http://newworldman.org open societies, open markets, and open source Sun, 19 Mar 2006 22:25:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This is a great interview with Kanan Makiya on Iraq. Kanan Makiya: I’ve reached a point where I don’t even bother to reply to such critics. They are just not serious people any more; they are expressions of failure, inactivity, and irresponsibility, rather than critics of substance and with serious ideas. ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2006/03/19/kanan-makiya-speaks-up-on-iraq/ The Economist has printed a pair of striking articles to accompany its striking cover predicting a drop in global housing prices. In typical dry British humour the leader, notes “Houses cannot be sold as quickly as shares, making a price crash less likely. It is true that house prices ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2005/06/21/the-global-housing-boom-and-bust/ It always amazes me how rare politicians are who have the ability to position themselves in a way that doesn’t turn off or demonize huge swaths of the electorate. Bill Clinton was able to do it, Reagan was too. But the order of the day (especially here in ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2005/06/21/baracks-bold-position/ This article is form a few months back but I really think it deserves some additional google juice. It’s pathetic to me how much truck the wildest conspiracy theories have on the internet, and if one more person I haven’t talked to in years forwards me that ridiculous flash ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2005/06/18/debunking-the-911-myths/ The fallout from the Canadian Supreme court decision ruling a patient’s right to seek care supercedes the right of the government to enforce a health-care monopoly continues to reverberate throughout the country. Canada is the only developed nation which dissallows private citizens from seeking private medical insurance. NWM ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2005/06/14/an-end-to-the-party-line/ How long has it been since I’ve posted to this blog? I figure I had best put something up lest you all drop me from your rss readers. Posting will resume at a more regular pace in a short while. I’ve been under duress getting my business ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2005/06/13/the-brothers-hitchens/ The thing I still don’t get how Stronach believes her cosying up with Martin is going to quel separatist fires in Quebec, unless of course she doesn’t. Best quote of the day was found by Terrence Corcoran for his Financial Post commentary: “This is a move by big money. Magna ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2005/05/18/stronach-signals-move-beyond-farce/ While the blogosphere has been wringing its collective hands over the potential threat to free speech if McCain-Feingold were to be applied to the letter, classifying blogs as subject to campaign finance regulation, things were already worse in BC. Here’s an excerpt from Darren Barefoot at Urban Vancouver. I called ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2005/05/16/the-threat-is-real-speech-regulation-in-bc/ This is one of the sickest things I’ve read in a while. As paradoxical and absurd as it sounds, it’s cheaper for a Hollywood studio to make a big-budget action movie than to make a shoestring art film like Sideways. Consider Paramount’s 2001 action flick Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. On paper, ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2005/05/03/another-argument-for-a-flat-tax/ I have to say that Cadence Weapon’s new song Oliver Square is one of the best songs ever. Maybe you have to be from Edmonton to fully understand its brilliance. Though the Pitchfork review is quite positive. Elsewhere, Cadence’s hometown shoutouts get Simon Reynolds off his back. While most ... http://newworldman.org/archives/2005/04/28/yo-its-corrup-where-im-from-edmonton/