McCAFFREY: Singapore’s Capitalist ‘Socialists’

Kathleen McCaffrey, Editor

Singapore was led to prosperity by the capitalist “socialists” in the People’s Action Party (PAP). Now that the PAP have been hotly contested, McCaffrey fears that the weaknesses of publicly-owned government will weaken Singapore.

McCAFFREY: Cause and Concern in Wisconsin

Since Wisconsin became the first state to grant public employees the right to bargain collectively, a telling comparison can be made: while the unionized private-sector has decreased from roughly thirty percent of their workforce in the 1960s to roughly seven percent today, unions of employees in the public-sector have maintained a share of roughly forty percent. In the past two years, public-sector unions have been scrutinized on the national stage for abusing their bargaining rights and contributing to the fiscal disarray of many states. It is reasonable to wonder how these types of unions have come to thrive when their private-sector counterparts have not.

McCAFFREY: Too Competent for RNC Taste

Ambrose Bierce defines politics as “a strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.” The last two decades of politics have seen a bloated budget, crazed spending, diplomatic crises, a total change of hands in Washington, and … lots of politicians. The names have changed, but the expanding structure of our War on Drugs-ing, healthcare-reforming policies from bureaucrats on Capitol Hill have stayed very much the same. In recent history, the government has consistently spent far more than it has taken in. The far left and the far right both find common ground in a principle that allows for the government to legislate away too many tax dollars on pet issues. The only debates seem to circulate around which issue gets priority in the hemorrhaging of tax dollars.

McCAFFREY: A Modester Proposal

Since the 1980s, when one third of their population fell below the poverty line, the nation of Ireland has seen tremendous growth. This is a testament to the glory of a nation of people who had been purged of autonomy for hundreds of years. In fact, Ireland was one of the richest countries in the world in 2006. Maybe that had something to do with a fifth of the workforce employed to build houses; or that rents had fallen to less than one percent of the purchase price; or that in ten years lending to construction had risen from eight percent of Irish lending to twenty-eight percent. Really, though, it just seems like the Irish were destined for prosperity. Finally, after years of turmoil, the Irish had had financial greatness thrust upon them!

McCAFFREY: The World is Wired

Kathleen McCaffrey, Editor

For some, the Egyptian riots have been a wake-up call to recognize poor steps in US foreign policy. The cries for freedom by the youth of Egypt have given them hope that freedom will materialize despite years of living under a perverted version. That would be nice, and I wish it would happen.

McCAFFREY: Bubbles in the Quad

Peter Thiel has been making a splash lately by calling higher education “the next bubble” and claiming that “University administrators are the equivalent of subprime mortgage brokers, selling you a story that you should go into debt massively, that it’s not a consumption decision, it’s an investment decision. Actually, no, it’s a bad consumption decision. Most colleges are four-year parties.” And recent study from professors at NYU and UVA may have corroborated this theory.

McCAFFREY: Coolidge Rolls in His Grave

Kathleen McCaffrey, Editor

Since when has “public servant” become “public master”? Exploring parallels between 1919 and the recent blizzard in New York that has left taxpayers outraged.

McCAFFREY: Government Progress Seen on Site of ‘Freedom’

Today, I’m in the Financial District of New York, recovering from my Black Friday and Thursday’s delicious Thanksgiving meal. Sitting blocks away from Ground Zero is always a sobering reminder of how our world has changed in the past few years. While I generally think this in terms of threats of terrorism, walking by the lunch hour at the construction site for the future Freedom Tower reminded me of another way our country has changed…

McCAFFREY: Acknowledge Problem

Election season has always brought with it a pleasant way of making me think about what I want to have. Campaign public relations are about marketing ideas to “your voice” and propping up traits that certain candidates allegedly hold. The practice is corny, but the idea is to vest your hopes that someone will bring your values to the legislature. This year, though, maybe because I am living far closer to the infamous political machine in Albany, NY than ever before, I have had an odd sadness come upon me at the thought of elections.

McCAFFREY: What We Have Come From

Kathleen McCaffrey, Editor
As of late, it has been hard to read a newspaper without mention of the movement for “equality” in regard to the treatment of homosexuals. Many of my friends who identify as being gay or bisexual have been incredibly outspoken about how they feel like second-class citizens for not being able to join the military or marry someone they love. The recent homosexual teen suicides have only augmented this fervor and brought the conversation about the way they are treated to the national stage.