Let the Outside In

(Caveat Lector: I am not a conservative. However, recent reflections on institutional experimentation have reminded me of some of the virtues of the philosophical movement that goes under that name.) With the publication of The Reactionary Mind , Corey Robin has taken up Phil Agre’s old point that conservatism is the defense of aristocracy and…

Square Foot Gardening is a small-scale intensive agricultural method popularized in a book and PBS show starring Mel Bartholomew . It uses raised beds, crop rotation, and a special mix of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite to make urban gardening easier. In retirement, Mel has passed the square foot gardening torch to Patti Moreno , and Youtube…

One of my favorite liberal policies is the basic income proposal. The idea is that all citizens have a basic guaranteed income, below which no one may fall. As the argument goes, this supplies more flexibility than…

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In the wake of Arizona’s attempt to localize immigration enforcement , I think it’s time for Congress and the Obama administration to return to immigration reform. If anything can justify American exceptionalism , it’s the waves of immigration that have repeatedly demonstrated that we can offer a better life to foreigners without losing our own…