Written by Matt Fay | 11 September 2008

9/11+ 7

By: Matt Fay


It is hard to believe that it has been seven years since that fateful Tuesday morning. In some ways it seems like just yesterday, in others, a lifetime ago. It would be hard for anyone not to remember where they were or what they were doing when the Twin Towers collapsed. There were acts of heroism and bravery that most could not fathom - the FDNY rushing into the towers to evacuate survivors before the collapse, the passengers of United flight 93 taking the plane down before it could be crashed into yet another building. The political establishment even seemed to step up their game at a time when the country needed them most. Today, seven years later, there will be many remembrances - those by family of the victims, firefighters and police who were there or lost friends, and many others too numerous to name.


A few months ago I came across a transcript of President George W. Bush's speech to a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001. Reading it brought a flood of memories rushing back. Coming from a man who has made a living mangling the English language (as well as the Constitution), this was an inspiring, uplifting speech. It came across as heartfelt in a day and age when even those most heartfelt speeches come across as schlock from the worst Hollywood hack. More than that, it was exactly what the country needed at the time.

Written by Matt Fay | 04 September 2008

"Country First?"

America's political elite and its bipartisan foreign policy

By: Matt Fay

It is the theme of this year's Republican National Convention emanating from St. Paul, Minnesota. But are either parties, or their respective nominees, really putting their country first? John McCain likes to juxtapose himself as a Captain America-esque figure compared to Barack Obama's "Citizen of the World" shtick. But what are the differences between the two in the realm of foreign policy? How are they putting their own country's interests - the people they represent - above those of special interests and foreign lobbyists? Does rhetoric about "Change" mean anything when it comes to putting the American people first? Or is it merely a catchy slogan meaning anything other than Bush? Here are just a few examples of what George Bush, John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and the rest of America's governing elite actually mean when they say Country First.

Written by M. Harrison | 25 August 2008

Little Green Reasoning

Five Points on Environmentalism

M. Harrison 

Written by Matt Fay | 21 August 2008

A “War on Terror” Reading List

Books for a better understanding of the War on Terror

By: Matt Fay

I cannot take credit for compiling this list on my own. Several of the titles listed below I took directly from the reading list that Ron Paul offered to Rudy Guiliani after the South Carolina Republican debate. This list, though, does expand slightly on Dr. Paul’s list. I also grouped together several books that were written by the same authors.

There is a wide variety of titles available right now covering the subject of terrorism – Islamic terrorism in particular, and it is, undoubtedly, a genre that will continue to grow. These are just several books that get deeply and – I believe – accurately into the Who, What, Where, Why, and How of international terrorism.

Written by M. Harrison & Justin Hartfield | 10 August 2008

Ten Reasons Why America's Public Schools Are Like America's Prisons
J. Hartfield / M. Harrison

 

 

1. Both are compulsory. Obviously, prisons are designed to be compulsory punishment. Yet public schools, especially for poor kids, can also be de facto imprisonment. As schooling is required by law, and parents are often geographically, financially, or in some other way limited to their local public school, students end up being forced by law into the dictated state-run institution. It is worth mention that vouchers, which PI happens to support, would free parents and students from the lack of choice in schools.