Home » Entries posted by Guy Barnett
agriculture \ Norman Borlaug \ principle \ science \ virtue
A Tribute to Dr. Norman Borlaug and Man’s Capacity to Shape Nature
September 12th should be a global day of mourning. For that is the day that one of mankind’s greatest heroes and benefactors passed away, though barely a whisper of his passing has been heard since the weekend. Each one of us who is glad to be alive should find a way to commemorate the life [...]
healthcare \ individual rights
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch Buffet
A recent article in the journal The Objective Standard argues that laws which force health insurers to cover individuals, regardless of pre-existing medical conditions, are impractical and immoral. The author of the piece, Dr. Paul Hsieh, illustrates that such laws only serve to make insurance more expensive for everyone. And more importantly, he highlights that [...]
AIG \ Barack Obama \ statism \ TARP
Obama, No Take-Backs
The Washington Post recently reported that the federal government has changed the rules of the $1 trillion program to relieve banks of toxic assets. President Obama’s administration is back-pedalling on promises it made to financial institutions only a month ago that they would not face executive compensation restrictions—ala AIG bonuses—if they participated in the program. [...]
AIG \ bailout \ bankruptcy \ bonus \ DeSantis
AIG Witch Hunt
The continuing AIG controversy is a textbook example of blaming the market for the sins of government. Rather than allowing a bankrupt company to get its just desserts, the government stepped in and took it over. Now taxpayers are on the hook for billions of dollars in bad bets. And instead of being outraged at [...]
Danish cartoons \ Islam \ Koran \ LittleBigPlanet \ political correctness \ recall \ Sony
Welcome to the Post-Danish-Cartoons World
The BBC News reports that, on the eve of its long-anticipated release, Sony recalled its latest video game, LittleBigPlanet, from stores worldwide. The problem? After it had been distributed, one of the game’s music tracks was discovered to contain a few lyrical verses that certain consumers may have found offensive. In today’s world of complex [...]
Aaron Shneyer \ Arab-Israeli \ Islamic totalitarianism \ Israel \ jihad \ pacifism \ suicide bomber \ Terrorism \ war
Give Peace a Chance?
The New York Times recently released a video about a group of Jewish and Arab teenagers in Jerusalem who have come together to sing, rather than to fight. Aaron Shneyer, the organizer of this Arab/Jewish band, sombrely explains his assessment of the current situation: “Here’s everyone sharing the city [Jerusalem], but they can’t talk to [...]
TU on GoodSearch!
I am pleased to announce a new way that you can financially support The Undercurrent (TU), without spending a dime. TU has just been added to the list of eligible non-profit organisations for donations from GoodSearch. GoodSearch is a search engine powered by Yahoo Search that donates money to whatever non-profit organization that you choose. [...]
borrower \ Center for Responsible Lending \ foreclosure \ homeowner \ lender \ mortgage \ sub-prime \ subprime
Passing the Buck
With no end in sight to the sub-prime mortgage meltdown, hundreds of thousands of homeowners can no longer afford their mortgage payments. Every month we hear new reports detailing how many more Americans lost their homes. In the midst of this crisis, The New York Times recently published an article critical of mortgage lenders and [...]
chastity clubs \ commitment \ promiscuity \ sex \ women
Girls Gone Mild
An article in the New York Times titled “Students of Virginity” reports on the surprising number of “abstinence clubs” popping up on university campuses all over the country. These clubs try to discourage students from engaging in pre-marital sex. According to the article, a growing number of students that have been exposed to similar clubs [...]
