http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/opinion/28douthat.html
Do you think a Palin candidacy would be a similar test? While her platform hasn't cristalized the way Cheney's has, she represents "real conservatism" to many on the right: tax cuts and "pit-bullish" foreign policy, a get-the-govt-off-our-backs mentality that seems akin to the bare-bones conservatism you attribute to Cheney. However, you can't ignore her Christian side, which is a powerful tool for her pro-life, anti-marriage equality stance...are these the kinds of social issues that Cheney doesn't have time for? While Palin does embody these issues, she seems to be less of a "compassionate conservative" in the way that Bush was with school vouchers and faith-based initiatives, unless her emphasis on special education turns into a full-fledged focus on social issues. Do you think we have evidence that she would turn out to be one kind of candidate or the other? And which one is the "real conservative?" The one that strips away social issues and religion, or the one that uses religion but in a limited way to push only a few core issues like abortion and gay marriage?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Town/Gown
http://www.middleburycampus.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=59f36067-e66b-40d3-b405-df2bf5b3fbe5
And the problem looks like it will probably get worse, with Addison County losing one of its essential advocates for people in need of housing: http://www.addisonindependent.com/?q=node/2079/lightbox2
I also think the article came off as insensitive, making a joke out of a serious and not uncommon situation. I hope the family found help, and I hope Public Safety did more than simply "escort them off campus".
That said, I probably would have treated the situation the same way when I was at Midd...if I could do it all over again, I would get off campus more. Duh, rural homelessness is a problem, but you don't really think about it when you're at Midd.
I hope the students involved in this incident (and the reporter) take it to heart and get more involved in the community. It was a little ironic to read this in the same issue of the Campus that reported on the "housing crisis" on campus. While the college does many wonderful things for the town, there are some ways that it exacerbates the town-gown relationship, and one of those ways is housing. Midd controls the number of students who live off campus, but the students and their generally large purses still have an effect on pushing up housing costs in the community. In many ways, it is worth it to the community to suffer housing cost inflation bc the college provides many well paying, steady jobs, but it would be nice if the students would take it upon themselves to mitigate their negative impact on the housing market by informing themselves about the community and getting involved with organizations like Hope, John Graham, CVOEO, and ACCT that are trying to combat rising home prices and enable the people who work in Middlebury to live here too. Many middkids already do, which is awesome bc you have a lot on your plates, but I think this article showed that there is room for improvement. It betrayed a certain level of ignorance, but it also showed empathy and a dedication to the community. So get out there!
And the problem looks like it will probably get worse, with Addison County losing one of its essential advocates for people in need of housing: http://www.addisonindependent.com/?q=node/2079/lightbox2
I also think the article came off as insensitive, making a joke out of a serious and not uncommon situation. I hope the family found help, and I hope Public Safety did more than simply "escort them off campus".
That said, I probably would have treated the situation the same way when I was at Midd...if I could do it all over again, I would get off campus more. Duh, rural homelessness is a problem, but you don't really think about it when you're at Midd.
I hope the students involved in this incident (and the reporter) take it to heart and get more involved in the community. It was a little ironic to read this in the same issue of the Campus that reported on the "housing crisis" on campus. While the college does many wonderful things for the town, there are some ways that it exacerbates the town-gown relationship, and one of those ways is housing. Midd controls the number of students who live off campus, but the students and their generally large purses still have an effect on pushing up housing costs in the community. In many ways, it is worth it to the community to suffer housing cost inflation bc the college provides many well paying, steady jobs, but it would be nice if the students would take it upon themselves to mitigate their negative impact on the housing market by informing themselves about the community and getting involved with organizations like Hope, John Graham, CVOEO, and ACCT that are trying to combat rising home prices and enable the people who work in Middlebury to live here too. Many middkids already do, which is awesome bc you have a lot on your plates, but I think this article showed that there is room for improvement. It betrayed a certain level of ignorance, but it also showed empathy and a dedication to the community. So get out there!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Stiglitz Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/opinion/01stiglitz.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1238594643-f9+hXpteoLkYq3OCVdVn4g
good article... i have a bunch of stiglitz books on my reading list. I just think everyone is stubbornly hoping that the assets are undervalued right now. Here is where Stiglitz's (more realistic) assumption differs from that perspective: "The real issue is that the banks made bad loans in a bubble and were highly leveraged. They have lost their capital, and this capital has to be replaced." What the administration (and lots of people) is stubbornly hoping is that banks have only "lost their capital" insofar as no one wants to buy the assets right now due to a lack of confidence (hence the whole issue with mark to market), but fundamentally the assets still have value. Stiglitz is saying get real, most of the assets are worthless (thanks, housing bubble), hence the collapse. Maybe the admin thinks that if it can prop up the housing market, then the assets will be worth something.
good article... i have a bunch of stiglitz books on my reading list. I just think everyone is stubbornly hoping that the assets are undervalued right now. Here is where Stiglitz's (more realistic) assumption differs from that perspective: "The real issue is that the banks made bad loans in a bubble and were highly leveraged. They have lost their capital, and this capital has to be replaced." What the administration (and lots of people) is stubbornly hoping is that banks have only "lost their capital" insofar as no one wants to buy the assets right now due to a lack of confidence (hence the whole issue with mark to market), but fundamentally the assets still have value. Stiglitz is saying get real, most of the assets are worthless (thanks, housing bubble), hence the collapse. Maybe the admin thinks that if it can prop up the housing market, then the assets will be worth something.
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