Author Archives: Clint

Does funding make candidates win, or do winning candidates get the funding?

by Clint   –   January 16, 2012

Mitt Romney holds a commanding position in the GOP primary, despite acerbic opposition among Republican activists to his centrist record and near-universal distaste for his character among anyone who’s ever seen him or heard him speak. It often seems that Romney – who, with $250 million in personal worth, is easily the richest in the [...]

The next bubble: student loan debt

by Clint   –   December 19, 2011

Students graduating college last year owed a record amount in loans. Compared to five years ago, borrowing has increased 20% to an average bill of $25,250. The rise in borrowing is unsurprising considering that, while American wages have generally stagnated, tuition has swelled. For instance, under the most optimistic projection, the University of California system [...]

Green on green crime

by Clint   –   December 8, 2011

Daniel H. works in renewable energy development in the Houston area. He studied at Rice University and researched energy policy in Denmark as a Fulbright Scholar.
If you were driving from L.A. to Phoenix, and you happened to look left a few minutes after driving through Barstow, C.A., you would see an open expanse of Mojave [...]

Move the ‘Mosque’

by Clint   –   August 23, 2010

The majority of Americans oppose construction of the Islamic community center near the former World Trade Center. While they acknowledge its right to exist, they would prefer it not to. They consider it callous to build an Islamic site near the scene of a crime perpetrated in the name of Islam.
Their opposition has been dismissed as [...]

Highlights from British inquiry into Iraq war

by Clint   –   August 13, 2010

The UK’s public inquiry into the Iraq war (the “Chilcot Inquiry“) has featured testimony from major figures at the time of the invasion and has further strengthened criticism of the war on multiple fronts. Testimony affirms that pre-war intelligence did not paint Saddam Hussein as a threat, that the coalition had decided to wage war [...]

Ahmadinejad Proposes Debate with Obama

by Clint   –   August 3, 2010

“We are ready to sit down with Mr .Obama face-to-face, and put the global issues on the table, man-to-man, freely, and in front of the media and see whose solutions are better,” Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday.
His country has been the target of a series of U.N. sanctions, most recently in June, because of [...]

Inside Howard Zinn’s FBI File

by Clint   –   July 31, 2010

The FBI released 423 pages Friday from its secret file on Howard Zinn – a leading figure on the Progressive Left best known as the author of A People’s History of the United States. Zinn was actively involved in civil rights and anti-war movements until his death in January of this year.
In the files, Zinn [...]

Jezebel v. Jon Stewart

by Clint   –   July 18, 2010

Jon Stewart deftly wicks away antagonism. His skill with socially-conscious satire allows him to handle weighty political issues, while his status as a half-baked comedian frees him from being burdened by them. On the Progressive Left, he’s been all-but-beatified for embracing liberal values and acting as a counterweight to Fox News.
This is why there was [...]

5 Reasons the U.S. Will Lose in Afghanistan

by Clint   –   July 13, 2010

“You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia. But only slightly less well-known is this: Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!” – Vizzini, The Princess Bride.

“President Karzai is not an adequate strategic partner. [...]

Insurgent Math

by Clint   –   July 9, 2010

‘Insurgent Math’ is an arithmetic championed by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who was the commander of U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan before Obama impressed him into the American army of the unemployed.
‘Insurgent Math’ holds that, “for every innocent person you kill, you create 10 new enemies.” It is a foundational concept in the counter-insurgency doctrine that [...]