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Latest Commentary:
Congressional Budget Offices Says Social Security Runs a Surplus Till 2020 -- The cornerstone of the second Bush administration’s domestic policy is Social Security change. Insisting that the system is “on the road to bankruptcy,” the president wants to change the law to permit some of the payroll tax younger workers pay into the system to be diverted to Wall Street portfolios. And there is no denying that as America gets greyer, the system will face financial stress. But the Congressional Budget Office, one of a few unbiased sources left in Washington, just released data showing the system will run a surplus until 2020. So the question is, “what crisis?” Bill Clinton Named Tsumani Tsar -- Being a former American president is a tough role to undertake. After having been the most powerful man in the world, there aren’t many jobs that measure up. Mr. Nixon wasn’t wanted around after August 9, 1974 (if he were wanted before that). Mr. Ford was out at 64 and took up golf, and at 91 is still alive – proving that he wasn’t so foolish after all. Mr. Reagan was old enough, and sick enough, not to have to consider what to do. Mr. Bush the Elder got into the “grandkid” business. James Earl Carter became a national treasure with his charitable acts, a better ex-president than president. And now, Bill Clinton has found a job – the UN has appointed him Special Envoy for Tsunami relief. French Vintners Get Small Financial Package from Government -- A lot of French winemakers are in financial trouble. They have fallen behind the US, Chile and Australia in volumes exported, and those who know don’t think the quality makes up for that. Worse, Frenchmen themselves are drinking less – the current 50 liters a year per capita is less than half what it was in the 1960s. So, the government has stepped in with an aid package of €70 million. With around 220,000 winemakers, this won’t fix much. Many US High School Kids Oppose First Amendment Freedoms -- An amusing and disturbing report hit the newspapers this week in which researchers noted a substantial minority of US high school students oppose the broad freedoms enumerated in the First Amendment to the constitution. Hodding Carter, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation which sponsored the $1 million survey, said, "These results are not only disturbing, they are dangerous." But they shouldn’t be surprising. © Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review , J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.
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