David Frum's Blog, page 41

Margaret Thatcher Was Right About the Euro

It's not well enough remembered, but the issue that brought down Mrs. Thatcher was her steadfast opposition to Britain entering a single European currency. Her finance minister, Geoffrey Howe, resigned over the issue. That resignation precipitated the crisis that led to Thatcher's own fall in November 1990.

Why Pakistan's Mohammed Ali Jinnah Was No Nelson Mandela

Kapil Komireddi on why we must not sully the great humanitarian Nelson Mandela by comparing him to Mohammed Ali Jinnah

The Week Ahead

I will speak at Bard College's Graduate Center for the Humanities on Tuesday at 7 pm. Details here.

You Mean It's Not Really that Much of a Meritocracy?

Douthat with an epic column on our self-perpetuating elite:

Can the Holocaust be Funny?

Among those persons, events and subjects in our culture that occupy the fenced-off area marked "Handle With Care", one particular topic is additionally locked in a lead safe, wrapped in barbed wire, electrified and surrounded by a moat full of sharks: the Shoah. As the Second World War drew to a close, it became apparent to all that in Nazi-occupied Europe, shrouded by the "night and fog" of war, a special kind of evil had been wrought; no makeshift massacre in the heat of...

Nerdiness from Noah: Iain M. Banks and 'The Culture'

I had planned for this entry to be about the new Bioshock game but current events have overtaken it and demand a course change. While this column supposedly has a focus on games of the video, computer, and board variety, the editors of this blog have given it a title broad enough to cover many aspects of geek and nerd culture. And culture is what I this column is about today, or more accurately, The Culture: the science-fiction society by Scottish author Iain M. Banks.

On Hillary: Why Do Democrats Want to Become the Party of Stagnant Ideas?

At the Daily Caller, Matt Lewis seconds - and at the Daily Beast, Robert Shrum rebuts - my column last week about the flaws of a Hillary Clinton presidential candidacy.

Stephen Harper is Respecting Voter Wishes by Not Reopening the Abortion Debate

My National Post column defends Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for holding to his pledge not to reopen the abortion debate:

Well Played, China: Buses So Big Cars Can Go Under Them

Grist marvels at this interesting idea. Personally, I think it's pretty foolish until we have driverless cars, but when that happens, let's do it!

The Jobs Report Was Crappy, Ctd.

Dylan Matthews and Ezra Klein discuss the jobs report and the fallout of the sequester. I'll have thoughts on this tomorrow, but I thought it might interest you today.