bush And Disinformation

Democratic Senate Refuses CAFE Increase

Historic UN Resolution On "Palestine"

Morris: Europe's Problem

James Tobin, RIP

What Is Wrong With Arafat's Picture?

Ben-Aharon: The Recycled Saudi Plan

Henry: A Learning Channel For Congress?

Standaert: Europe And Kyoto

Minority Parties Bolt Sharon Coalition

Vazsonyi: Clearing The Air On Hungary

Williams: Dole's Ongoing Identity Crisis

Iraq Bans Return Of Arms Inspectors

Pseudo Elections In Congo

Arafat Versus The War On Terror

Hanson: Listening To Kuwait

Pipes: A Spy Myth Is Born

Extremist Parties Win In Colombia

PETA Officials Collide With Deer

Steyn: Bush Loses A Fan

Bloch: Sharon's Annus Horibilis

Real-World Missile Defense

Rewarding Palestinian Terrorism

Republicans Slam Dem "Scare Tactics"

Leo: With Bias Towards All

Coup Plot In Myanmar?

Courts Roll Back Clinton Environmental Rules

Sanger: Bush Losing Domestic Battles

Getting Heisenberg Right

Macfarlane Reviews Babel

West: Islam's Groupthink

TNR's Rosen: Vouchers Are Constitutional

Beichman: Phony Peace Overture

What Is Israel's Choice?

Powell's Misfire

Goldberg: We Are The Good Guys

Vollertsen: Memo To Mr. Carter

Saletan: The Priests And Pedophilia

Tyrrell: Communism With A Conscience

Rubin: Terror And Pity

Kondracke: Can GOP Beat Midterm Curse?

Peyser: Koppel's Hubris May Be His Undoing

Signs Will Finally Mark Reagan National Airport

Mary Frances Berry Wants More Money

Barnes: What If The Dems Were Running The War?

Thank You, Brave Men

Strange Bedfellows: Kristol And Rifkin On Cloning

McCaffrey Goes To Cuba

Early Skepticism Over Small-Scale Fusion Claims

O'Sullivan: India's Multicultural Identity Crisis

Raspberry: Social Security Rethink

Can Riordan Still Win?

Mubarak Warns Of Sleeper Cells

Pipes: Shoot The Moon Diplomacy

Former HP Chief Opposes Merger

Concern Grows Over Sudan

Mowbray: Is Ted Kennedy A Racist?

Sowell: Simon Suddenly Viable In California

Bradley: Don't Count Out Gray Davis

Rose: Mushafraf And Ataturk

James Ragland On The N-Word

Emery: Bush, Then And Now (Review of Two Books)

Reich: Give Jordan The Territories

A History Lesson For Bellesiles

Daschle Plays Politics

Hard To Handicap: California's Gubernatorial Race

The NEA's "Nonjudgemental" Political Agenda

The (False?) Promise Of Therapeutic Cloning

Kinsley: Social Hypochondria

Hymowitz: The Weaker Sex?

Yates: Inefficient Ideas

Bush Administration: End UN War-Crimes Tribunals

Kurtz: The Clinton Wars, Continued

History Is An Art, Not A Toaster

J-Post: Peres Whitewashes Anti-Semitism

Grassroots Support For the U.S. In The Philippines

Caldwell: Baby Boomer Blues

Beam: No Sympathy For Goodwin

Sowell: The IQ Exemption

Safire: Return Of The Clintonites