| The Kensington Review |
18 January 2006 |
| Latest Commentary: | Volume V, Number 8 |
|
SCOTUS Upholds Oregon’s Euthanasia Law -- The Supreme Court of the United States has upheld the right of terminally-ill residents of the state of Oregon to depart this life with dignity and without pain. In a 6-3 decision, the court decided that states, not the federal government, have the right to set their own rules on this issue. Not bad for a court that decided 5-4 that Florida didn’t have the right to count its own ballots in its own way in 2000.
Chile’s New President is a Single Mother -- Those interested in the piffling trivia that sometimes intrudes on the study of history were pleased to note that Chile has elected a woman, Michelle Bachelet, as its president. For the first time since independence in 1810, the top man is the country isn’t a man. Those who think that is a big deal have missed the point. Here is a popularly elected socialist welcomed by Washington as well as her own people, and the army is staying in its barracks. SEC Pushes Fuller Disclosure of Executive Pay -- The Security and Exchange Commission voted 5-0 to require greater transparency from public companies in the area of executive pay. The rules are now open for public comment, and the final SEC vote is expected by year’s end. This is a win for shareholders. Chinese Map Claim Says Zheng He Discovered America -- Chinese lawyer and art collector Liu Gang bought an 18th century map of the Americas back in 2001, which is purported to be a copy of a 1418 map. After reading Gavin Menzies’ bestseller 1421: the Year China Discovered America, he said at a news conference last week, “This map embodies information I believe will help us understand Zheng He’s seventh voyage. The map shows us the Chinese explorer has been to America years before Columbus. The map also shows us the Chinese understanding of the entire world.” Maybe, but a Chinese discovery of America? No. © Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux. |
|