Mad Statists

New York fails Common Core tests; more states to follow

"The political fight over the Common Core academic standards rolling out in schools nationwide this fall is sure to intensify after New York reported Wednesday that students across the state failed miserably on new reading and math tests meant to reflect the more rigorous standards. Fewer than a third of students in public schools passed the new tests, officials reported. And, in a twist that could roil education policy, some highly touted charter schools flopped particularly badly. Critics fumed that the state was setting kids up to fail — and failing to acknowledge that crimped budgets, crowded classrooms and high student poverty rates have all played a role." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew York fails Common Core tests; more states to follow

The impulse to ban

"You don’t have to be a libertarian, or otherwise opposed to large government, to desire proper analysis of a problem and its potential solutions before rushing into a ban. Yet the impulse in the general population is to ban, whether they are on the left or the right. Those of us involved in drug policy reform have seen so clearly first-hand the unmitigated disasters that can come from the rush to ban, and so are less susceptible, perhaps, to that impulse. But we need to help others see that banning is not equal to stopping the problem." Continue reading →

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Fox News host demands escalation of nuclear hostilities with Russia over Snowden

"Fox News host Gregg Jarrett on Thursday suggested that President Barack Obama should pull out of nuclear treaties and send missiles to Europe after Russian President Vladimir Putin granted asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Earlier this year, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that the U.S. was cancelling plans to put long-range missile defense interceptors in Poland. Moscow had refused to move forward with additional nuclear arms cuts unless the system was scrapped. Three other phases, including short-range missiles in Poland, were expected to be rolled out as planned." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFox News host demands escalation of nuclear hostilities with Russia over Snowden

What Egypt Tells Us About U.S. Foreign Aid

"What do Angola, Cambodia, Chad, Haiti, Laos, Somalia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Yemen and Zimbabwe have in common? They all receive U.S. foreign aid and, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, boast some of the most corrupt governments in the world—strong-arm governments in most cases. If money can’t buy the United States influence, it’s also not buying America a lot love. According to a recent Pew poll, in Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan only 16, 14 and 11 percent of their respective populations have a favorable view of the United States. Egypt is a clarion call to stop throwing good money after bad." Continue reading →

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Yemen: American Foreign Policy in Action

"Yemeni security forces have been put on high alert amid warnings of an imminent attack by al-Qaeda in Sana’a, as the US and Britain withdrew embassy staff and urged their citizens to leave the country. BBC Arabic quoted a Yemeni security source as saying 'extraordinary and unprecedented' security measures had been taken, with armoured vehicles deployed at the presidential palace and other sensitive government and foreign installations in Yemen’s capital. Dozens of al-Qaeda operatives were said to have streamed into Sana’a in the last few days, apparently to take part in a terrorist attack, the BBC said." Continue reading →

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Scientists propose developing more potent mutant bird flu for research

"Scientists proposed developing a more potent strain of the deadly H7N9 bird flu on Wednesday to examine how mutant forms might spread among humans, a topic that has stoked global alarm in the past. US health authorities said any new H7N9 experiments that seek US funding would undergo a new, strict safety review, after concerns over such research on another bird flu, H5N1, in December 2011 raised fears that terrorists could unleash a virulent lab-grown strain and cause mass deaths." Continue reading →

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Bill Bonner: What if Mr. Summers weren’t so brilliant, after all?

"We read Mr. Summers' commentaries regularly, in the Financial Times. We don't recall a single insight worth repeating or a single proposal that merits further discussion. Like Tom Friedman, he sees problems everywhere and finds solutions for them readily. And every solution he comes up with would be neat, logical, and disastrous. Unintended consequences? Has he ever heard of the concept? For him, reason has no limits...intervention has no risks...and the world has no black swans. Seeing no danger to further monetary stimulus, he will put the pedal to the metal and run at full speed...right into a brick wall." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: What if Mr. Summers weren’t so brilliant, after all?

Marc Faber: The Fed Will Increase QE

"Marc Faber was characteristically pessimistic during his interview with Sprott Money late last month. 'I don’t think they will end QE. I rather think they will have to increase it, because as you print money or as you purchase assets, from a central banking point of view, it loses its impact over time. In order to keep the impact going, you have to essentially increase it. I believe that the dovish members of the Fed will print more money. Especially after the resignation of Mr. Bernanke early next year, when he will be replaced, there will be even more dovish members.'" Continue reading →

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IMF sees no end to French jobless crisis this decade

"The IMF said the jobless rate will rise yet further to 11.6pc in 2014 and will not drop below 10.6pc within Mr Hollande’s five-year term. If this grim scenario unfolds, it will be a political hammer blow for Mr Hollande. He asked the nation to judge him on his record in 'bending the unemployment curve'. The Fund said efforts to bring down the budget deficit should focus on spending cuts rather than fresh taxes, 'which are among the highest by international standards and have a negative effect on investment and job creation'. Two-thirds of Mr Hollande’s fiscal squeeze has come from taxes, to the fury of the business lobby Medef." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIMF sees no end to French jobless crisis this decade

How Dare the Iranians Elect a Moderate!

"What did the Iranians do to warrant such deafening and dramatic saber-rattling? Test a nuclear device? Open a military base in Mexico? No. They voted for moderate Iranian politician, Hasan Rouhani, to be president. To punctuate his expressed desire to open to the West, the English-speaking Rouhani unveiled his cabinet today, which includes a PhD from the University of Denver as his new foreign minister and a PhD from the George Washington University as his chief of staff. Iran watcher and RPI advisor Prof. Flint Leverett observed that 'Rohani has appointed his A-team to do a deal with the U.S. It shows Iran is serious.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow Dare the Iranians Elect a Moderate!