Are congressional Republicans emulating Marcus Licinius Crassus? Crassus (115-53 BCE) was by reputation the richest man in Rome. He made a fortune by organizing a fire brigade for use in the many city fires of the era. When a conflagration… Continue Reading
A high-level panel has issued a report saying that we have lost the war on drugs. Duh. The panel represents a “Who’s Who” of the international establishment. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Anan, former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz,… Continue Reading
The Bourbons – the dynasty that ruled France for over two hundred years – were once described as a family that “forgot nothing and learned nothing.” Much the same could be said of our pundit class. Exhibit No 1: a… Continue Reading
Moody’s is threatening to downgrade U.S. debt if there isn’t progress in budget talks. You will remember Moody’s: It is the bond-rating agency that gave its seal of approval to hundreds of billions of dollars in mortgage-backed securities that proved… Continue Reading
Well, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has spoken. His speech before a joint session of the U.S. Congress broke no new ground. After saying that Israel was ready to make compromises, he proceeded to detail all the things that… Continue Reading
Well, President Obama’s much-anticipated Middle East speech has come and gone. Will anybody care what he said a year from now? Ask me in twelve months. On balance, some sort of public presidential endorsement of the Arab Spring was probably… Continue Reading
The two main Palestinian factions — Fatah, which runs the West Bank, and Hamas, which rules Gaza — have said they will form a coalition government and hold elections throughout the occupied territories. Israel is, not unexpectedly, outraged by the… Continue Reading