Talk May Not Be Cheap

In a dramatic break from previous policy, the United States will join direct talks between U.N. and European powers and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program, the State Department announced Wednesday.

CNN

I certainly do not oppose diplomatic solutions to problems. The danger here is that Iran, based on their President’s public statement, is unlikely to take any talks seriously. They know that they want and feel we have no business in interfering. What are we going to have give up in order to get what we want? I am skeptical of the success of this shift in foreign policy.

Marriage Becoming Obsolete

Nearly 40 percent of babies born in the United States in 2007 were delivered by unwed mothers, according to data released last month by the National Center for Health Statistics. The 1.7 million out-of-wedlock births, of 4.3 million total births, marked a more than 25 percent jump from five years before.

CNN

Do you think it is a coincidence that the problem is that marriage is not taken as seriously as it once was. With all the changes, legal and otherwise, that are being made to the definition of marriage, no wonder most Americans don’t take the concept as serious as they should.

Trouble in Paradise?

The lessons from the week: Members of the working group — like any small collection of Democrats — can make a difference whenever they’re ready to side with the Republicans. But the group seems to lack either the appetite or the ability to work in solidarity and undermine the agenda of a popular Democratic president.

Politico

I think what they should have said is that this group of Democrats lack the backbone to go against the President with any real force. I would still recommend reading the article, as it points out the political implications of a small voting bloc within the majority can have on the dynamic in the Senate.

We Should Hold Off on Repairing Certain Relationsips

On Tuesday the Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, who is accused of orchestrating a string of attacks in Pakistan, warned that Washington may be attacked for offering $5 million for information leading to his location or arrest.

Reuters

I understand that one Taliban leader may not actually be an accurate example of all Taliban leaders, but we may want to investigate further before Clinton continues offering this extremist regime an olive branch in Afghanistan.

Sure, Let’s Listen to the French

Group of 20 leaders need to give regulators oversight of unregulated markets and products, such as credit-default swaps and collateralized debt obligations, to prevent future systemic crises, according to Jean-Pierre Jouyet, head of the French market watchdog AMF and head of an international task force on unregulated markets.

WSJ

Since the French economy has done so well over the last decade, lets take their advice (please note the sarcasm).

Right Idea, Wrong Application

America is relearning an old lesson: Failure and bankruptcy are essential to capitalism.

WSJ

I am just glad somebody said it. I suggest reading the full article. I began reading it with high hopes, but this gentleman, despite having sound financial knowledge, still makes inconsistent conclusions. He has the right idea, but is using it to advocate for the wrong course of action.