24 November 2008
by andrew
1 Comment
There’s a pattern to much of the reporting on the financial crisis and the bailout. See if you can identify it. From “Banking Regulator Played Advocate Over Enforcer” the Washington Post‘s report on the Office of Thrift Supervision: 1. In … Continue reading
24 November 2008
by andrew
Comments Off on the fabric of society
It seems like Cory Booker is channeling Randolph Bourne (via): [vodpod id=Groupvideo.1793410&w=425&h=350&fv=autoPlay%3Dfalse] From Bourne’s “Trans-National America” (in the July 1916 Atlantic): The foreign cultures have not been melted down or run together, made into some homogeneous Americanism, but have remained … Continue reading
21 November 2008
by andrew
1 Comment
It seems that Obama has been reading Lincoln; this is encouraging. Some of Obama’s reading about Lincoln may be less encouraging. I am not getting ready to lead a nation or form a cabinet; I have been reading Wendell Phillips. … Continue reading
20 November 2008
by andrew
Comments Off on daguerro-who?
At first I was going to say that the Life magazine photo archive Google is hosting seems a bit confused about chronology: But it turns out you can search for the French and Indian War and get results.
19 November 2008
by andrew
Comments Off on back to its roots
I sort of think of this as the canonical form of muckraking.
18 November 2008
by andrew
Comments Off on only in America a democracy
With the talk of Obama’s election being something that could only happen in America, it’s no surprise to find people pointing out that, well, not only could “it” – meaning a similar electoral victory, of course – happen elsewhere, but … Continue reading
12 November 2008
by andrew
Comments Off on premonition
Cornelius Cole was not nearly the diarist his wife was – I was more interested in his correspondence – but that doesn’t mean my research did not turn up something incidentally interesting. Again from my old notes, again something not … Continue reading
11 November 2008
by andrew
1 Comment
I don’t have anything to say about Grant’s status as an intellectual, never having read his memoirs, but this discussion reminds me that I have in some old research notes an impression of Grant set down shortly after his first … Continue reading
4 November 2008
by andrew
Comments Off on civilian leadership
Timothy Noah wonders why, since 1964, presidential candidates who were war heroes have been so unsuccessful: With the sole exception of George H.W. Bush in 1988—who won by waging the dirtiest presidential campaign of the modern era and then served … Continue reading