David P. Goldman

Here’s a paradox for Obama supporters: The first American president with personal roots in the developing world (Kenyan father, Indonesian stepfather, childhood residence in Indonesia) is doing more harm to the developing world than any American in history. This is clear from a just-released . . . . Continue Reading »

Win some, lose some: The Daily Mail today reports that Lindsay Lohan proposes to convert to Judaism. According to Ha’aretz this morning, Actress Lindsay Lohan is planning to convert to Judaism to show her committment to her Jewish girlfriend D.J. Samantha Ronson, according to the British . . . . Continue Reading »

Ukraine is the financial basket case of the day. Bloomberg News reports this morning: S&P cut Ukraine’s credit rating by two levels last week to CCC+, seven below investment grade and the lowest in Europe. S&P also cut Latvia to below investment grade. Investors demand a record 28.1 . . . . Continue Reading »

When the smartest Republican governor, Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal, sounds dumb in responding to the administration’s economic plan, something is drastically wrong. On the face of it the Obama plan is the most easily ridiculed policy vehicle to stumble down Pennsylvania Avenue since Gerald . . . . Continue Reading »

The Italian Jewish community is divided over relations with Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church, reports the veteran Vatican-watcher Sandro Magister at his website . In a January 14 post I reported on the Italian rabbis’ decision to boycott the annual Catholic-Jewish relations day scheduled . . . . Continue Reading »

Edgar Allan Poe’s bicentennial birthday passed unremarked by this publication January 19. For the most part I considered Poe useful mainly as a horrible example of how not to write. Every so often, though, something characteristic took shape in his odd imagination. One of his lesser-known . . . . Continue Reading »

The Italian Rabbinate has declined to participate in the Italian Catholic Church’s annual Day of Judaism, held every January 17 since 1990 to further Catholic—Jewish dialogue, in protest against the prayer ” Pro Judaeis ” for the conversion of the Jews, included in the newly . . . . Continue Reading »

Masab Youssef, the 30-year-old son of a top Hamas operative in the West Bank, spoke to Ha’aretz today about his conversion to Christianity, his respect for Israel, and his conviction that political organizations guided by Islam never will make peace with the Jewish State. Masab’s . . . . Continue Reading »

La Stampa’s Asia editor Francesco Sisci offers a contrarian vision of a ” Catholic ‘Destiny’ in China ” on the newspaper’s blog today, predicting an early rapprochement between the Vatican and the Chinese government. China already has 130 million Christians, . . . . Continue Reading »

Pope Benedict XVI’s emphasize on the evangelical mission of the Catholic Church alarms the Muslim side of interreligious dialogue, Sandro Magister reports at chiesa.com . Magdi Cristiano Allam’s baptism by the Pope at the Easter Vigil caused consternation in the Islamic world, as well . . . . Continue Reading »