Hell yeah

You thought honest academic inquiry was dead, huh?

It's because you're looking in the wrong place.

What Was the Civil War Really About?

You want honest, open debate about important political and historical matters?

Look to elementary and secondary schools.

Joe Nye, eat your heart out.

Getting honest about the stakes

At least Jackie Chan is getting honest about the stakes involved in this debate.

Jackie Chan's China comments prompt backlash

"Chan told a business forum in the southern Chinese province of Hainan that a free society may not be beneficial for China's authoritarian mainland.

'I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not,' Chan said Saturday. 'I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want.'

He went on to say that freedoms in Hong Kong and Taiwan made those societies 'chaotic.'"

And that, in a nutshell, is the problem. Jackie is speaking squarely about the dilemma in Western societies, today, when we are not bullshitting ourselves.

Does progress in liberal societies mean more control or more freedom?

Liberal would imply freedom. And all of our history would point in exactly this direction.

And, as Jackie's comments highlight, if not, what will this mean for less free parts of the world?

It's a question that free societies need to take a long hard look at.

Do we value our freedom? Or take it for granted.

Something tells me Jackie's comments, here, do not reflect the best answer we have to offer.

Taking our freedom for granted

How to Raise the Standard in America's Schools

I love that the free marketplace of ideas lets Walter Isaacson have all the opinions that he wants. What I don't love is journalists like Isaacson using that freedom to add yet one more layer of bureaucracy on America's schools on the foolish notion that a Federal law will make things all better.

I have a suggestion for Walter Isaacson. How about a set of national standards for the quality of reporting that occurs in America, with Time, Newsweek, and the U.S. News and World report being the very lowest standard possible, as any relatively experienced speech and debate competitor will readily acknowledge.

Walter, the day you will accept the Federal government telling you how to report and publish your opinions is the day I will accept the Federal government telling me how to teach.

Until then, either take liberal values seriously, or don't expect that you will be taken seriously.

There's a reason the Founding Fathers fought for liberty. No matter how many Walter Isaacsons in the world take their freedom, and, more importantly, the freedom that others cherish, forever for granted.