Woody Allen and Honoring Only the "Unimpeachably Honorable"

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Tuesday March 04, 2014 · 8:31 AM PST

2014/03/04 · 08:31

Woody Allen recently received a Golden Globe lifetime achievement award for his work in films. Nick Kristof (citing allegations by his friends, the Farrow family, that Allen is a child molester) insists Mr. Allen's contributions to film shouldn't have been recognized -- because honors should only go to the "unimpeachably honorable." Kristof further claims (correctly, I believe) that, when awards go to those accused of heinous acts, it causes pain to their accusers and labels the accusers as liars or inconsequential.

StevenStrauss

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Thursday February 20, 2014 · 8:41 AM PST

2014/02/20 · 08:41

We seem to be heading towards an economic downturn equivalent to the Great Depression of the 1930s. This isn't a secret. The synthesis below is derived from: Lawrence Summers, Nouriel Roubini, Simon Johnson, Niall Ferguson, Paul Krugman to name just a few. This crisis is not happening quickly. It's more of a slow-motion train wreck -- Greece's crisis started in 2009. But that leaves a puzzle -- why is the American stock market not reacting to obvious warning signs?

StevenStrauss

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Wednesday February 19, 2014 · 8:06 AM PST

2014/02/19 · 08:06

"A republic, if you can keep it" Benjamin Franklin, when asked whether America would be a republic or a tyranny.

StevenStrauss

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Tuesday February 18, 2014 · 11:28 AM PST

2014/02/18 · 11:28

It's time for us to cut back on government and help the American people. -- Mitt Romney

StevenStrauss

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Monday February 17, 2014 · 8:21 AM PST

2014/02/17 · 08:21

Structural Reform in Europe is Key for the Euro's Survival

Germany has received scathing criticism from many experts for its approach to resolving the euro crisis. Germany has been trying to: limit/reduce government budget deficits and promote large-scale structural reform (e.g., improved international competitiveness in the European periphery, create a central authority to manage Europe-wide finances with real enforcement powers against national governments, etc).

StevenStrauss

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Monday February 17, 2014 · 8:19 AM PST

2014/02/17 · 08:19

"We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters." ~ Peter Thiel, Founders Fund website

We live in an age of rapid change. Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter and many other innovators have changed how we work, communicate and live. But is this a new industrial revolution?

StevenStrauss

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Sunday February 16, 2014 · 6:18 AM PST

2014/02/16 · 06:18

But They Shouldn't Be Rewarded for Failure

Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu recently withdrew from a conference because former Prime Minister Blair was also a speaker (and, unlike Tutu, receiving a lucrative fee). Citing the suffering caused by the Second Iraq War, Tutu called for the prosecution of Blair, former President Bush and other leaders as war criminals:

StevenStrauss

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Saturday February 15, 2014 · 8:18 AM PST

2014/02/15 · 08:18

The dangers to Israel's existence, from a nuclear-armed Iran, are real. Equally real are the dangers of a pre-emptive military attack on Iran. Perhaps the greatest danger to Israel, however, is Prime Minister Netanyahu.

StevenStrauss

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Friday February 14, 2014 · 10:18 AM PST

2014/02/14 · 10:18

Welcome to the world of dysfunctional Belief Communities.

"Americans ... values and basic beliefs are more polarized along partisan lines than at any point in the past 25 years." (Pew Research)

Pundits bemoan this polarization, and await a leader who'll cut the Gordian knot of gridlock politics to deliver us to a bi-partisan nirvana. The pundits will have a long wait.

StevenStrauss

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Thursday February 13, 2014 · 12:18 PM PST

2014/02/13 · 12:18

Welcome to the Great Convergence -- The Developing World is Converging to Developed Country GDP Per Capita Levels -- The Alternative Would Be Worse(1)

StevenStrauss

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Wednesday February 12, 2014 · 12:18 PM PST

2014/02/12 · 12:18

Perhaps we should stop complaining about the lack of inspiring leaders, and instead take a long look in the mirror.

StevenStrauss

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Tuesday February 11, 2014 · 7:31 AM PST

2014/02/11 · 07:31

According to David Brooks in his op-ed "The Edamame Economy" (all quotations are from the Brooks piece unless otherwise indicated), we've shifted from "the lima bean economy to the edamame economy." Brooks views this shift as a cause for celebration, because the edamame economy makes us "significantly better off." However, the edamame economy is (at least in part) a synonym for conspicuous consumption, and its growth a consequence of rising income inequality.

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Woody Allen and Honoring Only the "Unimpeachably Honorable"

Euro Crisis: If We're Heading Towards a 1930s-Style Depression -- Why Is the Stock Market So Bullish

America: Drifting Towards the End of the Republic, With an Entertained Citizenry

Will Cutting Back on Government Help the American People?

Euro Crisis: The German Approach Is at Least Partially Correct

Is Social Media Revolutionary?

Bush and Blair Aren't Guilty of War Crimes in Iraq

Bibi, Be Quiet -- You're Undermining U.S. Support for Israel

Six Reasons American Political Polarization Will Only Get Worse

Megatrend: China's GDP Will Exceed U.S. GDP in the 21st Century -- Deal With It

In a Democracy, We Deserve the Leaders We Elect

The Edamame Economy is the Result of Income Inequality