Overview for The Week Archive

The Cruel Hoax of Green Jobs

Today's young job seekers confront narrowed choices, pinched futures and the deceptive promise of an industry yoked to subsidy and regulation. I graduated from college in 1982, so I have sympathy for the classes of 2009 and 2010. Unemployment was officially higher in 1982 than it is today, …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday June 23, 2010

Obama's 'Courage and Candor' Gap

From the economic crash to energy policy, the president has diagnosed what ails us. It's a pity he doesn't follow his own prescriptions. This is becoming a pattern. Twice before in his presidency, Barack Obama has faced a crisis or major challenge. Twice before he has summoned the nation to …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday June 16, 2010

Helen Thomas and Other Weapons of Mass Distraction

The abrupt end to Helen Thomas' career has triggered many tributes to her supposedly tough questioning. But it was not tough. Helen Thomas will no longer be sitting in the front row of the White House press briefing room. The abrupt end to her career has triggered many tributes to Thomas’ …

Written by David Frum on Thursday June 10, 2010

The Greek Crisis isn't Greek

Greek debt, German banks, and your 401(k) are all connected. And there's no way to rescue only the innocent. Who has had the worst month? BP? The Israeli navy? Or German bankers? Global financial markets collapsed in May, the worst month for U.S. Stocks since 1940, as investors began to …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday June 2, 2010

Angry GOP Voters Flirt with Danger in Kentucky

Rand Paul is poised to be the GOP senate nominee in Kentucky. Republicans there are determined to send a message — even if it hurts. For Republicans, one of the most ominously symbolic races in the country this year is the impending victory of Rand Paul in the Kentucky senatorial primary. …

Written by David Frum on Thursday May 13, 2010

Terrorists Should Keep Their Citizenship

The idea behind Sen. Lieberman's proposal to strip terrorists of citizenship is to avoid a morass of litigation over which precise rights the terrorist possesses. Unfortunately, any attempt to enact Lieberman's proposal will itself plunge prosecutors into an even deeper morass of litigation. Sen. …

Written by David Frum on Thursday May 6, 2010

In Defense of Arizona

Will anyone speak up for Arizona and its new immigration law? The state abused by Jon Stewart as the “meth lab” of democracy has been forced to deal alone with a problem created and then ignored by the national government Will anyone speak up for Arizona and its new immigration law? The state …

Written by David Frum on Thursday April 29, 2010

Drilling Without Illusions

President Obama's flip-flop on off-shore oil drilling is good news. But it won't end our dependence on foreign supplies and it will be accompanied by a new round of regulatory entanglements. There's a better way. As flip-flops go, President Obama’s reversal on offshore drilling earns a AAA …

Written by David Frum on Thursday April 1, 2010

How Immigration Reform Threatens Health Reform

If immigration reform legalizes the 10-12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., who pays for their ObamaCare? It’s rumored that President Obama will follow up his health-care success with a push for immigration reform. It’s a bad idea—not least because of the negative impact the latter will …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday March 24, 2010

Will Health Reform Cause the Next Bailout?

President Obama has escalated his attacks on insurers. But if reform passes, his harsh words may be the prelude to an embrace. Will health-care reform cause America’s next great financial disaster? Over the past 30 days, health-insurance companies have announced shocking premium increases, …

Written by David Frum on Thursday March 11, 2010

Our Values Paradox

Liberals and conservatives hold distinct values. But for both sides, habitual ideological stands are undermining cherished policy goals. "Keep your laws off my body." It's a slogan that works equally well for the pro-choice left and the anti-nanny-state right. How well does it work for …

Written by David Frum on Thursday March 4, 2010

Our Values Paradox

Liberals and conservatives hold distinct values. But for both sides, habitual ideological stands are undermining cherished policy goals. "Keep your laws off my body." It's a slogan that works equally well for the pro-choice left and the anti-nanny-state right. How well does it work for …

Written by David Frum on Thursday March 4, 2010

Mt. Vernon's Conservative Dead Letter

Liberals are running amok and the nation is crying out for answers. What makes conservative activists think vapid slogans are the right response? On Wednesday Feb. 17, a group of conservative dignitaries, including former attorney general Edwin Meese and Family Research Council president Tony …

Written by David Frum on Thursday February 18, 2010

Mt. Vernon's Conservative Dead Letter

Liberals are running amok and the nation is crying out for answers. What makes conservative activists think vapid slogans are the right response? On Wednesday Feb. 17, a group of conservative dignitaries, including former attorney general Edwin Meese and Family Research Council president Tony …

Written by David Frum on Thursday February 18, 2010

How Shelby's Hold Exposes Obama's Failure

The White House broke GOP Sen. Richard Shelby's hold on appointees in hours. Why can't it break a GOP filibuster of healthcare legislation? It took Democrats 48 hours to break Sen. Richard Shelby’s hold on President Obama’s appointees. In that same short interval, Democrats also broke their own …

Written by David Frum on Thursday February 11, 2010

Obama Chickens Out on Energy

Obama promised to break our addiction to foreign oil. A carbon tax would do that. What Obama proposes in his budget doesn't come close. For a good example of how not to address America’s energy challenges, see President Obama’s new budget. The budget proposes to slam oil companies with new …

Written by David Frum on Thursday February 4, 2010

An Alternate History of Obamacare

With a little less partisan zeal and a little more humility, the president could have earned the popular support he needed to pursue the liberal Holy Grail. The speech is over, but the outlook is the same today as it was yesterday. And as bad as things look for the country, just imagine how …

Written by David Frum on Thursday January 28, 2010

Has the GOP Learned its Lesson Too?

Scott Brown won in Massachusetts with a big-tent Republican campaign. Perhaps the GOP is coming to recognize that victory doesn't wear an ideological straitjacket. Congratulations Scott Brown! Yah-boo to the defeated Democrats. But now the challenge returns to the GOP: Can we learn the right …

Written by David Frum on Thursday January 21, 2010

Playing the Odds on Airport Terrorism

A new book offers key insights on controlling crime. Can we apply its lessons to thwarting terrorists, too? Policy intellectuals are buzzing about a new book by UCLA public policy professor Mark Kleiman -- When Brute Force Fails . In it, Kleiman argues that the United States could reduce …

Written by David Frum on Thursday January 14, 2010

It's Time to Start Profiling

We can have sensible airport security without making "flying while Muslim" a federal offense. It’s inspiring really. As you stood in the long, long pre-Christmas lines at airport security, you might have thought that the transportation safety authorities had already achieved the very summit of …

Written by David Frum on Thursday January 7, 2010