TY Dr. S, ironically, the coming generation/s without knowledge of American accomplishment or belief in the country's virtue, and thus view it as unworthy of defending may be correct. In the words of a USN Captain/SEAL at a Fairfield, CT Memorial Day celebration years ago that echo loud, "The country that doesn't honor it's warriors, will be replaced by one that does."

John, you say, "Where was this transparently opportunistic analysis during the election?" Why don't you name the reporters? By identifying them by name, over and over again, make them own their reporting. Bring light to these unknown and hidden parts of the machine that prepare the news and maybe the quality and objectiveness will improve.

(cont) if the whole economy is on the down, an airport project by itself can't reverse the course, but conversely, when [if :-(] the economy turns up, the enhanced infrastructure will take off.

Mr. Malanga, enjoyed your article and catchy title, but do not agree totally w/ implication. The same argument (construction of airport did not result in expected outcome of economic growth, therefore wrong or wasted) may be applied with similar conviction to roads, bridges, railroad tracks, et.al. 3 reasons: 1. was econ activity in the investment and construction (so an all in accounting might include avoided unemployment costs, the wages earned and spent in the economy, etc), 2. time horizon - possible that as time passes the "new" airport will be used more, 3. it's an enabler - that some businesses will make their location decisions upon availability of transportation - but not as strong a determinant in and of itself.

Put aside opaque colorful arguments and remain focused on the essential - Stevens, Smith, Woods, Doherty. Everything else is superfluous. Susan Rice, Richard Wolfe, et al, are ingredients for the opposite of an "exceptional nation".

Speaking of "sense", didn't Obama carry the majority of Jewish voters in America in the last presidential election? What were they thinking? Are they all putzes?

Dear Judge, TY for your focusing article. Insight from Eric Hoffer's, "The True Believer" may add to this discussion, in it describes mass movements that believe a "leader/big brother/messiah" will affect necessary changes to a "better life". Abdicating personal responsibility to lead oneself, to follow another as knowing better is a return to obedience to authority that shocked so many in the Milgram experiments (pardon the pun). If personal conscience is eliminated, it doesn't matter who is the next president for the next 4 or 8 years. Linking to Larry Elder's article on "brown shirts", an America of desensitized followers without care for others is return to an environment where holocaust-like atrocities will be the norm.

I searched to see if Dr. Sowell had ever been a guest on the Charlie Rose Show and found the following http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/6648 from July 1995, and am blown away by the relevance to today, 17 years later. I then sent an email to see if they'll ever have him on again.

Benefits are not just economics, but the experiences is also a "barrier breaker" - social and otherwise. My first job was selling out of Tom Watt kits as part of the Boy Scout's annual Christmas drive. I went into the homes of neighbors who I'd otherwise never speak with because they were more than a couple of blocks away or they were adults and I was just a kid. I remember the shared excitement in turning pages to select the Christmas cards, and as they thought out loud their gift list. We were friends ever after. Thank you John for refocusing us on common sense.