Essays


  • Moss: Armageddon for Red China

    by Richard Moss, M.D. The Chinese Virus, also known as Covid19 or the novel corona virus (highly bigoted against the producers of Corona beer, which is made in Mexico), is treated like no other illness in the history of the planet. It has caused enormous damage to the nation as much from government reaction to it as the medical consequences of the disease itself. It was also completely preventable. The virus emerged from Wuhan, China…

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  • Franke: George Will and Conservative Sensibility

    by Mark Franke I don’t know what to make of George Will anymore. Having enlisted in the Never Trump brigade, he acts the part of MSNBC’s domesticated conservative. But is he still a conservative? Yes, he is. Will’s “The Conservative Sensibility” (Hachette Books 2019, 600 pages, $16 hardcover through Amazon) is defense exhibit number one, no additional evidence required. This may be the most important book I’ve read in the past several years. Through its…

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  • Half Past the Month

    BEING IN THE AGE GROUP shown in daily charts and graphs as the most vulnerable to the Wuhan virus, a wordsmith friend is trying to decide whether he is the flotsam of this pandemic or the jetsam. Whichever, he is coming to realize that his group is that which the other age categories are content to cut loose, to leave to their own devices, letting the COVID-19 chips fall where they may so they can return to…

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  • Pickerill: A Government in the Way

    by John Pickerill U.S. government bureaucracy prevented the private sector from containing the coronavirus in America. And now, governments in the U.S. are attempting to clean up the mistake by violating our civil rights and economic freedom. South Korea has proven a pandemic can be contained without these totalitarian measures. According to World Health Organization data, South Korea and the U.S. both reported their first case of coronavirus about the same time, Jan. 20 and Jan.…

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  • Schansberg: The ‘Progressives’

    by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. In his book, “Profiles in Corruption,” Peter Schweizer documents abuses of power among key national Democratic politicians. He calls them “progressives,” but the targets also include those who are generally considered “moderate” among those on the Left. Even so, his focus is motivated by their common desire to greatly expand the size and scope of government. Of course, all of this is meant to improve the world, at least as long as…

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  • Morris: Thoreau Quarantined

    by Leo Morris Finally, I understand why Thoreau was such a contented man in his little cabin at Walden Pond. He had made himself safe from the deadly scourge of a virus attack. I do wonder how Henry David would handle COVID-19 and the resulting social distancing and near-mandatory self-quarantining. Would he still be delighted in the hypnotic tap dancing of a rainstorm, the skittering of woodland creatures in the night, the soft moan of…

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  • Van Cott: The Myth of Marketplace Chaos

    Editor’s Note: Although Indiana’s price-gouging law refers only to the price of gas during a state of emergency, Gov. Eric Holcomb, reacting to reports of high prices for certain items in high demand during the Chinese coronavirus epidemic, is urging citizens to file a complaint with the attorney general about unexpected price increases. We think the author has a more informed perspective. by Norman Van Cott, Ph.D. Buyers and sellers have conflicting objectives. Buyers want low…

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  • Backgrounder: City Business as Usual?

    by Jason Arp Recently, our city council had its first somewhat regular meeting since the beginning of the great coronavirus panic. Something that night struck me as odd. The schools have been closed. Restaurants, bars and entertainment venues have been shuttered. All “non-essential” businesses such as hair salons and music shops have been closed. Landlords are being told they can’t evict for non-payment of rent. These draconian actions are and will continue to have drastic…

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  • Schansberg: The Co-Morbidity of Debt, ‘Stimulus’

    by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. COVID-19 is causing all kinds of trouble — for physical, mental and economic health. Policy-makers are trying to limit the pandemic’s spread while dealing with its implications for individuals, companies, and the economy.  For individuals, Congress and President Trump have chosen a dual approach. They’re mailing checks to everybody, and there’s assistance for those who have lost their jobs — an expanded form of unemployment insurance.  With assistance, there is a general…

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  • The Outstater: Saving ‘Journalism’

    A FRIEND PASSES ALONG a heartfelt plea from the editor of my city’s corporate newspaper. The editor is asking us, with information on the Wuhan flu being so critical, to pay for a digital subscription and thereby help “save journalism.” The friend was inclined to respond favorably. First, though, he wanted to think a bit about what sort of “journalism” he might be saving. It would be the sort described by Dr. Marvin Olasky in…

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