Entries

A Squalid Memorial

This afternoon, while on a family holiday in Buenos Aires, my son and I went to pay our respects to the dead at the site of the terrible bombing of the city's Jewish community center in 1994. In Buenos Aires on family holiday. This afternoon my son and I walked over to pay our respects to the dead …

Written by David Frum on Thursday December 31, 2009

The Agony of the States

Incoming New Jersey GOP governor Chris Christie faces an $8 billion budget deficit. During past economic downturns, states have been rescued from tough decisions when another revenue boom came along in time to save them. That may not happen this time. Here's what faces incoming New Jersey Gov. …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday December 30, 2009

Dealing with Terror the Israeli Way

Instead of the present system of patting down everyone, removing shoes, and no toilet visits, blankets or laptop computers in the last hour of flight, why not just emulate Israeli airport security? With air travel a mess after the Christmas day underwear-bomber incident that Northwest Airlines …

Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday December 29, 2009

Stop Understating the Threat

Yesterday, the President tried to reassure the nation. Obama promised he would not rest until he found those who were accountable. But a tone of commitment and intent were lacking, as was his tie. Does anyone remember Kevin Bacon in Animal House ? Bacon played the clueless ROTC cadet and Omega …

Written by Lloyd Green on Tuesday December 29, 2009

Waiting and Waiting for Malpractice Reform

Medical malpractice reform is popular and needed – and, despite stretching for more than 2,000 pages, basically absent from Senator Reid’s bill. Exactly why didn't the Illinois Supreme Court rule on the med malpractice case this month? The legislation in question is undoubtedly controversial -- …

Written by David Gratzer on Tuesday December 29, 2009

Pawlenty: Running to the Right and into Trouble

Tim Pawlenty's moves to reach out to religious and economic conservatives could emerge as real vulnerabilities if he gains ground in the GOP race. The Wall Street Journal yesterday reported on Tim Pawlenty's advocacy of constitutional spending limits. Mr. Pawlenty has proposed an …

Written by Bryce McNitt on Tuesday December 29, 2009

The Real Culprit in the Underwear Bombing?

There are two ways to protect air travel: look for bombs or look for terrorists. The underwear bomber dramatically illustrates the futility of the first policy - and the huge potential advantages of the second. Yet the government still won't learn. It's the U.S. embassy in Lagos, argues Thomas …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday December 29, 2009

Passengers Shouldn’t be the First Line of Defense

There is a lackadaisical attitude towards security by the Obama administration. The foiled Christmas day plane-bombing attempt was the third “terrorist” attack on the U.S. in the first year of Obama’s presidency. What should be distressing about the foiled Christmas day plane-bombing attempt by …

Written by Peter Worthington on Monday December 28, 2009

Unhealthy Habits are What's Killing Us

For all the money Americans spend on health care (60 percent more per person than any other advanced country), Americans are not an especially healthy people. Originally published at CNN.com . Health care reform is proceeding toward the president's desk, likely to become law in the new …

Written by David Frum on Monday December 28, 2009

New Year, Old Problems

Obama was elected on the promise of change, but his popularity will continue to sag if he persists in providing rhetoric instead of real accomplishments. As 2010 begins, it isn’t a hell of a lot different from how 2009 began, despite a new president who got elected on the promise of “change.” …

Written by Peter Worthington on Monday December 28, 2009

Finding the Good in Obamacare

Anyone afraid of big government has plenty of reasons to dislike the healthcare reforms likely to become law sometime early next year. But an honest look at it from a conservative, free market perspective reveals a few bright spots too. Anyone afraid of big government has plenty of reasons to …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Sunday December 27, 2009

Poverty Breeds Terrorism?

The man who came close to blowing up the Detroit-bound plane belonged to a well-heeled family in Nigeria: his father was a high-ranking banker and the bomber himself is an engineering student. Poverty breeds terrorism? "Oppression" does? As it turns out, the man who came close to blowing up the …

Written by Kapil Komireddi on Saturday December 26, 2009

Reid's Bill Could be the End of Private Insurance

The left blogosphere is denouncing Obamacare as a triumph for private insurers. But Robert Book of the Heritage Foundation argues that the plan could extinguish the private insurance industry. The left blogosphere is denouncing Obamacare as a triumph for private insurers. But Robert Book of the …

Written by Sam Theodosopoulos on Saturday December 26, 2009

Swann's Way

My newest bookshelf entry reviews Marcel Proust's Swann's Way . My newest bookshelf entry reviews Marcel Proust's Swann's Way . Marcel Proust is the writer to whom I have returned most often over my life. Now that Audible.com is at last releasing an unabridged audiobooks edition of …

Written by David Frum on Saturday December 26, 2009

Swann’s Way

One of Proust’s great themes is the transformation of personality across time. Our earlier selves cannot begin to imagine our later selves; our later solves are baffled if not horrified by our earlier selves. Marcel Proust is the writer to whom I have returned most often over my life. Now that …

Written by David Frum on Saturday December 26, 2009

Merry Christmas from Al Qaeda

Is Abdul Farouk Abdul Mutallab, who attempted to ignite an explosive device aboard a passenger airliner, an Al Qaeda operative or is this just another episode of 'Self-Induced Jihad Syndrome?' By now it's all over the media: span style="font-weight: bold;"> Man Attempts to Set Off Explosives …

Written by Sean Linnane on Saturday December 26, 2009

Things You Can Count On

Who was responsible for the genocidal Pakistani rampage in Bengal in 1971? A retired Pakistani naval officer has the answer : "Zionist international Jewry." Who was responsible for the genocidal Pakistani rampage in Bengal in 1971? Who was responsible for India's intervention to save Bengal and …

Written by David Frum on Friday December 25, 2009

The Army's Pregnancy Ban

On Nov. 4, Major General Anthony Cuculo issued a controversial general order making pregnancy or fathering a child a court martial offense. For insight, Frum Forum interviewed an expert on the impact of pregnancies on the military's readiness. On Nov. 4, Major General Anthony Cuculo issued a …

Written by Elise Cooper on Friday December 25, 2009

Christmas in Europe, 1944

American troops spent Christmas of 1944 repelling a surprise Nazi offensive. The Battle of the Bulge would turn out to be the single largest and bloodiest battle American forces experienced in World War II. Belgium, sixty five years ago: httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7bbJ4fzOCE …

Written by Sean Linnane on Thursday December 24, 2009

Respect Rudy's Decision

No political party should put itself in a position in which it has to rely entirely on one person to save it from oblivion. John Guardiano disputes my analysis of Rudy Giuliani’s decision not to run for Senate in 2010. If people want to attribute Giuliani’s decision to reject running for …

Written by Richard Brownell on Thursday December 24, 2009