Overview for FF Spotlight

Turning A Crisis Into A Greek Tragedy

The political management of the Greek financial crisis is akin to the generalship exhibited in World War One and could have similar catastrophic consequences for Europe. Looking back at historic events, say the protracted tragedy of World War One, one is frequently puzzled by the inability of the …

Written by Napoleon Linardatos on Monday June 27, 2011

Choosing Our Energy Priorities

We want three things from our energy policy but we can achieve (at most) two at the same time: Energy that is cheap, energy that is secure, and energy that is clean. Human Eve nts offers a "Top 10" list of reasons to think that President Obama favors expensive energy. Here's number eight: …

Written by David Frum on Monday June 27, 2011

Obama Picked The Wrong War

There's a management saying: the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Bestowing stable government upon Afghanistan is not the main thing. Eradicating al-Qaeda is the main thing. Watching President Obama speak this week about the US drawdown from Afghanistan, I thought of the old …

Written by David Frum on Saturday June 25, 2011

Plummer's Extraordinary "Beginners" Luck

Christopher Plummer is beguiling in "Beginners". He plays a widower who comes out of the closet as a liberated gay senior, landing a beefcake younger boyfriend. Spreading out after two weeks of very limited big-city release, writer/director Mike Mills' dramedy Beginners is kind of an in-joke, as …

Written by Telly Davidson on Friday June 24, 2011

Conrad Black Sent Back To Prison

Some outside lawyers believed the judge would take into account the frailty of the prosecution case, coupled with Black's model behavior in prison, and free him. While disappointing to most who have followed the case, it shouldn’t be surprising that Chicago Judge Amy St. Eve is sending Conrad …

Written by Peter Worthington on Friday June 24, 2011

The Brutal Truth About Hockey Fights

Opponents of a crackdown on fighting in the NHL should come out and admit it –- they don’t want fisticuffs outlawed because they enjoy the fights. The ornery Stanley Cup final between the Bruins and Canucks produced another round in the endless debate over whether the National Hockey League should …

Written by Alan Hirsch on Friday June 24, 2011

Gingrich Was Right About Ryan Plan

The elderly and large numbers of independents oppose the Ryan Plan, meaning GOP presidential hopefuls touting its proposals could be driven out of contention. Americans want the deficit reduced, but they aren’t so keen on Paul Ryan’s medicare plan. A new Bloomberg Poll finds that Americans by …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Friday June 24, 2011

GOP Must Call Democrats' Bluff On Medicare Cuts

There's good reasons to think a Democrat offer to cut Medicare is insincere. But if the GOP is serious, they need to call Democrats’ bluff and propose even deeper cuts. Eric Cantor’s withdrawal from the debt talks with Joe Biden may be dominating the headlines for now but, in the long run, it …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Thursday June 23, 2011

Flying The Jewish-Unfriendly Skies

Saudi Arabian Airlines' partnership with Delta's Skyteam Alliance ignited a fire storm of controversy. It also brought to mind a favorite anecdote. Saudi Arabian Airlines has joined Delta's Skyteam alliance, raising fears that the US airliner might be contaminated by the Saudi state's anti-Jewish …

Written by David Frum on Thursday June 23, 2011

Ending UK Lawfare Against Israelis

A hero of the Entebbe raid was threatened with arrest in the UK. So was a former Israeli Foreign Minister. Their alleged crimes? Doing their duty to protect their country. Israeli politicians and soldiers have repeatedly been threatened with arrest in the United Kingdom in recent years because …

Written by David Frum on Thursday June 23, 2011

Why Did Yale End Anti-Semitism Program?

Yale won't say why it canceled the program. Did its focus on modern anti-Semitism in the Moslem world not meet with the administration's approval? Much has been written about the recent closure of the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Anti-Semitism. Many argue that the …

Written by Uriel Epshtein on Wednesday June 22, 2011

Scenes From Londonistan

Is the UK the only place on the planet where a peaceful demonstrator can be attacked, bitten, have his face ripped -- and then be charged with the same crime as his assailant? Is the UK the only place on earth where a peaceful demonstrator can be attacked, bitten, have his face ripped -- and …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday June 22, 2011

Noah and Conn Debate Cranks in the GOP

On Monday, I recorded a bloggingheads with the Washington Examiner’s Conn Carroll. We discussed the GOP field and whether cranks should be welcomed into the party. On Monday, I recorded a bloggingheads with the Washington Examiner’s Conn Carroll. We discussed the current state of the GOP …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday June 22, 2011

Huntsman: Big GOP Man On Campus

College students searching for a Republican presidential candidate who speaks to their generation's hopes and concerns need look no further than Jon Huntsman. Today I described “College Republicanism” for Students For Liberty. Which Republican Party policies do college students (as a segment …

Written by Stephen Richer on Monday June 20, 2011

Who Will Support Fatherless Children?

We've recently celebrated Father's Day, but more and more Americans are growing up in households where a father is missing. We've recently celebrated Father's Day, but more and more Americans are growing up in households where a father is missing. In my CNN column , I discuss the negative …

Written by David Frum on Monday June 20, 2011

The Looming Teen Unemployment Crisis

The problem of teenage unemployment, if not addressed, will produce disastrous long-term consequences for the productivity of our economy. We’ve seen the number 9.1 a lot recently. It’s a gruesome figure -- one that marks the prolonged and deep economic tragedy gripping our nation. However, not …

Written by Harry Graver on Monday June 20, 2011

The Dirty Secret Of Energy Subsidies

Before we can have a rational debate on America's future energy needs, both parties need to acknowledge the role tax preferences and other subsidies play in the marketplace. See, it’s still possible for Republicans and Democrats to work together on energy legislation. On Thursday, the ethanol …

Written by Jim DiPeso on Sunday June 19, 2011

Ending Mad Chimp Science Experiments

Europe has already banned invasive biomedical research on chimps and other apes. However, in the US any similar prohibition is vehemently opposed by the biomedical industry. Back in the late 1970s, I received a videotape from anonymous animal rights activists who had broken into a research lab and …

Written by Peter Worthington on Saturday June 18, 2011

Grover Norquist, Alpha Male?

Guys like Tom Coburn didn't get second dates in high school, claims Grover Norquist. Sen. Coburn is married to a former Miss Oklahoma. Mr. Norquist is, well, Mr. Norquist. J.D. Hamel wrote a great piece here at FrumForum regarding the struggle between Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Americans …

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Saturday June 18, 2011

Eat, Pray, Eat Again

What's with Hollywood’s ongoing obsession with women and food? Do women find their identities not so much in spiritual or emotional revelations but in plates of linguine? In the film Bridesmaids , there is a scene in which Kristen Wiig, after snubbing a kind-hearted man vying for her romantic …

Written by Daniel Alexandre Portoraro on Friday June 17, 2011