Joseph Bottum

Earlier this month, Paul Krugman took to the pages of the New York Times Sunday magazine to urge the building of a “Green Economy.” Along the way, he wrote this: Finally and most important is the matter of uncertainty. We’re uncertain about the magnitude of climate change, which is . . . . Continue Reading »

An interesting point from Simon Jenkins, in ” Volcanic Ash is the New Swine Flu Panic “: The truth is that putting large, heavy bits of metal into the air is just too much for the psyche of modern regulators. They panic. The slightest risk cannot be taken or someone might blame the . . . . Continue Reading »

From the end of a New Yorker tidbit about the Catholic scandals : “Our largely democratic, secularist, liberal, pluralist modern world, against which the Church has so often set its face, turns out to be its best teacher.” A friend writes to say: A trifle 9/10 in tone, isn’t it? . . . . Continue Reading »

You see? We aren’t the only ones to think the president is messing up the space program. “Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides,” the astronaut corps writes Obama , “the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to . . . . Continue Reading »

Um, David, when I said “enough already,” I meant, like, enough, already. Let it go. . . . . Continue Reading »

I’ve liked John Podhoretz ever since, years ago, he called to introduce himself and ask me to write something for him”on Thomas Mann’s novels, as it happens. I very gratefully learned, as much as I was able, to write literary reviews by churning them out for him while he was at the Weekly Standard… . Continue Reading »

I’ve liked John Podhoretz ever since, years ago, he called to introduce himself and ask me to write something for him—on Thomas Mann’s novels, as it happens. I very gratefully learned, as much as I was able, to write literary reviews by churning them out for him while he was at the . . . . Continue Reading »

Last week, I worried a little , like a puppy with a bone too big for him, at the indictments that followed the horrifying Massachusetts suicide and bullying incident . That dismayed some of our readers, who pointed out—quite rightly—that there will real crimes committed before the . . . . Continue Reading »

My first reaction to the breaking story of Fr. Maciel’s money is one of today’s On the Square notes . . . . . Continue Reading »

One of the keys to Fr. Maciel’s influence was money, and after the revelations of his sexual misbehavior, those who’ve been less than trusting of the Legion have long been waiting for the other shoe”the news of dubious financial dealings”to drop… . Continue Reading »