PUBLICATIONS BY Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
Research
Commentary
Books
Media Appearances
2008 Research
July 09, 2008
The Roots of Modern Conservative Thought from Burke to Kirk
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(First Principles #19)
If we had to pick the thinkers more responsible than any other for planting the intellectual roots of modern conservative thought, I believe we would select Edmund Burke and Russell Kirk. They were separated by almost two hundred years but united in their adherence to the priceless principle of ordered liberty.
April 14, 2008
The Heritage Foundation's Leadership on Missile Defense
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #1075)
One of The Heritage Foundation’s main objectives is for the U.S. to fully deploy a comprehensive missile defense system within the next decade. Heritage will continue to lead the way in educating Americans about the need for this type of comprehensive protection.
March 14, 2008
Public Diplomacy: Reinvigorating America's Strategic Communications Policy
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D., Helle C. Dale, Colleen Graffy, Michael Doran, Ph.D., Joseph Duffey, Ph.D., and Tony Blankley
(Heritage Lecture #1065)
U.S. government agencies are hampered in their efforts to improve public diplomacy by a combination of poor leadership, inadequate coordination, and insufficient resources. As we seek to improve the U.S. image abroad and engage in a war of ideas with Muslim extremism, improving the relevant public diplomacy structures of the U.S. government are crucial.
2007 Research
May 03, 2007
The Hegemony of Ideas
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #999)
As an alternative to the failed cut-and-paste solutions offered by distant government bureaucracies, a "fraternal association of the English-speaking peoples" (in the words of Winston Churchill) can lead the way in halting and then reversing socialism through the concrete applications of conservative ideas, creating an irresistible momentum and expanding spheres of freedom in every corner of the globe.
April 12, 2007
President Must Veto Unconstitutional, Irresponsible War Funding Legislation
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1422)
The President is right to threaten a veto of Congress's legislation. Anything that falls short of the standards of constitutionality and responsibility must face a presidential veto.
2006 Research
December 08, 2006
Real Reform at the United Nations
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #979)
For Britain, the United States, and our allies to achieve real reform in the United Nations, we must use alternative means to demand reform, including financial leverage. This is the only way to achieve real reform, and real reform is the only way for the United Nations to be effective in the world of today and tomorrow.
November 29, 2006
Feulner on Friedman: A Tribute
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1266)
Heritage Foundation President Edwin Feulner pays tribute to Milton Friedman in this collection of speeches and essays.
September 20, 2006
Korea and the United States: Forging a Partnership for the Future
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #963)
The U.S. and the Republic of Korea must maintain their strong security and economic relationship to counter threats from North Korea and to increase economic freedom.
2005 Research
October 06, 2005
A Line in the Sand for Fiscally Responsible Lawmakers
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D., and Alison Acosta Fraser
(WebMemo #874)
Policymakers who are serious about controlling spending must give up their earmarks and postpone the drug benefit.
2004 Research
August 10, 2004
Free Trade by Any Means: How the Global Free Trade Alliance Enhances America's Overall Trading Strategy
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D., John C. Hulsman, Ph.D., and Brett D. Schaefer
(Backgrounder #1786)
The Bush Administration should consider a Global Free Trade Alliance (GFTA) as a complementary part of America's existing trade agenda of promoting free trade by any means. The GFTA would offer free trade among the U.S. and other nations that have a demonstrable commitment to free trade and investment, minimal regulation, and property rights-on the one condition that they reciprocate this access to the U.S. and the other GFTA members.
January 13, 2004
Regaining America's Voice Overseas: A Conference on U.S. Public Diplomacy
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D. et al.
(Heritage Lecture #817)
That America has unilaterally disarmed itself of the weapons of ideological warfare is all the more astonishing in light of the fact that victory in the Cold War was largely the product of victory on the ideological front. Only full-service public diplomacy and international broadcasting offers the format to permit the kind of dialogues that can kindle a democratic "fire in the minds" of listeners, viewers, and Internet users.
2001 Research
November 02, 2001
Time to Give President Bush Trade Promotion Authority
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Executive Memorandum #788)
A cornerstone of President Bush's trade agenda is securing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). Formerly known as fast-track authority, TPA would limit Congress to a straight up-or-down vote on any trade agreements negotiated by the Administration.
September 21, 2001
A New Agenda for America
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D., Kenneth Adelman, David Malpass, and Denise Bode
(Heritage Lecture #721)
Ken Adelman, David Malpass and Denise Bode discuss three domestic and foreign policy areas where change is necessary to the future of our nation and the cause of freedom worldwide.
March 07, 2001
Commemoration of Kim Dae-Jung's Presidency
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #696)
"I had little idea then that my friend would one day serve as president of Korea and institute the very reforms we were discussing at the time."
January 23, 2001
Pressing Concerns
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Executive Memorandum #712)
One area of foriegn policy that requires early attention is the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance.
1999 Research
February 10, 1999
Challenges in U.S.-Asia Policy
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Testimony #9999)
For the past 50 years, peace, stability, and prosperity in Asia have depended on American leadership and involvement.
1998 Research
May 05, 1998
BG1175: The IMF Needs Real Reform
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1175)
The IMF Needs Real Reform, Not More Money
1996 Research
February 06, 1996
What Are America's Vital Interests?
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #557)
I believe America's vitality and leadership abroad will return, but I think it will take a change of administration to accomplish this. It is a challenge and an opportunity that we, as a great nation, cannot afford to let pass.
1995 Research
September 07, 1995
The Voice of America: Don't Silence America's Voice in the Global Marketplace of Ideas
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1052)
"Ideas have consequences." This simple truism became the battle cry of the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s.
2008 Commentary
July 08, 2008
Champion of Freedom
By Edwin Feulner
Independence Day 2008 — like July 4, 1826, and July 4, 1831 — will long be remembered as a very special day in the history of American Independence.
July 02, 2008
No Room for Negativity
By Ed Feulner
We're about to mark another national birthday. But we don't seem to be in the mood to celebrate. Polls show 80 percent of Americans think the country's on the "wrong track."
June 24, 2008
U.N. Leaders: Wrong on Rights
By Ed Feulner
You know you’re doing a good job if you upset the right people -- such as petty bureaucrats at the United Nations.
June 18, 2008
Time to get serious about energy
By Ed Feulner
About 50 miles off the coast of Florida, deep sea rigs are now drilling for oil. That makes perfect sense. For decades, the U.S. has banned any new offshore drilling, locking that oil away for a rainy day while we imported relatively cheap oil from overseas.
June 17, 2008
Wages: It Pays to Look at the Big Picture
By Ed Feulner
Charles Dickens captured the spirit of an era in a single sentence: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” For American workers, that sentiment still seems to apply.
June 09, 2008
At This Restaurant, Taxpayers Are Cooked
By Ed Feulner
Recently, an attendant on my United Airlines flight drew groans when she announced that the price of our in-flight meal had gone up. Her captive audience would have to pay $7 instead of $5 for a box lunch with soft drinks and coffee.
May 27, 2008
War is Expensive, But Defeat Costs More
By Ed Feulner
It's one thing to put a price tag on something. It's another to figure out its cost.
May 26, 2008
Saluting those who serve
By Ed Feulner
For many Americans, Memorial Day marks little more than the start of summer. It's a day off to mow the lawn, go to the pool or grill in the back yard.
May 19, 2008
Saluting Those Who Serve
By Edwin Feulner
For many Americans, Memorial Day marks little more than the start of summer. It's a day off to mow the lawn, go to the pool or grill in the back yard.
May 07, 2008
Food & Federal Fuel Follies
By Ed Feulner
"What could possibly go wrong?" That's what members of Congress probably thought when they started shoveling bigger subsidies at ethanol producers. Now, with food riots erupting in some parts of the world, we have our answer: a lot.
May 01, 2008
Examining a 'Nation at Risk'
By Ed Feulner
It's all too easy for lawmakers to throw cash at a problem. After all, they're spending somebody else's money. Take the way they've handled (or, rather, mishandled) education policy.
April 21, 2008
Getting Defensive
By Ed Feulner
Think your life is a whirlwind? Try stepping onto the deck of an American aircraft carrier. It’s busier (and more efficient) than most major airports. As many as four jets can take off every minute.
April 14, 2008
Homing In on a Solution
By Ed Feulner
During a recent visit to the doctor, I noticed a sign on his wall: “First, do no harm.” That is, of course, part of the Hippocratic Oath. If only we could convince lawmakers to adopt that adage.
April 07, 2008
An Enlightened Debate
By Ed Feulner
A flash of inspiration is known as a light-bulb moment. In an instant, things become clear, like items in a room when you flip on a light switch.
April 01, 2008
A bear of a dilemma
By Ed Feulner
The drive from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia isn't long, but it's certainly becoming expensive. On a recent weekend it cost me $65 to fill up the tank on Interstate 95.
March 24, 2008
Eliminating the Rogue Missile Threat
By Ed Feulner
The Sept. 11 attacks proved that even vast oceans can no longer protect the American homeland from a determined enemy. Terrorists are eager to kill civilians any way they can, and we must think creatively to counter them.
March 19, 2008
In Iraq, a "Surge" Of Success
By Ed Feulner
Are we succeeding in Iraq? Look no further than the front page of your daily newspaper. What had been a steady barrage of bad news has now slowed to a trickle.
March 13, 2008
Treading a Foreign Policy Tightrope
By Ed Feulner
After so many debates, primaries and stump speeches, it's difficult to believe Election Day is still eights months away. But it's probably good that political campaigns last so long. Now that they're marathons instead of sprints, they give candidates a chance to prove they can endure great stress for long periods of time.
March 04, 2008
A Better World, Because of Buckley
By Ed Feulner
In this vast universe, the powers of man are surprisingly limited. No one can command that the sun rise or set, that the winds blow or be still, or that the rain fall or stop falling.
February 15, 2008
A Heritage of Conservative Victories
By Ed Feulner
Ask a conservative to name landmark dates in political history, and Jan. 20, 1981 (President Reagan’s inauguration) would be high on the list. So would Nov. 9, 1989, the day the Berlin Wall fell, and Dec. 25, 1991, when the Soviet Union formally dissolved.
February 12, 2008
Maritime Defense: A Sinking Feeling
By Edwin Feulner
Even the strongest military powers are often paralyzed by an age-old weakness: They tend to focus on past threats rather than on future ones.
January 18, 2008
Profiles in Change
By Edwin Feulner
The presidential campaigns have boiled down to one word: “change.” Candidates from both parties insist they’re agents of “change.” Elect me, each says, and our government and our country will be better.
January 15, 2008
A Race Everyone Wins
By Edwin Feulner
Every January, there's new proof that competition forces everyone involved to get better. That's when millions of Americans tune in to the NFL playoffs, where only the best teams advance.
January 08, 2008
Making 2008 A Year to Celebrate
By Edwin Feulner
Political reporters love a horse race. Bruising campaigns -- with their polls, promises and pandering -- offer endless excitement for scribes. By contrast, day-to-day governing -- with its conversations, cooperation and compromises -- seems boring.
January 08, 2008
Parents, Do Your Homework
By Edwin Feulner
This is a time of the year when, as the popular holiday song goes, "Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again."
January 07, 2008
Cracking the Code
By Edwin Feulner
To win votes, candidates highlight areas where they disagree. So throughout this election year, we’re sure to hear plenty about the differences between the presidential hopefuls.
2007 Commentary
December 17, 2007
Spying the Truth
By Edwin Feulner
It’s sad but true that our intelligence community is more talented at leaking information than at identifying upcoming threats. So let’s consider the latest National Intelligence Estimate, which says Iran halted its nuclear weapons back in 2003.
December 12, 2007
Hot for Nukes
By Edwin Feulner
Environmental lobbyists have America between a rock and, well, a hot place.
December 03, 2007
Stuck in a Real State
By Edwin Feulner
Americans are at our best when we volunteer. In revolutionary times, it was the Minutemen, sworn to leave their homes and fight the British at a moment’s notice. Today, hundreds of thousands of volunteer firemen donate their time and efforts to protect their fellow Americans.
November 26, 2007
Building Real Wealth
By Edwin Feulner
Every silver lining, it seems, comes with at least a little bit of cloud.
November 13, 2007
Targeting Terrorists
By Edwin Feulner
Every day, millions of Americans visit malls, ride trains and enter office buildings. Checking every one of them would be impossible, so a terrorist who's willing to die could detonate a bomb and kill many people virtually any time.
November 06, 2007
Taxes: Time to Cut and Run
By Edwin Feulner
Politicians say the oddest things. Recently, Maryland's Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley called a special legislative session. He wants lawmakers to raise taxes to close an expected budget shortfall. Among the taxes he hopes to increase are the sales tax, the corporate income tax, the tobacco tax and income taxes on the people many politicians call "the rich."
October 30, 2007
Maneuvering Against Missile Defense
By Ed Feulner
In the 1990s, Congress decided it was time for the United States to build a missile-defense system. This was a reasonable -- even overdue -- step. After all, we’d been completely defenseless against any sort of missile attack since the missile had been invented.
October 16, 2007
They Just Don't Get LOST
By Ed Feulner
This year a Democratic majority took power on Capitol Hill. But new leadership has done nothing to address an old problem: Lawmakers racing to pass bills they haven't actually read.
October 03, 2007
Testing, Testing
By Ed Feulner
Can you, without peeking at a textbook or doing a quick Google search, say roughly when Abraham Lincoln was elected president? Could you name which country the United States sparred with during the Cold War? Do you know where the phrase "all men are created equal" comes from?
September 26, 2007
Paging Dr. Bureaucrat
By Ed Feulner
Sen. Hillary Clinton, the New York Democrat, recently unveiled her latest comprehensive health-care reform proposal. Mrs. Clinton says that this version of her proposal is different from her last one, and claims it could accomplish great things.
September 18, 2007
The Law: An Arresting Tale
By Ed Feulner
It’s a common complaint: “There oughta be a law against [fill in the blank].” But these days, we hardly need more laws. Too many things are already illegal.
September 12, 2007
Lessons in school choice
By Ed Feulner
Recently, GQ magazine compiled its list of the 50 most powerful people in the nation's capital. Political leaders such as Condoleezza Rice, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi topped the list.
September 04, 2007
News on Salary Doesn't Add Up
By Ed Feulner
There seems to be an unwritten journalistic rule that all economic news must be bad news. The stories we read and hear tend to be negative. Good economic news, if it makes it into print at all, is usually buried behind the crossword puzzle, the comics and the horoscopes.
August 27, 2007
Laboring to Uncover the Truth
By Ed Feulner
Here's an "only in Washington" story for you. A handful of federal investigators have uncovered evidence of multiple crimes. In the last six years alone, these gangbusters have won 775 criminal convictions and the repayment of $70 million taken illegally from American workers. So how does Congress react? By moving to cut their budget next year.
August 20, 2007
Fueling the Push for a Better Car
By Ed Feulner
Today’s modern technology would doubtless awe the people whose pioneering work made it possible. If Alexander Graham Bell flipped open a cell phone or Philo T. Farnsworth watched a high-def television, they’d be dumbfounded. Technology has taken their relatively crude inventions and made them immeasurably better.
August 13, 2007
Picking the Correct Adversary
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
To paraphrase the great newsman Paul Harvey, we usually think we know what the news is, but it’s often difficult to get “the rest of the story.” That’s especially true when it comes to getting accurate information out of Iraq.
August 06, 2007
Fencing Class
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
This is the southwestern-most point of the continental United States. Several Mexican families swim in the Pacific Ocean on one side of the border fence, while a group of Americans walk the beach on the other side. I've come to see what our border agents face every day.
July 27, 2007
Growing 'green' (we're not talking broccoli) in the big city
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
The rich soil of the Midwest can grow just about anything. Including, apparently, dollar bills. In fact, to grow those, one doesn't even need a plot of land.
July 20, 2007
Falling back into favor
By Edwin Feulner
"Anyone who is popular is bound to be disliked," Yogi Berra once observed. By his definition, the United States is very popular these days.
July 05, 2007
Court wisely permits more issue ads in weeks before vote
By Edwin Feulner
Happy Independence Day. On this date 231 years ago, our founding fathers made a claim that must have struck most foreigners as absurd: "That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States." In the years ahead, Americans would fight and die to make that boast a reality.
June 27, 2007
Warring against wasteful spending
By Edwin Feulner
Even the longest journey, it's said, begins with a single step. Recently in the House of Representatives, the minority party took such a step, one that may allow our country to begin the long journey back to responsible government.
June 21, 2007
Get those oil drills going at top speed
By Ed Feulner
Welcome to the first summer driving season with gasoline at $3.40 per gallon -- and up. Lawmakers have responded, predictably, by vowing to do something to bring prices down. Unfortunately, when Congress gets involved, prices usually go up. Take alternative fuels. Lawmakers love to tout their support for ethanol mandates, and farmers here in Illinois share their enthusiasm. But, in the big picture, ethanol is bad for Americans, farmers included.
June 14, 2007
Russia needn't fail Europe screen test
By Ed Feulner
It's unlikely the neighbors would complain if a family installed an alarm system. Especially if the family offered to install alarms in every home on the block. Such a generous offer would protect everyone from crime. Friendly, law-abiding neighbors would realize they have everything to gain and nothing to fear.
June 07, 2007
Dear Diary: They Still Just Don't Get It
By Ed Feulner
You can learn a lot by reading someone's diary. Consider The Reagan Diaries. Anyone who still buys the absurd notion that our 40th president was an "amiable dunce" will be shocked to read the words of a first-rate leader, guiding policy and easily outflanking his political opponents.
May 31, 2007
To be successful, here's what immigration bill must do
By Ed Feulner
It's difficult to write about the Senate's proposed immigration reform bill, because it's such a moving target. And yet the branch of our government that calls itself "The World's Greatest Deliberative Body" intended to have a final vote last Thursday, even though most senators hadn't even seen the massive bill (350 pages in one printing) until a few days earlier.
May 24, 2007
Why are we making war in Iraq? To keep the peace
By Ed Feulner
Americans are famously impatient -- and with good reason. Throughout our country's existence, we've enjoyed steady progress. Indeed, we consider progress to be our birthright. Consequently, we're almost always in a hurry to move forward.
May 22, 2007
Wrong way on reparations
By Ed Feulner
The United States motto is written on most of our money: E Pluribus Unum, "out of many, one." But if Congress has its way, plenty of our dollars will be spent to separate Americans into ethnic groups instead of bringing us together as one people.
May 17, 2007
Just improving IRS collection won't vastly boost revenue
By Ed Feulner
Ever worry about the long arm of the IRS? You're not alone. Just ask Sen. Max Baucus, the Democratic chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
May 10, 2007
Thought police on patrol in D.C.
By Ed Feulner
There was a time when federal crimes were few. The Constitution mentions only three: treason, counterfeiting and piracy. Fast forward 220 years, though, and you find that Congress has declared more than 4,000 offenses to be federal crimes.
May 03, 2007
Path to fairness isn't in the cards
By Ed Feulner
Democracy can be messy. You find that in any number of stories about voting irregularities. For example, in Florida's 13th Congressional District, Republican Vern Buchanan won last fall by just 369 votes. Democrat Christine Jennings cried foul, noting that some 18,000 ballots were cast without a vote for either candidate. (The House of Representatives is investigating.)
April 26, 2007
Will rules never stop, for law's sake?
By Ed Feulner
Some jobs are harder than others: selling snowshoes in Jamaica, for instance, or swimsuits in the Antarctic. Yet, either of those jobs would be a snap compared with selling paper products to Congress.
April 19, 2007
America must win
By Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
Some things we've come to count on. Old Faithful will erupt every 90 minutes or so. Halley's Comet will return every 75-76 years. The United States will always have the world's most powerful military.
April 12, 2007
Unbalancing act: Congress' spending plans don't add up
By Ed Feulner
Whether you filed your taxes early or will join the last-minute crowd this weekend, let me ask: Are your taxes too low?
April 05, 2007
U.N. needs to get around the bloc
By Ed Feulner
Even before it was officially born, the U.N. was beset by tensions. President Roosevelt floated the concept of a "United Nations" during World War II. It seemed achievable: After all, free countries such as the United States, Britain and Australia managed to set aside their differences with the Soviet Union long enough to defeat Nazi Germany.
March 29, 2007
It's time for a dose of reality in federal health-care spending
By Edwin J. Feulner
"If something's free, I'll take two," a mentor of mine once said. His point was that people don't value things they don't pay for, especially things the government "gives" them.
March 22, 2007
Ethanol isn't worth getting pumped up about, but oil shale might be
By Edwin J. Feulner
Winter is barely behind us, and gasoline prices are already rising. Worse, experts predict more price increases are right down the road.
March 15, 2007
Our leaders need to adopt conservative programs voters want
By Ed Feulner
Politicians always insist they're paying attention to us. Hillary Clinton, for example, launched her Senate bid a few years ago with a "listening tour" of New York state. And every Friday while Congress is in session, the city of Washington clears out, with lawmakers flying home to host town-hall meetings with voters.
March 08, 2007
Speak softly, America, and start carrying a bigger stick
By Ed Feulner
Osama bin Laden and Ronald Reagan wouldn't have agreed on much. But both men understood one thing: Military weakness invites trouble.
March 01, 2007
We need a new commission to tackle entitlement programs
By Ed Feulner
In any policy battle, it helps to have allies. So it's good that AARP seems finally ready to help press for reform of entitlements such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
February 22, 2007
Object of a proposition: English as a national language
By Ed Feulner
In the mid-1950s, French educator Jacques Barzun said, "Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball." He correctly recognized the sport as a cultural touchstone that united us.
February 15, 2007
TV or not TV? That's not a question for the government
By Ed Feulner
In recent years, for example, MP3 files have supplanted the compact disc as the best way to store and listen to music, just as CDs themselves replaced vinyl albums and cassette tapes two decades ago.
February 08, 2007
Use window of opportunity to close door on budget waste
By Ed Feulner
It happens to a lot of families. Despite a nice raise, spending still exceeds income. The credit-card debt is piling up. Mom and Dad need to have "the big talk." It's time to decide where to cut their spending to make ends meet.
February 01, 2007
Despite setbacks, conservatism has a bright future
By Ed Feulner
Conservatives come in all shapes, sizes and ages. At a recent gathering of activists and thinkers, I had the pleasure of introducing my granddaughter Betsy. She’s famous in our house for her smile, her charm — and her $187,000 mortgage.
February 01, 2007
America can't afford to lose latest space race
By Ed Feulner
It's easy to take American military invincibility for granted. On land, at sea and in the air, no force can match us -- a situation that has prevailed since the Soviet Union collapsed.
January 25, 2007
Dollars spent on entitlements could instead boost economy
By Ed Feulner
For Americans, the good times are rolling. Our economy is buzzing, with some 5 million new jobs created just since 2003. Unemployment is 4.5 percent, a near-historic low and even lower than during the boom years of the late 1990s. Meanwhile, tax revenues are soaring, up 11.8 percent in a year. Even inflation is under control. Consumer prices increased just 2.5 percent last year, the lowest rate in three years.
January 24, 2007
An Agenda Republicans and Democrats Should Advance in Congress
By Ed Feulner
When historians sit down to write about the recently departed 109th Congress, one fact is likely to stand out: The supposedly conservative majority spent as if it was a liberal majority.
January 18, 2007
Entitlement programs soak up money that could boost business
By Edwin J. Feulner
Teachers give report cards for a reason: So students (and their parents) will know what subjects they're doing well in, and where they need to improve.
January 11, 2007
New approach adds up to a better way to get results
By Edwin J. Feulner
The road to hell, they say, is paved with good intentions. Frequently, so is the road to government waste. Three years ago, President Bush announced a $15 billion initiative to fight AIDS in developing nations. Our government has spent freely since, but it's unclear how many people we've helped. The program, says a recent Associated Press report, "pushed so hard for fast results that basic record keeping and accountability often went by the wayside, making it hard to judge the true success."
January 04, 2007
Complaints about greenhouse gases are just a lot of hot air
By Edwin J. Feulner
Those of us old enough to remember the 1970s have no desire to relive those days. After all, it was an era of price controls, gasoline lines and stagflation. These ills were triggered when our government attempted to "fix" the economy by subverting the free market. Instead it simply ended up creating an economic nightmare.
2006 Commentary
December 28, 2006
'07 to-do list: Open government, win in Iraq, fix entitlements
By Edwin J. Feulner
'Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions,'' Mark Twain said. ''Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.''
Cynicism aside, though, compiling a list of resolutions can be a good exercise -- even for politicians.
December 21, 2006
Maybe U.N. doesn't have to stand for Utterly Negligent
By Edwin J. Feulner
In recent years, the United Nations has often gone out of its way to avoid getting involved in the world's trouble spots. It ignored genocide in Darfur. Pulled out of Iraq in 2003. Done nothing to stem Iran's nuclear ambitions. Can an organization this compromised do much to improve things?
December 14, 2006
Congress should reapprove scholarship fund for private schools
By Edwin J. Feulner
Most sports seasons end, and players get time off to rest and plan for next year. In Washington, though, politics is the sport, and the season never ends.
December 07, 2006
The questions keep coming, but the answer is to keep going
By Edwin J. Feulner
Thursday, Dec. 7, marks a solemn occasion. In Hawaii, halfway across the Pacific, they'll honor the thousands of Americans killed 65 years ago at Pearl Harbor on what President Franklin Roosevelt correctly called "a day that will live in infamy."
November 30, 2006
Make U.S. investment pay off in E. Europe
By Edwin J. Feulner
It's always a pleasant surprise when a government program works well and accomplishes what it was set up to do.
November 23, 2006
Counting on government adds up to excessive dependency
By Edwin J. Feulner
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to count your blessings. Many of us will prefer to follow Will Rogers' advice and "thank God we're not getting all the government we're paying for."
November 16, 2006
Idea of buying votes with federal largess is a spent force
By Edwin J. Feulner
'Money can't buy me love," the Beatles famously sang. That should be the lesson conservatives take from the Nov. 7 elections, because the real story of this year's midterm vote is that the supposedly conservative majority spent as if it was a liberal majority.
November 11, 2006
Cutting Taxes May Not Cut Revenues
By Edwin J. Feulner
Everyone knows that in math, 4-2 = 2. But that’s not always true when it comes to tax policy. Sometimes (often, in fact) 4-2 = 3. In other words, if we cut certain tax rates in half, we won’t necessarily cut tax revenues in half.
November 09, 2006
A Tour of Guantanamo Prison Shows America at Its Best
By Edwin J. Feulner
GUANTANAMO BAY -- At least two detainees at the holding facility here skipped lunch today because they're on a hunger strike. Which is a pity for them -- the food was delicious. By contrast, the steady stream of news about "Gitmo" tends to leave one with a bad taste.
November 02, 2006
We've cut federal taxes, but now it's time to cut spending
By Edwin J. Feulner
Half a loaf, they say, is better than none. And that's true, as long as you're allowed to keep that half.
October 26, 2006
Stop snarling -- the wolf isn't at our doors just yet
By Edwin J. Feulner
Back in 1980, Ronald Reagan asked a simple question: "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" In those days of "stagflation" many weren't, and Reagan won a mandate for change.
October 19, 2006
U.S. can't afford to pull out of Iraq
By Edwin J. Feulner
Iraq's bloody civil war worsened today, when 10,000 heavily armed troops from the Shiite state of Shiastan pushed north from Najaf and Rumaythah. The attack threatened to trap three battalions of U.S.-backed Sunnis in the region.
October 14, 2006
U.S. Higher Education: Pay More, Learn Less
By Edwin J. Feulner
Many parents believe that where their children attend college is the most important decision a family will make.
October 05, 2006
America needs an effective defense against missile attack
By Edwin J. Feulner
If North Korea fired a long-range missile at the United States today -- like the one it test-fired this summer -- could we defend ourselves?
October 03, 2006
Benefits of stronger Japanese military
By Edwin J. Feulner
Japan has reason to celebrate these days. Several weeks ago, a baby named Hisahito was born -- the first male heir to the "Chrysanthemum throne" in four decades.
September 28, 2006
A stronger military for Japan would benefit U.S., too
By Edwin J. Feulner
Japan has reason to celebrate these days. Several weeks ago, a baby named Hisahito was born -- the first male heir to the "Chrysanthemum throne" in four decades.
September 21, 2006
U.S. visa policy a passport to reduced competitiveness
By Edwin J. Feulner
During a war, a country needs to rally its allies. Unfortunately, in the midst of the global war on terrorism, we're finding ways to push some of our best allies away.
September 14, 2006
Legal Services fails to make case for more money
By Edwin J. Feulner
Anyone who's watched a police drama knows the drill: "You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning.
September 08, 2006
What the U.N. needs now
By Herbert London, Christopher DeMuth, Frank Gaffney Jr., and Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee soon will vote on President Bush's renomination of John Bolton as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a position he has held for just more than a year as a recess appointment. He has acquitted himself well in the job to date, validating the confidence expressed by Mr. Bush and those of us who have known and admired him for many years.
September 07, 2006
What Congress should put on top of agenda
By Edwin J. Feulner
Returning to work after a vacation is always difficult. There are phone calls to return, e-mails to answer and work piled high in the in-box.
August 31, 2006
Rebuilding in the Big Easy doesn't have to be so hard
By Edwin J. Feulner
Perhaps Thomas Wolfe was correct -- you can't go home again. Certainly that's what many former Louisiana residents are saying one year after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and nearby communities.
August 24, 2006
Case for transparent government is open and shut
By Edwin J. Feulner
It's not yet five years old, but it's already experienced at throwing away cash. A recent congressional report found that 32 DHS contracts "experienced significant overcharges, wasteful spending or mismanagement." Federal credit cards were used to buy beer-brewing equipment and iPods. Tax money was squandered on luxury hotels and "training" sessions at golf and tennis resorts.
August 21, 2006
Maturity milestone
By Edwin J. Feulner
There it was at our staff meeting: the first birthday cake with the magic number 65 on top. They went with the big number candles, so they wouldn't have to bother lighting dozens of separate ones. Probably a smart move.
August 17, 2006
History proves new welfare reform will be successful
By Edwin J. Feulner
Many states are upset with Uncle Sam these days. Seems they don't like being pushed to achieve reasonable goals. Starting Oct. 1, the federal government will demand that states meet new standards for helping people get off welfare. In order to keep receiving federal money, states will need to make sure at least half of their welfare recipients find jobs or at least search for work rigorously.
August 10, 2006
Flat chance? Tax concept is again making the rounds
By Edwin J. Feulner
Politics, it's said, is the art of the possible. Small wonder, then, that most politicians leave such small footprints. After all, the "possible" is, by definition, achievable. To leave a mark on history, a politician must do the seemingly impossible.
August 03, 2006
U.S. needs to keep up the fight against trade barriers
By Edwin J. Feulner
The open microphone at the recent G-8 summit produced two newsworthy revelations. The first is that President Bush sometimes uses colorful language when discussing world hot spots.
The second, far more important news arising from "Open Mic Nite" came as the president and British Prime Minister Tony Blair discussed the Doha Round -- the multinational talks designed to expand free trade:
July 27, 2006
Seminars make better judges
By Edwin J. Feulner
Imagine a profession where you're expected to be an expert on criminal procedure, congressional redistricting, wetlands regulation, abortion and war -- among other topics. Well, welcome to the world of a federal justice.
July 20, 2006
Deep-six this idea of protecting whales from Navy sonar
By Edwin J. Feulner
U.S. military dominance goes largely unquestioned. No army can hold a battlefield against our troops. No planes can ground our Air Force. No enemy ships can challenge our naval dominance. hales, though, are a different story
.
July 13, 2006
Buffett thinks this is one tax that's a good idea
By Edwin J. Feulner
The federal government won't be getting a windfall of Buffett bucks after all. This year the world's second-richest man, Warren Buffett, turns 76. He's built a fortune worth an estimated $44 billion. He's also a strong proponent of the federal death tax, which (were he to die in 2011) would claim some 55 percent of his estate. So it must have occurred to some IRS bureaucrats that they might eventually cash a probate check for upwards of $20 billion.
But that's not going to happen.
July 06, 2006
Read your way to an educational, entertaining summer
By Edwin J. Feulner
If Fourth of July celebrations prove anything, it's this: Nobody wears their love of country on their sleeves like Americans do.
And that's as it should be. For all of its faults and foibles, America has demonstrated repeatedly over the last 230 years that it truly deserves our devotion. Ask yourself: If the United States didn't stand for something noble and fine, would we be having a national debate about how many people should be allowed to immigrate here?
June 29, 2006
Lawmakers can't cut and run from huge looming deficits
By Edwin J. Feulner
It happens to a lot of us. Credit card offers pour in, we sign up for too many cards -- then wind up spending ourselves into a deep hole. The only solution: Cut up the cards and cut back on spending until the debt is paid down.
June 22, 2006
In 'economic World Cup,' America has big lead on Europe
By Edwin J. Feulner
Here are two pieces of news. Can you tell which is good and which is bad? 1. Economic growth in the coming months is expected to range between 3 percent and 4 percent. 2. Economic growth in the coming months is expected to be 0.7 percent.
The answers might surprise you. The first sentence is actually bad news, because we're talking about the white-hot American economy. GDP grew 5.3 percent in the first quarter, so a drop back to 3 percent would represent a slowdown.
June 15, 2006
After heavy spending, maybe Congress sees light
By Edwin J. Feulner
Is Congress finally listening? For years now, ordinary Americans have voiced their discontent with policymaking in Washington. They've been especially dismayed with politicians' spendthrift ways regarding all matters, great and small.
June 08, 2006
Was expansion to G-8 a case of Russian to judgment?
By Edwin J. Feulner
Leaders of the world's freest countries will flock to an increasingly unfree nation next month. That's when the annual Group of 8, or G-8, meeting will draw the leaders of Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, Japan and the United States to Russia.
June 01, 2006
'E pluribus whatever' hardly a unifying national motto
By Edwin J. Feulner
Last year, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution congratulating the West Oahu baseball team for winning the 2005 Little League World Series. Those young men were an American success story because they never gave up.
May 24, 2006
We can't retire worries about Social Security, Medicare
By Edwin J. Feulner
Sometimes the biggest stories don't make the newspaper. Earlier this month, the trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds issued their annual report on the future of the programs -- to little fanfare.
May 18, 2006
U.S. should spell it out: Iran can't go nuclear
By Edwin J. Feulner
There's a reason few people write letters anymore. In a world of BlackBerrys, e-mail, cell phones and fax machines, the old-fashioned letter is simply too slow to deliver important information.
May 11, 2006
Photo IDs could improve image of election process
By Edwin J. Feulner
Vote early -- and often." We hear this quip every time an election rolls around, and with good reason: Electoral fraud is as old as the ballot box itself and still happens in the United States. Just last year a judge in Washington state ruled that some 1,678 illegal votes were cast in its 2004 election -- more than enough to change the outcome of the governor's race.
May 10, 2006
Don't let the Senate defund the troops to pay for pork
By Edwin J. Feulner
Need proof of how pork-addicted Congress has become? Consider this: Some in the Senate are looking for ways to shift funds from the troops in Iraq to some of their favorite pet projects.
At risk is the $94.4 supplemental spending bill President Bush requested from Congress to provide $92 billion for hurricane relief and the troops in Iraq and $2.4 billion for avian flu response. Despite his warning that anything above this amount would lead to a veto, several senators abused the must-pass status of the legislation to add $14 billion in wasteful pork-barrel goodies for influential constituents, labor unions and corporations.
May 04, 2006
Congressional squawking won't bring fuel prices down
By Edwin J. Feulner
When a crisis strikes, Americans can count on Congress to swing into action. So as gasoline p
