The Desperation of Keynesianism

By Guest Blogger Ryan Berg

Shortly after Barack Obama became President, his first legislative victory was passage of a nearly $1 trillion stimulus package with various infrastructure projects, state aid, and pork-barrel projects.  Senators McCain and Coburn have come up with a list of 100 particularly egregious spending projects in the stimulus package—my personal favorites being money for:

• Improved methods to predict the weather on other planets
• The emotional response of monkeys to inequality
• $700,000 for Northwestern University researchers to develop “machine generated humor” (finally a reliable joke machine!).

Leo Strauss and the Basis of Our Political Understanding

From Guest Blogger Ryan Berg

I posted recently about ancient political philosophy and its relevance in the debate raging about “fairness” in the Bush tax cuts.  An article about Leo Strauss, renowned University of Chicago political theorist, in the Wall Street Journal stroked my curiosity on this topic.  The article chronicles recent attempts to catalogue Strauss’ lectures, his relationship with his students, and his love of political philosophy.  This is a refreshing view, given that most people specialize, in school and otherwise, in current events.  However, enthusiasm for current affairs can be as narrowing as it can be invigorating.

Strauss Lectures Online

Brian Bolduc has a great article in today’s Wall Street Journal about the lectures of Leo Strauss being posted online.

“Fairness” and the Bush Tax Cuts — An Appeal to Political Philosophy

By Guest Blogger Ryan Berg

Yesterday, I posted on the policy-side of the Bush tax cuts.  Today, let’s examine the philosophical issues involved with them—to wit, the idea of “fairness” and what constitutes the government’s definition of “rich.”

Policy Implications of Ending the Bush Tax Cuts

By Guest Blogger Ryan Berg

A debate is currently raging between Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.  No, it is not financial regulation or healthcare reform—these debates seem ancient now, given the haste with which President Obama and Congressional Democrats are implementing their agenda.  This debate surrounds the expiring Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003.

Introducing Guest Blogger Ryan Berg

Dear Readers,

For quite some time, I’ve promised you a guest blogger. Please welcome Ryan Berg as a guest writer to Capitolism. You can read his bio below, and we’ll post his first pieces in the coming days. I’m excited to have him on board, and think you’ll enjoy what he has to say.

Ryan Berg graduated recently from Georgetown University, where he majored in Government and Theology; he is currently a graduate student at Oxford University.  Ryan’s academic and intellectual interests include American Government, International Relations, and especially Political Theory, and the tension, perceived or otherwise, between faith and reason in Theology.  When not pretending to think profound thoughts, Ryan can be found enjoying arenas beyond “the life of the mind” by playing hockey, running, writing speeches for various political candidates, or just generally being “a kaleidoscopic man, a man of many different humors, fair and colorful as the city itself” (Plato’s Republic, Book VIII). Ryan is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Karnani on CSR

Aneel Karnani writes in today’s Wall Street Journal on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Excellent piece.