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February 2015

Blog No. 61 Part II The National Security Strategy: Ukraine

Part II: Ukraine

In Part I of this blog, which dealt primarily with the Islamic State, we urged readers to take their own look at the National Security Strategy (NSS). In Part II, addressing Ukraine (and the Russian threat to Eastern Europe and the preparedness of NATO), we renew that suggestion although the portions of the document relating to the issues discussed here are relatively brief. Indeed, it is one of the most notable features of the NSS that Ukraine, the broader Russian threat and NATO are given surprisingly little attention.

Read More »Blog No. 61 Part II The National Security Strategy: Ukraine

Blog No. 61 The National Security Strategy, the Islamic State and Ukraine

Part I. The National Security Strategy and The Islamic State

We believe that the assaults by the forces of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and by Russia and its proxies in Ukraine, represent clear and present dangers to the national security of the United States. The circumstances in each area of conflict are obviously quite different, but they have in common the absence of any clear strategy on the part of the Administration for dealing with them. Indeed, despite routine expressions of disapproval, and sometimes condemnation, the concern of the Administration more often seems to be one of almost studied nonchalance. That is clearly the tone of the National Security Strategy (NSS) issued on February 6. Apart from vague references to coalitions and partnerships, the emphasis seems more on what we will not do than what we will do. The NSS received relatively little attention in the media when it appeared, and the members of the public who have actually read it could probably fit without crowding into a rather small stadium. Yet it is an important document that should be read, if not in its full 28 pages, at least for the 2 page personal Introduction by the President. It is available here.Read More »Blog No. 61 The National Security Strategy, the Islamic State and Ukraine

Special Bulletin. Annals of Self-Inflicted Wounds: Immigration and DHS Funding

In Blog No. 55, on December 20, we discussed the objections to the Omnibus Spending Bill raised by opponents of the President’s executive action with respect to immigration. We wrote:

We too have objected to the President’s action, but have noted that as a practical matter there is likely little that Republicans can – or should attempt to – do about it. (The omnibus bill funded the Department of Homeland Security only through the end of February so as to present another opportunity at that time for budgetary mischief inspired by Obama’s immigration initiative.) We are hopeful that cooler heads will again prevail in February.

Our view has not changed, but we are still waiting—and hoping—for the cooler heads to take control.Elephant-Fight1Read More »Special Bulletin. Annals of Self-Inflicted Wounds: Immigration and DHS Funding

Special Bulletin. What Will Become of Brian Williams?

There had been enough written about the plight of Brian Williams that further comment here had seemed unnecessary. Yet three items in today’s New York Times suggested that there might something else to be said. The first was a column by David Brooks, “The Act of Rigorous Forgiving,” the second, an column by Tara Parker-Pope, “Was Brian Williams a Victim of False Memory?” and the third an article entitled “Brian Williams Loses Lofty Spot on a Trustworthiness Scale.” Then, having gathered our thoughts, NBC announced this evening that Williams had been suspended for six months without pay. We do not ordinarily try to deal with breaking news, but this seemed an occasion to make the attempt.
Read More »Special Bulletin. What Will Become of Brian Williams?

Special Bulletin. Vaccinating Rhythm (A Duet for Christie and Paul)

Here at RINOcracy.com we tend to write in a serious vein, but occasionally the impulse for something a little lighter seems irresistible. So it was with the song below, dedicated to Governor Chris Christie and Senator Rand Paul and with apologies to the Gershwin brothers and Ella Fitzgerald.

Vaccinating Rhythm

(A Duet for Chris Christie and Rand Paul)Read More »Special Bulletin. Vaccinating Rhythm (A Duet for Christie and Paul)

Guest Blog. Redirecting Health Reform: A Real Republican Opportunity

A couple of years ago, Jeff Bauer and I and our wives shared a nightly dinner on a transatlantic crossing and became friends. Jeff and I stayed in touch and exchanged thoughts on various subject, including healthcare, a subject on which he is an expert and I am not. I was impressed by his expertise and intrigued by his perspectives on that challenging issue and I talked him into doing a guest blog. I believe that readers of RINOcracy.com will find it both informative and thought-provoking. ~ DMP.

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Redirecting Health Reform: A Real Republican Opportunity

By Jeffrey C. Bauer, Ph.D.

 

The intensely partisan debate over repairing or repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a waste of everyone’s time. Democrats begrudgingly admit that Obamacare is flawed, but they refuse to modify its core goal of reducing the number of uninsured Americans. Meanwhile, Republicans keep voting to repeal the law without offering a viable alternative for solving the serious problems of our medical care system.

Expanding access to a dysfunctional system will only make the situation worse, but returning to the pre-ACA marketplace will not make things any better. As I argue in Paradox and Imperatives in Health Care: Redirecting Reform for Efficiency and Effectiveness (CRC Press, 2015), it’s time to start from scratch. A new approach to reform is sorely needed to extract us from today’s lose-lose confrontation between defenders of a poorly crafted law and opponents who would return us to the failed marketplace that Obamacare attempted to address.Read More »Guest Blog. Redirecting Health Reform: A Real Republican Opportunity