The Philadelphia Inquirer

Castro's Exit is a Giant Opportunity

Ron Tang — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

OK, which candidate is prepared to break U.S.-Cuba relations out of the anachronistic Cold War cocoon and initiate a new course?

Barack Obama has sketched out the initial steps of a changed direction already, and Hillary Clinton in response said she saw no reason to change from the Bush administration's course until a triggering event appeared.

When Fidel Castro hinted in December he would step down, I asked the Clinton campaign whether it would change course, and was told if something significant occurred to justify a rethink, then the Clinton team would do a "full policy review." This is significant.

The end of… more

Philadelphia Inquirer Quotes Ghaith al-Omari on Hamas

Communications — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 12:10:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Like a mismatched couple who live together miserably before breaking up violently, Fatah and Hamas were doomed partners from the start.

But what triggered the final, violent rupture between the Palestinian factions?

Last week's virtual civil war, in which about 100 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip, was a crisis foretold.

Since the founding of Hamas in 1987, there has been a deep fault line between its Islamic fundamentalist creed and the more secular side of Palestinian life represented by Fatah - between Hamas followers perceived as disciplined and Fatah bureaucrats perceived as inept at best.

The January 2006 landslide electoral victory of Hamas and its entry into the governing Palestinian Authority exacerbated the differences. Hamas sought to implement its mandate. Fatah refused to share power after ruling Palestinian affairs for 40 years.

A unity agreement brokered at Mecca in Saudi Arabia in March was supposed to tame the hostilities. Some experts said the agreement never had a chance because the parties already were deep into fighting mode...

Ghaith al-Omari, a former adviser to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, now a fellow at the New America Foundation think tank in Washington, spoke to his contacts in the Middle East last week and heard two versions about why Gaza boiled over.

One theory is that the Hamas leaders who lost out in the Mecca agreement, principally Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar and former Interior Minister Said Sayyam, green-lighted the violence but without the approval of Hamas higher-ups, including prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashall, the leader-in-exile in Damascus, Syria.

"One thing Mecca didn't do was deal with the security sector. Who would be in charge?" Omari said. "So Hamas decided to just take over the whole security sector. Politically, I think, they bit off more than they can chew. They are stuck now with Gaza with no resources, and more than likely Israel will intensify its actions."

Another theory is that Hamas struck now - preemptively - because it feared Fatah was building up militarily using U.S.-supplied small arms and ammunition deliveries facilitated through Israel, both of which occurred in recent months.

"That is Hamas' line," Omari said, "but I'm not sure I buy it. I think this started out as a limited engagement, gained momentum, and just snowballed..."

For the complete article, please visit The Philadelphia Inquirer website.

Henry Ford’s Idea was Better

Articles — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 05:13:00 -0500

As President Bush and Congress prepare to debate an increase in the federal minimum wage, they could learn much from the economic wisdom of one of America’s most successful business leaders -- Henry Ford.

Ford was, among other things, a famously domineering employer, but he was also an economic pioneer. He not only perfected the techniques of mass production of automobiles, but he also foresaw that his efforts would not amount to great profits if average Americans could not afford to buy all those cars. He saw that putting higher wages in his workers’ pockets was good for his, and his… more

Give Money to Students, Not Lenders

Articles — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 22:57:00 -0400

A new Education Department report could have dramatic implications for the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Authority (PHEAA).

The report, from the department’s inspector general’s office, calls on the National Education Loan Network, known as Nelnet, to give up $278 million in improperly claimed taxpayer subsidies. An additional $882 million could still be counted as overpayment, according to the report. Nelnet disagrees with the findings, and it’s now up to the Department of Education secretary to accept or reject the report.

About two-thirds of PHEAA’s earnings in 2004 came from the same subsidy, and the nonprofit lender is now being audited.

How did Nelnet… more

Tax on Violent Videos Likely Source of Funding

Articles — Fri, 19 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0500

The long lines at the voting booths on Nov. 2 were dwarfed by the hoards of gamers who lined up a week later in cities around the country, anxiously awaiting an inaugural copy of the most hotly anticipated video game in American entertainment history. With more than $80 million in expected profits, this shoot-em-up sensation may not change the world, but it could help put the compassion back into conservatism by providing a much-needed financial boost for key domestic programs.

From mentoring programs to faith-based initiatives, the Bush administration has introduced a series of well-intentioned social programs designed to keep kids… more

State's Child-Welfare Lessons Lost on Bush's Policy-Makers

Articles — Wed, 24 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0500

Optimists have lauded New Jersey's proposed $325 million overhaul of the Division of Youth and Family Services as a "new beginning" in the arduous road to reform. Skeptics dismiss it as political hubris -- an initiative conspicuously absent in real-world detail.

Given the proposal's implications for thousands of at-risk children and families, however, Gov. McGreevey described it best. Failure to implement the plan, he said, is "not an option."

When it comes to introducing and following through with a similarly bold plan for national child-welfare reform, the Bush administration has a lot to learn from New Jersey.

Across the country, nearly a million… more