The Kensington Review

10 November 2006

Latest Commentary: Volume V, Number 133
Rumsfeld Quits, Replaced by Iran-Contra Figure -- The American Secretary of Defense, Field Marshal Donald von Rumsfeld, either resigned or was sacked on Wednesday, the verb depending on who tells the story. While he should have been out months, if not years ago, his departure is not enough. The war in Iraq-Nam continues, and his replacement, former CIA boss Robert Gates, comes with no small amount of baggage, not least of which is involvement in the arms-for-hostages affair known as Iran-Contra. Still, this is progress, even if the friends of the president’s dad are bailing out the scion of privilege, again.

Rumsfeld’s Ouster Offers Blair Room to Breathe -- The departure of Field Marshal Donald von Rumsfeld from the top office in the Pentagon (the world’s biggest office building) affects more than just the US. This repudiation of a failed policy, for it is nothing less, means that America’s allies in Iraq-Nam and elsewhere, will have to adapt to a new approach in Washington. As they tailor their responses, they may make changes, too. For Prime Minister Tony Blair, this is a golden opportunity to save his legacy.

Bank of England Raises Rates Again -- The Bank of England raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 5% yesterday. This is the highest UK rates have been since 2001, and analysts believe there’s a good chance of the BoE hiking rates again in February. The BoE is worried, like all central bankers, about inflation. Coming on the heels of local tax hikes and rising energy costs, one wonders if the cure isn’t worse than the threatened disease.

Harvard Study Shows Kids Prefer Lucky to Unlucky Characters -- A rather interesting Harvard study in Psychological Science suggests that children have an innate preference for lucky kids rather than unlucky children. At first blush, one’s response is, “No Kidding? That’s the kind of thing that makes me want to send my child to Stanford.” Yet, on further reflection, the experiment has rather broad implications.

© 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.

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