The Outstater
The Somali Perspective MANA ABDI, a state representative in Maine, says that moving to America from Somalia was a “boot camp” and she abhorred the housing provided her. “They first put me in Kansas of all places,” she says. Other Somali leaders have made similarly disparaging comments, making clear that they prefer what they consider Read the full article…
McGowan: Social Justice
Richard J. McGowan 773 words A widely used phrase in newspapers and on campuses across America, including the one where I taught, is ‘social justice.’ In fact, my school implemented a committee to design a required, social justice component for students. Was that smart? The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy says that “Western philosophers generally regard Read the full article…
Franke: Family Farms or Agribusiness?
by Mark Franke There used to be an economic-outlook panel from the IU School of Business that would travel the state to give advice on the state of Indiana’s economy. I attended enough of those during my professional career that, while the presentations were interesting, they soon got relegated to the dustier recesses of my Read the full article…
Outstater
Because We Live Here . . . INDEPENDENTLY, a friend and I like to design thought experiments to test public-policy conception. He, an economist with a construction background, is working on one that challenges the “affordable” housing narrative. I am working on a model for crime-plagued retail. The friend’s idea is that affordable housing is Read the full article…
Franke: Hagiography or Iconoclasm?
by Mark Franke Someone, and I wish I could remember who, said culture was the telling to ourselves stories about ourselves. OK, but what if we have conflicting stories to tell? The assumption behind all this is that the stories are at least partially true, if not in every detail then at least in the Read the full article…
The Outstater
Islamists, Welcome? “Islamism is a totalitarian ideology that seeks to impose a rigid, theocratic order, incompatible with the pluralistic values of Western civilization.” — Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Somali-born author and activist for women’s rights. THE DEGRADING EFFECTS are inarguable in a half dozen U.S. cities, not to mention in the great cultural centers of Great Britain and Europe. So why are Read the full article…
