David Frum's Blog, page 23

Want a Little Life Perspective?

Click on the picture below for a fascinating (and brief!) explanation of what today, April 30, 2013 means in the context of global history:

Why Are 'Think Tanks' Tax Exempt?

David Brooks on the state of American political think tanks:

What Back Taxes?

You've heard a million times that "the path to citizenship" for former illegal aliens will require payment of back taxes. Like so much in this debate, that turns out not to be true, as the Center for Immigration Studies reports today:

Frum-Shrum is Back!

Frum-Shrum is back! This week, David and Bob are all 2016. If Hilary indeed runs for president, how will she frame the Obama legacy? What will her 'big ideas' be?

Fewer Homeless, a Bush Legacy

My CNN column focuses on a major domestic policy achievement by George W. Bush:combating homelessness.

Guns are Dangerous, Even When Used by Good Men

Probably every new parent can identify with the feelings Brian Castner expressed in the Daily Beast this weekend: "a father’s concern for his children’s safety—a panic over the helplessness of a baby so small it could stop breathing at any moment."

Che Guevera, Not That Cool

If the CIA had done a better job publicizing this photo of Che Guevera, a lot of student dorm rooms would look less morally idiotic.

Defriending Facebook

In the US, Facebook appears to be on the decline. The social media giant had a 4% drop in US visitors this past month, which amounts to roughly 6 million users. The story is the same in other major markets such as Canada and the UK.

Tea Partied Out?

Can the Tea Party and establishment, moderate-minded conservatives ever reconcile? At The American Prospect, Abby Rapoport cites a new study as evidence it won't happen.

Austerity, Not a Great Cure for Debt

Thebasic ideabehind austerity is that deflation via government cuts will rein in budget deficits and sovereign debt. However, austerity in practice, as Mark Blyth writes at Foreign Affairs,hasn't quite delivered.