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GALLINGTON: How capitalism corrupts

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Karl Marx believed that capitalism corrupted everything it touched - including governments that enabled it. Ironically, what happened recently to our economy was the result of the same dynamic - in the form of financial sector political influence on our government not to regulate the markets.

GALLINGTON: 'Official secrets' seepage

Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009

In what has become a regular, but unfortunate practice, the New York Times has again published highly classified information - this time in an article describing U.S. intelligence activities undertaken to thwart the Iran's nuclear weapons development program. The Times attributed the information to "current and former American officials," none of whom - of course - "would speak on the record."

GALLINGTON: Panetta's role

Monday, Jan. 12, 2009

A lot of politically snippy things will be said of President-elect Barack Obama's choice to nominate Leon Panetta as the next CIA director. However, the one we'll probably hear most often is that "the CIA should be led by someone with intelligence experience."

GALLINGTON: Remember the DeSoto?

Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008

General Motors and Chrysler are borrowing billions of our tax dollars to fix their business models and - hopefully - return them to profitability. They have 90 days to submit a plan on how they are to do it. I'm not a “car guy” - not by a long shot - but when the auto execs came to town in their executive jets to beg for public money, I decided my ideas on what they needed to do were at least as good as theirs. Then seeing these excessively paid execs bob and weave at the witness table convinced me they haven't a clue about how to do much of anything, except take money out of the company for their bonuses. This is not at all a kind description -- What I saw was the car salesman's image created by William Macy's character in the cult movie “Fargo.”

GALLINGTON: Bush Doctrine: Half a bad rap

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008

In his recent speech at West Point, President Bush defended what has been called the "Bush Doctrine" - the policy known best because of the question ABC's Charlie Gibson sandbagged Sarah Palin with. (By his awkward demeanor with the scripted question, Mr. Gibson clearly didn't know the answer, either). Sad, because part of the doctrine - "preemption" - will continue to be U.S. policy, however it may be described by the Obama administration. Ironically perhaps, it's the "democracy" part of the Bush Doctrine that has failed under the Bush administration, primarily because of fuzzy thinking and poor execution at the senior policy level.

GALLINGTON: The Clinton coup

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008

The big news from the Obama transition was the announcement of the new "national security team." But that's not the big story. The big story is how Hillary Clinton - as the next secretary of state - will impact on the bureaucratic struggles over U.S. foreign policy and national security affairs in Washington.

GALLINGTON: Four lessons from transitions past

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008

Like sausage, it's probably best not to see it made.

GALLINGTON: We conservatives blew it

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008

The Obama victory shouldn't surprise anybody - most of all the "Reagan Republicans and Democrats" among us. Nevertheless, it's instructive to examine how it all happened. The short answer is that - especially with the recent economic downturn - the foreign policy failures of the past several years made it inevitable that the Democrats would win big this year, no matter whom they ran. As it turned out, we elected for our president a decent person from the far left, but someone who has never had a "real job." Well, times are tough for everybody, so let's hope he continues to be lucky for all of us.