The following is adapted from Chapter 4 of the author’s book “Fear of a Microbial Planet: How a Germophobic Safety Culture Makes Us Less Safe.” When cholera broke out in London in the first half of the nineteenth century, experts were quick to place the blame on miasma—the accumulation of toxic gases and odors within the…
John Robson: When It Comes to Defence Procurement, the Feds Are Asleep at the Switch
Commentary Australia is building or buying 11 nuclear-powered submarines because of the looming threat of conflict with communist China. Whereas in Canada we’re still going “What’s conflict?” and “What’s communism?” and, within the Trudeau administration, “What’s China?” In democracies there’s always a mix of good news and bad on defence. The Australian says, “The Australian…
Let Parents Opt Out of Low-performing Schools
April 25, 2023
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Commentary Single mom Shinara Morrison discovered homeschooling by accident. When public schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself taking the lead on her child’s education to fill the gap. Morrison never withdrew her son, who was 7, from the public school system. But she supplemented his online instruction with custom coursework that blended…
Earth Day 2023: Utterly Bereft of Ideas
Commentary Earth Day fell on April 22—Lenin’s birthday, appropriately enough—so let us first recall the blessed memory of the official theme for Earth Day 2022: “Invest In Our PlanetTM.” “This is the moment to change it all — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. It’s going to take all…
Republican Voters Across Pennsylvania Are Much Less Wedded to Trump Than You Think
Commentary DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania—Richard Tems was about as loyal a Trump supporter as you can get. The Bucks County businessman and GOP committeeman has fiercely defended former President Donald Trump in editorials, interviews with reporters, and conversations with anyone within earshot. He voted for Trump twice and believed he was the right president at the right…
Real Patriots Cut Taxes, Not Raise Them
Commentary On Tax Day this year, about a dozen left-wing millionaires joined with some of the most liberal Democrats in Congress for a Washington, D.C., press conference. The luminaries included Abigail Disney, Walt Disney’s granddaughter, and former BlackRock whiz kid Morris Pearl. The group argued that it wants to pay more taxes and urged new…
‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Apps Contributing to Higher US Debt
Commentary With any looming recession, household debt is one of the clearest indicators of its severity. Unlike the 2008 crisis, household debt is mostly manageable this time, but the picture worsens as inflation remains high. A burgeoning but often overlooked source of household debt resides in “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) apps. These apps fall…
The Changing Rules of Building Wealth in the Technological Age
Commentary If you are under the age of 40, you likely are actively engaged in building a family and building a career. You are also actively engaged in building up enough wealth so that when you hit the back nine of your life, you can retire and enjoy it. I am in the back nine…
The SEC Has Declared War Against Digital Assets
Commentary The Financial Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives met last week to conduct an oversight hearing on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). While many topics were covered in this marathon session, by far the most important, and the impetus for the hearing, was a growing concern by both Republican and Democrat…
Politics Outweigh Competence for Many Voters
Commentary John Fetterman’s return to the U.S. Senate on April 17 after a two-month stay in hospital for depression (following a stroke last summer) brought back disputes concerning this figure’s competence. Having listened to Republican politicians complaining about Fetterman’s absence from his job, I must wonder about the genuineness of their concern. Fetterman will now…
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