Red- and blue-state America was already divided before the coronavirus epidemic hit. Globalization had enriched the East Coast and West Coast corridors but hollowed out much in between. The traditional values of small towns and rural counties were increasingly at odds with postmodern lifestyles in the cities. There were, of course, traditionalists in blue states. And lots of progressives live in red states. But people increasingly self-segregate to where they feel at home and where politics, jobs and culture reflect their tastes. The ensuing left/right, liberal/conservative, Democrat/Republican divide not only intensified in the 21st century, it also took on a…

When the Dodd Frank Act was passed in 2010, President Obama triumphantly declared, “No more bailouts!” But what the Act actually said was that the next time the banks failed, they would be subject to “bail ins” – the funds of their creditors, including their large depositors, would be tapped to cover their bad loans. Then bail-ins were tried in Europe. The results were disastrous. Many economists in the US and Europe argued that the next time the banks failed, they should be nationalized – taken over by the government as public utilities. But that opportunity was lost when, in September 2019…

Tighter U.S. border security to stop the spread of the coronavirus has led to a decrease in illegal immigration, including along the northern border with Canada. Like the U.S., Canada has also put in place the policy of turning migrants back immediately, according to the Associated Press (AP): Five Mexican citizens apprehended this week after illegally entering the United States in remote northern Maine were returned to Canada within hours under a rule put into place as part of the U.S. government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the restrictions haven’t ended illegal immigration into the United States from Canada, the emergency policy has…

No one wants to be a loser. In the sports world, some players and fans take losing so seriously that they resort to violence. The same attitude colors our approach to international relations, especially war. During the Vietnam War, many, including Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and President Lyndon Johnson, knew we were unable to win the conflict, yet they lacked the courage to admit they had lost. They prolonged the war because no one wanted to "cut and run." When Richard Nixon ran for president in 1968, he claimed to have a plan to get us out of the war. He would bring "peace…

Noam Chomsky has accurately described Joe Biden as “an empty vessel.” Indeed, it’s hard to think of a presidential candidate who has a less clearly defined ideological and policy profile than Biden. In his decades in politics, he’s been the consummate chameleon, quick to take on the coloration of the political moment. He initially ran for the Senate in 1972 as something of a New Deal Democrat, in the high tide of opposition to Nixon. That original Biden was a proud union supporter and talked about the need to tax the rich and big corporations. As the Democrats moved to the right…