Will Wealth Bring Democracy to Hong Kong?
As long as Hong Kong’s economy is booming, calls for democracy will remain on the backburner
On the Newsstand:Legal system
Rand Paul a Racist? I Think Not.
Sam Barr’s most recent post makes the rather shocking claim that Rand Paul, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Kentucky being vacated by the retiring Jim Bunning, is a racist, or at least that he is not a non-racist. Sam deduces this from the fact that Mr. Paul is not a “consistent libertarian,” that he “picks and ... Read More
Quelling Qualms
A look at marijuana decriminalization in Massachusetts On Nov. 4, 2008, Massachusetts became the twelfth state to decriminalize possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Known as the Massachusetts Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative, Proposition 2 was passed by a sweeping 65-35 margin, a more decisive showing than even Barack Obama in the famously blue state. The widely used drug ... Read More
Wrong Argument
If Sam really wants to bleed the rich, he’s absolutely fighting the wrong fight. He couches his argument in empirical terms, while everyone knows that any given belief can be illustrated with appropriately chosen figures. Those in favor of lightening the tax load on the rich have their own figures as well. Those of us who aren’t advanced economics specialists ... Read More
Impartial Intentions
Methods of appointing State Supreme Court judges That law be applied fairly and impartially is a defining ideal of the American legal system. Yet while impartiality lies at the foundation of our courts, it is surprisingly difficult to achieve. Charles Hall, director of communications for Justice at Stake, a nonpartisan campaign for “fair and impartial” courts, told the HPR that ... Read More
