Monthly Archives: February 2008

Bill Buckley, RIP Tibor R. Machan William F. Buckley, Jr., has died, at age 82. I want to reflect a bit onhim because he was the persons whose writing awoke in me my politicalpassions. In 1960 or 61 I was … Continue reading →

Unabashed Prejudice at The Times Tibor R. MachanThese matters tend to show up without much fanfare but that’s exactly whatmakes them interesting and significant. When Eleanor Randolph of The NewYork Times wrote these lines [Sunday, 2/24/08], I am sure she … Continue reading →

Kosovo and SecessionTibor R. MachanReportedly the Russian government opposes Kosovo’s secession from Serbia,as expected, because it fears the move would fuel Chechnya’s similar goalsvis-à-vis Russia. Is Kosovo’s secessionist endeavor perhaps even similarto what those in the American South had attempted … Continue reading →

Employment Blues Revisited Tibor R. Machan Even though making lots of money is often derided by politicians, they doroutinely champion employment security. Exactly why it is fine to want thelatter but not the former is quite unclear to me. There … Continue reading →

Might’ve Guessed: Grisham likes Hillary Tibor R. Machan Of the very few John Grisham legal thrillers I have read, the only one Iliked was The Firm. It was also a pretty decent movie, made good mostly byGene Hackman’s character and … Continue reading →

It Isn’t Throwing it AwayTibor R. MachanOver the years, since when I voted for Barry Goldwater back in 1964, Ihave supported libertarian candidates and ballot measures, few of whom orwhich had any chance of winning. Often my more pragmatic, realisticfriends … Continue reading →

Americans Don’t Much Care About Freedom Tibor R. Machan Ever since I have been an American citizen–starting 1961–I have noticedthat after elections losers often blame winners for distortions,misrepresentations, and so forth. Few of the losers say, “Well, I lostbecause the … Continue reading →

Naiveté at Business WeekTibor R. MachanWhy do some reporters never manage to become educated in the areas theycover? Consider, for example, a recent piece in Business Week, “Food Fightover Calorie Counts” (2/11/08). The fight is supposed to be between public … Continue reading →

The Scam of Shared ProsperityTibor R. MachanWhen I was about 12 years old, I was taking a class in my Hungarianelementary school on Marxist economics. One day we were being told aboutMarx’s famous goal for the communist paradise he envisioned … Continue reading →

Why Altruism is ProminentTibor R. MachanThe most popular ethical viewpoint clearly seems to be altruism. What doesaltruism amount to? As one philosopher, W. G. Maclagan, put it in anarticle in The Philosophical Quarterly several years ago, “‘Altruism’ [is]assuming a duty … Continue reading →