Overview for News

Does Anyone Feel Safer After Obama's Nuke Summit?

This week's nuclear summit was a photo op without substance and did nothing to rein in the most dangerous nuclear offenders: North Korea and Iran. If big is better, then the recent two-day gathering of the greatest number of world leaders in Washington since the formation of the UN itself to …

Written by Peter Worthington on Wednesday April 14, 2010

China's Real Estate Boom

The Chinese understandably take pride in their newly gained ability to buy expensive things. But the mania for buying up Hong Kong real estate is not a sign of success -- it's a warning of the likely consequences of China's imperfect transition to First World status. Click here to read all of …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday April 13, 2010

A Response to "RD"

The question posed by FF contributor RD, while relating his experiences as a gay officer at war — "Why should I put my life at risk to defend the freedom of Americans who think so little of me and my relationships?" — profoundly disturbs me. To get a few things out of the way at the outset: I'm …

Written by Alex Knepper on Tuesday April 13, 2010

Fighting for a Country That Thinks I'm Second Class

When the people of California voted to strip legal rights away from gay Californians I decided I could no longer serve in the military. Why should I put my life at risk to defend the freedom of Americans who think so little of me and my relationships? RD is the pseudonym of a 10-year armed …

Written by RD on Tuesday April 13, 2010

Outsourcing Pollution

Proponents of cap-and-trade ignore the possibility that it could actually hurt the environment, by forcing industry out of the United States to the developing world where lax environmental laws could allow unchecked pollution. Instituting a tax on energy probably isn't a good idea in a recession. …

Written by Jonas Stankovich on Tuesday April 13, 2010

Freedom in China

I talked today to a local writer who had lived and worked in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Mainland. Obviously, Hong Kong is the freest place of the three. But when I asked which was the least free, he surprised me: "Singapore." Click here to read all of David Frum’s blogposts from China. …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday April 13, 2010

From Shell Shock to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a long history of being misunderstood and unappreciated. But now, perhaps more than in any other war, PTSD has become a prime affliction from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps more than any other war, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a …

Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday April 13, 2010

Falling for the Interest Group Racket

The only thing sadder than Gov. McDonnell's damaging acquiescence to the request of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for a proclamation honoring the Confederacy is how often elected officials jump for special interest groups every day. What is it about getting elected that allows a person to …

Written by Henry Clay on Tuesday April 13, 2010

How Stable is China?

I put that question to a political scientist here, an expatriate North American who speaks fluent Chinese. Click here to read all of David Frum's blogposts from China. I put that question to a political scientist here, an expatriate North American who speaks fluent Chinese. "Never …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday April 13, 2010

Crist's Costly Populism

Gov. Charlie Crist’s biggest accomplishments - a bill to subsidize property insurance for hurricane-prone Floridians and new property tax caps - may be popular with voters, but could also leave the state facing bankruptcy in the future. As a reformist Republican, I wish I could support Florida …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday April 13, 2010

Lil Wayne's Reagan Shout-Out

Is Lil Wayne really a talented political seer? How else can you explain Congress acting on his Ronald Reagan shout-out? I’ve written elsewhere on Frum Forum about the intersection between rap and politics . But a recent lyric from hip-hop icon Lil Wayne caught my ear the other day. North …

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday April 13, 2010

China Bound

UPDATE: I'm heading to China to deliver some academic lectures, courtesy of the U.S. Department of State. I'm told all lectures are open to the public. Here are the details. Click here to read all of David Frum's blogposts from China. I'm heading to China to deliver some academic …

Written by David Frum on Monday April 12, 2010

Wikileaks Shows True Nature of War

The Wikileaks video of a U.S. helicopter attack in Baghdad should remind us all that we can legislate the laws of war and refine the rules of engagement but, in the end, war will always be a grisly business. Much has been said about the Wikileaks video of a U.S. Apache helicopter attack. …

Written by J.D. Hamel on Monday April 12, 2010

Healthcare in Freedom Land

The new Heritage Freedom Index ranks Hong Kong #1 in the world for economic freedom. Yet the libertarian paradise also has universal, mandatory, single-payer health insurance, cushioned by flexible and widely available private insurance. Click here to read all of David Frum's blogposts from …

Written by David Frum on Monday April 12, 2010

Admitting the Truth Behind the Katyn Massacre

Almost overriding the tragic plane crash that killed Poland's President Lech Kaczynski, is the destination he was intending to visit: the memorial of Katyn Forest. Through much of the Cold War, both the Soviets and the West refused to acknowledge the truth behind the massacre. In a curious way, …

Written by Peter Worthington on Monday April 12, 2010

Wikileaks vs. Warfare

The controversy over the Wikileaks video showing a U.S. helicopter attack in Baghdad is armchair quarterbacking at its worst. There was a big tempest in a teapot that I missed last week, apparently, over some gun camera footage revealed by an organization that calls itself Wikileaks. Some …

Written by Sean Linnane on Monday April 12, 2010

Gearing Up for the VAT Fight

The GOP needs to prove they are serious about balancing our nation's books. When the fight over a value added tax arrives, deficit-minded Republicans cannot lead with false claims that deficits will be closed by further tax cuts or by focusing on waste, fraud and abuse. Ezra Klein, always one-step …

Written by Henry Clay on Monday April 12, 2010

Choosing Between India and Pakistan

Pakistan's assessment of Indian intentions has always been paranoid, and if we're to "go slow" in South Asia until Pakistan calms down, we will never build the relationship with India that we need. The New York Times leads today's story on the nuclear summit with some hard words about the Bush …

Written by David Frum on Monday April 12, 2010

Living With Obamacare

With the passage of President Obama's health reform bill, understanding the Canadian experience with government healthcare can be timely and instructive for Americans. With healthcare a riveting issue in the U.S. that causes heartburn to Republicans and gets resident scholars fired at the …

Written by Peter Worthington on Monday April 12, 2010

The GOP's Lackluster 2012 Field

Yesterday's Southern Leadership Conference straw poll ballot was a striking reminder that Republicans have few contenders capable of defeating Barack Obama in 2012. Yesterday, the Southern Leadership Conference held a straw poll. Straw polls are a favorite activity at high profile gatherings of …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Sunday April 11, 2010