‘Mark W. Hendrickson’ Archives
Mitt and Me: Romney at Cranbrook—a Personal Glimpse
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES What interesting timing. I had recently planned a column on my observations about Mitt Romney at Cranbrook. Why? Not because of anything in the news related to Cranbrook—at least not yet—but because our careers there (mine and Mitt’s) overlapped. Then The Washington Post released its [...]
Reflections on the French Election
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES The election of Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande to the presidency of France epitomizes the sorry state of contemporary democracy. By that, I don’t mean to imply that the French people should have voted for the incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy. Neither would be capable of solving [...]
Yo-Yo Economics?
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES President Obama recently referred to free-market economics as “you’re-on-your-own economics.” It’s a catchy phrase—rhythmic, alliterative, clever. Too bad it’s bunk. The only genuine “you’re on your own economics”—let’s call it “yo-yo economics,” for short—is [...]
The GOP: A Party in Flux
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES With Rick Santorum having dropped out of the race, Mitt Romney is apparently the Republican nominee for POTUS, barring a “black swan” event swooping down out of nowhere. Why has the Republican Party taken so long to decide upon its presidential nominee? The two most common explanations [...]
The Election-Year Politics of Energy
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES Realizing that his popularity may decline as the price of gasoline rises, President Obama is barnstorming the country, emphatically insisting that drilling for more oil isn’t the cure for high gas prices and that wind and solar energy represent our energy future. Republican [...]
People Say the Darndest Things
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES Those of you past a certain age may remember the old Art Linkletter show “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” The one I still remember was when Linkletter asked a little boy if he looked like his daddy. “No,” replied the boy innocently, “I look like the mailman.” Well, adults say [...]
A Whiff of Privitization
Mark W. Henrickson, Center for Vision and Values Three decades ago, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher implemented a policy called “privatization” to rejuvenate the moribund economy of the United Kingdom. Like the United States today, the cost of a too-large government was sapping the vitality of the U.K.’s economy. The private sector [...]
Economics: The Cheerful Science
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION AND VALUES Chances are, you’ve heard economics referred to as “the dismal science.” That unflattering description is glib and catchy; it is also 100 percent wrong. Let me set the record straight and explain why economics—far from being dismal—is cause for hope, joy, cheer, and [...]
The State of the Union: An Inside Report
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES On Tuesday evening, I had the honor of attending the State of the Union address as the guest of Congressman Mike Kelly (PA-03). Here are my impressions in abbreviated form: The address seemed more like a rewrite of previous speeches than an original work. Sure, there were new anecdotes and [...]
The Tax Rate Scandal
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION AND VALUES When Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney casually estimated that his effective tax rate is around 15 percent, progressives immediately pounced on the issue. To this ideological minority with its Ahab-like obsession on class warfare, a rich American paying an effective tax rate of [...]
Sports, Concussions, and Contemporary American Culture
MARK W. HENDRICKSON, CENTER FOR VISION AND VALUES If you follow professional sports, and especially if you are a football or hockey fan, you undoubtedly are aware of the rash of concussions that have rendered players unfit to play. Now there’s a rash of lawsuits being filed against the National Football League, the latest of which includes a [...]
The Five Best Christmas Movies: And the Gift of Grace and Renewal
Mark W. Hendrickson, The Center for Vision and Values Let’s have a happy debate: What are the five best Christmas movies of all time? Obviously, tastes differ and change over time. Here are my five favorites, the ones I am willing to watch every Christmas season, starting with number five and ending with my absolute favorite: Number five: [...]
Barry and the Babe
Mark W. Hendrickson, The Center for Vision and Values Barry Bonds’ Dec. 16 sentencing for obstruction of justice is an anticlimactic addendum to a sterling, though marred, baseball career. Without a doubt, Bonds was a great hitter who didn’t need performance-enhancing drugs to put up Hall of Fame numbers. Bonds had dedication and [...]
China’s ‘Superior’ Economic Model
Mark W. Hendrickson, The Center for Vision and Values In a recent piece for the Wall Street Journal, Andy Stern, an Obama insider and one of organized labor’s more aggressive personalities, praised what he called “China’s superior economic model.” Does China have a superior economic model? That depends: Superior to what? Mr. [...]
When Clarence Thomas Came for a Visit
Mark W. Hendrickson, The Center for Vision and Values On Tuesday, November 15, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas visited Grove City College. (1) I had a choice to make—whether to meet him or attend to the tons of work I had to finish before several looming deadlines. I don’t share our society’s fascination with famous people. I [...]
Green Fiascoes and Boondoggles
Mark W. Hendrickson, The Center for Vision and Values A barrage of news headlines on the Solyndra (1) scandal continue to remind us that President Obama made green jobs one of his administration’s priorities. Those headlines also reveal this initiative to have been a costly mistake. The bankruptcy of Solyndra, the solar-panel manufacturer [...]
Veterans: What is Seen and What is Not Seen
Mark W. Hendrickson, The Center for Vision and Values In economics, the first lesson I teach my pupils is the lesson of things that are seen and things that are not seen. Actions have some effects that are readily apparent and others are overlooked or not perceived. It’s the same with our military veterans. We see the obvious price [...]
Short-Lived Euphoria in Europe
Mark W. Hendrickson, The Center for Vision and Values Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, was a giddy day for European politicians and global investors. European Union officials announced a plan for addressing the EU’s worst financial problems. There would be a partial write-down of Greek sovereign debt—a 50 percent haircut for private bondholders, [...]
Looking Ahead to 2012, 2013, and 2014
Mark W. Hendrickson, The Center for Vision and Values Whoever takes the oath of office as President of the United States in January of 2013 will inherit an economy facing multiple challenges: Undoubtedly, still-escalating federal spending will have the government bumping up against the debt ceiling again. By then, total federal debt will be [...]
