Paul Jacob

Paul Jacob

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Peace and justice for Christmas?

By Paul Jacob (Dec 25, 2005)

Today, I revel in the peacefulness of Christmas, or at least the joy of being with my family. Tomorrow, the celebration of Chanukah begins for my Jewish friends. For this... more

Hasten slowly: how to change Wikipedia

By Paul Jacob (Dec 18, 2005)

You can't step into the same Wikipedia twice. That's what Heraclitus said about rivers. I bring this up to put the recent Wikipedia scandal in perspective. Wikipedia, the... more

Squirming against term limits

By Paul Jacob (Dec 11, 2005)

Who's in charge, here? Politicians sometimes pretend it's the people, but that fine old republican notion gets lost in their actions. Consider the way so many politicians... more

A tiny little tidbit of totalitarianism

By Paul Jacob (Dec 04, 2005)

Do you want to make politics illegal? Should our opponents be blocked from democratic participation? Must those who agitate for ideas that we disagree with be silenced?... more

Unusual justice

By Paul Jacob (Nov 27, 2005)

There's a certain type of "activist judge" everybody seems to like. One's in the news right now, defending kittens. I've heard such judges praised across the... more

The freedom to hate Wal-Mart

By Paul Jacob (Nov 20, 2005)

Some folks don't like Wal-Mart. Okay. Fine. It's a free country. No one should be forced at gunpoint to shop at Wal-Mart. Or to work there. And no one is. That's what a free... more

The free market's fair-weather friends

By Paul Jacob (Nov 13, 2005)

We have more to fear from a crisis than the crisis itself. For what are the politicians going to do?Regarding economic policy, the answer is . . . In a crisis, if a major... more

The election game: can I buy some values?

By Paul Jacob (Nov 06, 2005)

An editorial in yesterday's New York Times bemoaned the number of citizen initiatives that will be on state ballots this Tuesday. The Times fears that all this... more

Government on a citizen-run diet

By Paul Jacob (Oct 30, 2005)

Once after comparing big spending congressmen to drunken sailors, Ronald Reagan apologized to the sailors; they at least spent their own money. He could have added that... more

Stretchers at the ready

By Paul Jacob (Oct 23, 2005)

It would be nice if we could blame it all on muddle. It would be nice if government grows because everything's so complex that muddle begets muddle, and governments balloon... more

Dying to be politically correct

By Paul Jacob (Oct 16, 2005)

Each year, malaria ravages the lives of 500 million people worldwide, causing more than a million deaths, most of them children, mostly in Africa. But not in the United... more

Feeling like Charlie Brown

By Paul Jacob (Oct 09, 2005)

 "Trust me," Lucy says to Charlie Brown, holding the football . . . "Trust me," says President Bush in defense of his nomination of the virtually... more

Maximizing incumbency in Michigan?

By Paul Jacob (Oct 02, 2005)

The target's been chosen: term limits. The gun's being waved around, too. And there's a bullet in the Chamber. Well, in Michigan's Chamber of Commerce. Seems that the Chamber... more

What's love got to do with it?

By Paul Jacob (Sep 25, 2005)

  James Madison, father of our U.S. Constitution, must be rolling over in his grave. You see, he forgot to put love in it. By congressional edict, schools and... more

The storm over poverty

By Paul Jacob (Sep 18, 2005)

  Hurricane Katrina was so powerful it brought LBJ back from the grave. Well, actually not President Lyndon Baines Johnson himself; it's his "War on Poverty" that's... more

Aloha to the urban myths of high-priced oil

By Paul Jacob (Sep 11, 2005)

Have you heard the rumor yet? Oil companies are destroying fuel — emptying, even, gallons and gallons into thirsty desert sands — so that they can keep prices high at the... more

Zip the politics and pass the H2O

By Paul Jacob (Sep 04, 2005)

Washington delivers man-made disasters every day. Thank goodness nature's destructive handiwork occurs less frequently. It has been heart-rending to watch our fellow... more

Taking an ice pick to airline security

By Paul Jacob (Aug 28, 2005)

Ready for your flight? Got your ticket? Your government-issued photo ID? An ice pick? Truth is stranger than fiction. The 9/11 hijackers are believed to have used box... more

Playing politics and Indians

By Paul Jacob (Aug 21, 2005)

  When playing cowboys and Indians as a kid, I always wanted to be the Indian. Little did I know. Back then, I thought pretending to be an Indian was neat, even better... more

The dearth of common sense in the wealth of government

By Paul Jacob (Aug 14, 2005)

  "Common sense," goes the old saying, "is not so common." Is this just cynicism? If so, why does it describe our political culture so well? In governments across the... more

The dog days of Congress

By Paul Jacob (Aug 07, 2005)

  Let's count our blessings. Congress is out of session. The men and women of Congress did their damage, sure enough, but at least during these hot, sticky days of... more

A tax increase for adult toys?

By Paul Jacob (Jul 31, 2005)

My mother reads this column. So, trust me, I don't plan to talk about sex toys any more than I have to. I'm no expert on the subject, either. But I do know they're not worth... more

The Democrats' Byrd strategy

By Paul Jacob (Jul 24, 2005)

  Just when the nomination of John Roberts for the Supreme Court was looking sure and civil, Senate Democrats have found a way to smear him. Yes, it now appears West... more

Shooting at comets, aiming higher

By Paul Jacob (Jul 17, 2005)

For July 4th, Independence Day, NASA sponsored a unique fireworks display. America's space agency shot and hit a comet with a rocket. Or, as they like to say, a probe. The... more

The Live 8 dead end

By Paul Jacob (Jul 10, 2005)

Irish rocker Bob Geldorf and the music superstars who recently held Live 8 concerts across the globe made a lot of noise. Their siren songs entreated us to pressure the... more

Two cheers for O'Connor — two votes for Thomas

By Paul Jacob (Jul 03, 2005)

She was the best of justices; she was the worst of justices . . . Sandra Day O'Connor is retiring from the Supreme Court, leaving behind a mixed record and a bitter battle... more

High Court to homeowners: Stick 'em up!

By Paul Jacob (Jun 26, 2005)

It's like a bad dream, or a summer disaster movie. But this is real. We live under a regime that can and often does grab our homes and small businesses to create what... more

High Court to homeowners: Stick 'em up!

By Paul Jacob (Jun 26, 2005)

It's like a bad dream, or a summer disaster movie. But this is real. We live under a regime that can and often does grab our homes and small businesses to create what... more

Canada's medical gulag

By Paul Jacob (Jun 19, 2005)

Canada is not a communist country. Really, it's not ? except when it comes to medical care. While some Americans argue that our health care system should be copying... more

Who's really for limited government?

By Paul Jacob (Jun 12, 2005)

Want a depressing read, hot for summer? Try Justice John Paul Stevens's decision in Gonzales v. Raich. In that long document, the majority of the Supreme Court ruled against... more

Taxation as a moral value

By Paul Jacob (Jun 05, 2005)

Voters animated by moral and religious values made a difference in the last election, returning Republican George W. Bush to the White House. Some say they made the decisive... more

Fewer roads for more people

By Paul Jacob (May 29, 2005)

What does Beijing have in common with Portland, Oregon? Urban congestion. It's much worse in Beijing, but Portland's traffic congestion isn't getting any better. Further,... more

A more balanced Pravda?

By Paul Jacob (May 22, 2005)

When I think about the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, I can't help but think of Pravda, the official newspaper and mouthpiece of the Communist Party back in the days of... more

Term limits for the pope?

By Paul Jacob (May 15, 2005)

An aging pope, holding on to little more than life itself, did not impress everyone. Not a few Catholics ? and probably many more non-Catholics ? nurtured the opinion that... more

Quiet, Congress at work

By Paul Jacob (May 08, 2005)

On a quiet spring morning, they're working in Washington. Working hard, as the president would say. Working hard to regulate, burden, and impede your right to communicate... more

This really gets my goat

By Paul Jacob (May 01, 2005)

The making of law, like the making of sausage, is said to be necessarily messy. I'm not so sure. Not all sausages are equal. Neither are laws. Or lawmakers. Some are less... more

Stupidity is not the problem

By Paul Jacob (Apr 24, 2005)

Democrat to "stay" democratic, that would be one thing. But you can't, they don't, so let's move on, vigilant. Without vigilance citizens haven't a ghost of a chance.)... more

Send in the gnomes

By Paul Jacob (Apr 17, 2005)

The police are there to protect us. Maybe. Unfortunately, a dominant strain of contemporary police culture wants citizens to limit their involvement in their own... more

The appearance of propriety

By Paul Jacob (Apr 10, 2005)

Dr. Tom Coburn, late of the House of Representatives, citizen of Oklahoma, now senator from his state, is a controversial enough figure by himself. Contrast him with the rest... more

Tickets to the bigwig section

By Paul Jacob (Apr 03, 2005)

Though March is gone, the madness of the NCAA basketball tournament continues this weekend with the Final Four. Yet, lost in all that fun madness is this scandal: According... more

Benching the judges

By Paul Jacob (Mar 27, 2005)

Term limits aren't just for the U.S. President and legislatures in 15 states. They deserve to be extended, even to the Supreme Court. Why? Many reasons have been offered.... more

John Kerry, inventor, wizard

By Paul Jacob (Mar 20, 2005)

To allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or not? It is an easy question for Senator John F. Kerry . . . because he's magic! Magic in what way, you ask?... more

Getting jiggy with the next president

By Paul Jacob (Mar 13, 2005)

In this time of mindless speculation about 2008's presidential candidates, I remain untroubled by the fact that no one has mentioned my name. I know it is due simply to my... more

What, me worry?

By Paul Jacob (Mar 06, 2005)

The latest Social Security debate is over whether the problem with the system amounts to a crisis or is "just a problem." It sure seemed like a crisis the way former... more

Government by propaganda

By Paul Jacob (Feb 27, 2005)

First, the stab of an ominous headline: "First Amendment No Big Deal, Students Say." Then the subhead twists the knife: "Study shows American teenagers indifferent to... more

Washington's character... and America's

By Paul Jacob (Feb 23, 2005)

If it were true, snorted the still smug monarch, "Then Washington is the greatest man in the world." And it was true. George Washington had just led the rag-tag American... more

Against all odds, generally speaking

By Paul Jacob (Feb 13, 2005)

In the Gambling Capital of America, Las Vegas, Nevada, a professor of economics is being hounded by the city's proud university, his employer. The university's bureaucracy... more

Choose your color

By Paul Jacob (Feb 06, 2005)

Ideas a-plenty are bouncing around on how to improve education. Take, for instance, the recent suggestion of doing away with homework. Alas! I was born too soon. One... more

What politicians don't 'get'

By Paul Jacob (Jan 30, 2005)

Senator Chris Beutler doesn't get it. He's not alone. Many politicians in other districts in other states similarly don't get it. "I still don't understand," Beutler... more

Running gun blues

By Paul Jacob (Jan 23, 2005)

If my daughter runs off with a fellow named Clyde and starts shooting up banks, I'll know I made a terrible mistake ? as my wife will no doubt remind me. Call me a "gun... more

The news, askew

By Paul Jacob (Jan 16, 2005)

Ideally, news should "slant" to the truth. Practically, the presentation of news usually skews towards sensationalism. As news consumers, we accept this, though too rarely... more

How to skew the news without really trying

By Paul Jacob (Jan 09, 2005)

Journalists do not need an ideological bias to misreport the news. Their simple preference for a good story by itself can lead to error. Just look at environmental reporting.... more

Winning politicians

By Paul Jacob (Jan 02, 2005)

'Tis been the season of presents, rewards, awards. Now political awards? Often, awards in politics are suspect. I remember the local pol who won an award as a champion of... more