26% of Britons believe it can be acceptable to torture enemy combatants in order to extract information; 50% do not. 46% of Americans think torture in such cases can be acceptable; 30% oppose it. It is also condoned by 50% of Israelis, and 70% of Nigerians. (ICRC/The Guardian) Torture is barbaric, usually ineffective, produces …
What are the odds of an American child earning more as an adult than his or her parents earned at the same age? Researchers say that rising income inequality explains 70% of the steady decline in absolute mobility from the baby boom generation to the millennials. Earnings for typical Americans have stagnated while those for …
“I support Israel,” says Jeff Jacoby, “which is why I don’t support US aid to Israel. That might seem a non sequitur, but it makes perfect sense. For decades, the traditional pro-Israel view has been that military aid from Washington – now $3.1bn a year – is a vital cornerstone of the US-Israel alliance. But …
“Can a constitution devised centuries ago to replace a monarchy, and based upon a citizen’s militia, possibly hope to run an empire whose scope is beyond anything ever dreamed of by its framers? Or must the existence of standing armies and the influx of inconceivable wealth inevitably destroy our democratic system? ( Cicero, quoted by …
This blog was once criticised for being too party political. But what is happening out there in the world is distressing and scarcely conducive to a quiet and calm life. When UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who campaigned on behalf of Trump, describes US President Barack Obama as a “loathsome individual” and a “creature” who “couldn’t …
