The Kensington Review

6 December 2004

Latest Commentary:

Heimatschutzministerium Gives Anti-Terrorist Aid to States and Cities by Population -- As his departing act of intellectual laziness and inefficiency, Secretary for Homeland Security (Heimatschutzminister in more appropriate sounding German) Tom Ridge decided to hand out $2.6 billion in grants to states and cities for anti-terrorist efforts. That much is laudable, but in awarding the inadequate sums based on population, he has squandered the money. At first blush, it sounds fair, but in reality, he has merely said that all citizens should have the same amount spent for their protection rather than spending on those most at risk.

Ukrainian Supreme Court Takes Yushchenko’s Side -- It’s never a good thing when the courts get involved in electoral activities. Yet, in the case of the recent Ukrainian fraud that posed as an election, an appeal to the nation’s Supreme Court was the best possible chance for a resolution. After several days of deliberating, while the country stood on the edge of chaos, the judges decided that opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko’s position, that the second round only needed to be re-run, was correct. And they set a December 26 deadline. But what makes anyone think a second ballot will be any better than the first?

Brown Offers UK Voters a Generous Pre-Election Bribe -- Gordon Brown has served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer for long enough to know better. While being in charge at the Treasury means telling all the other departments “No,” it is a critical function in any democracy to keep the lid on public spending. Yet, chancellors are politicians, and playing Santa wins more votes than playing the Grinch. Mr. Brown’s latest is nothing short of a bribe his government can’t afford, and his credibility will suffer accordingly.

Baseball’s Drug Scandal Misses the Point -- The Kensington Review does not approve of drug use without the direction of a medical professional or at very least some cognizance of what the substance does when ingested. That includes caffeine, alcohol and nicotine as well as Viagra, Lipitor and Zoloft. At the same time, no one should prohibit the same as the social costs of prohibition outweigh the health benefits. So, the recent tizzy about steroid use by baseball stars is a disgusting and laughable, holier-than-thou snit that mises the one important fact in the case.



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© Copyright 2004 by The Kensington Review , J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.