Category Archives: Policy

Bush vs. Obama: Unemployment (August 2011 Jobs Data)

Posted on Friday, September 2, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Update: Click here for the most recent jobs statistics. As is customary on this site, on the first Friday of every month, I update the unemployment numbers so that I can compare the unemployment rate under President George W. Bush with the unemployment … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Finance and Economics, Media, Policy, Politics | Tagged President Bush, President Obama, Unemployment | 26 Comments

Bush vs. Obama: Housing Starts

Posted on Thursday, September 1, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Since comparisons between Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama appear to be very popular these days, I have added yet another chart to the mix. During the Bush’s second term, housing starts fell off a cliff. While they seem to have … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Finance and Economics, Policy, Politics, Taxes | Tagged Bush vs. Obama, Housing starts, President George W. Bush, President Obama | 1 Comment

Solyndra: Another One Bites the Dust

Posted on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

After receiving a $535 million loan from the federal government, and about $1 billion in venture capital financing, California-based manufacturer Solyndra suspended manufacturing operations today, and laid off 1,100 employees. It also announced its plans to file for bankruptcy protection. … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, California, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Policy, Politics, Solar, Taxes, Technology | Tagged CIGS, Evergreen Solar, Solar power, Solar PV, Solyndra | 5 Comments

Ron Paul’s “Galveston Model” for a New America

Posted on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 by Chris Ladd

After Ron Paul complained that the news media wasn’t taking him seriously, he seized an opportunity over the weekend to demonstrate exactly why that is. He went on a Hurricane Irene-inspired mini-rant, explaining that when it comes to disaster management, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Finance and Economics, Policy, Politics, Taxes | Tagged election 2012, galveston, Houston, hurricane, Ron Paul, Tea Party | 3 Comments

Proving Obama Is a Failed President

Posted on Monday, August 29, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Last week, Jonathan Alter at Bloomberg posed a tantalizing question: “you think Obama’s been a bad president? Prove it.” More specifically, he issues the following challenge to Obama-doubters: “Your mission, Jim (and readers named something else), should you decide to … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Defense, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Healthcare, International Security, Leadership, Media, Nuclear proliferation, Peak Oil, Policy, Politics, Unions, War | Tagged David Frum, Democrats, Failure, Jonathan Alter, Libya, Nuclear proliferation, President Obama, Republicans, Weapons of mass destruction, WMD | 16 Comments

Could Michele Bachmann Really Bring Back $2 Gasoline?

Posted on Sunday, August 28, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Earlier this month, Republican presidential hopeful Representative Michele Bachmann boldly declared, “Under President Bachmann you will see gasoline come down below $2 per gallon again…That will happen.” She suggested she could achieve this goal by allowing more aggressive U.S. oil … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Peak Oil, Policy, Politics, Taxes, Technology | Tagged ANWR, Gasoline, Michele Bachmann, Offshore drilling | 6 Comments

Why Is Jon Huntsman Running for President?

Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2011 by Chris Ladd

Jon Huntsman seems like a solid, reasonable guy with outstanding leadership credentials and a great head on his shoulders. He speaks like an adult. He has accomplished great things in both corporate life and public service, building an impressive resume … Continue reading →

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Posted in Leadership, Policy, Politics | Tagged GOP, Jon Huntsman, President, Republican | 7 Comments

Rising Inequality and Associative Mating

Posted on Friday, August 26, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

One theory I have dabbled with about rising inequality in the United States is related to the concept of natural selection. Smart people marry other smart people and have smart children. One might argue that this pattern has been constant … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Education, Finance and Economics, Mathematics, Policy, Politics | Tagged Asperger's Syndrome, Austism, Income inequality, Simon Baron-Cohen | 14 Comments

Leadership Is Not for the Lazy

Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

In 2003 or 2004, recently retired Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki held a breakfast for Harvard students who participated in MIT’s ROTC program and military veterans at the Kennedy School of Government. At the time, the situation in Iraq was at one of … Continue reading →

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Posted in Defense, Leadership, Policy, Politics, War | Tagged Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, General Eric Shinseki, General Petraeus, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Kursk, Leadership, von Manstein's Matrix | 3 Comments

Is the Libyan War Over? Not By a Long Shot

Posted on Sunday, August 21, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Al Jazeera reported today that Libyan opposition fighters just seized Tripoli’s Green Square and are celebrating a military victory over Qaddafi’s regime. Now that rebel forces appear to have defeated Qaddafi’s loyalists, the next hurdle will be avoiding further bloodshed amongst themselves.