Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
If Barack Obama had told me he was going to Ghana, I would have warned him. The country is a dump — parts of it quite literally. In the late 1990s, I knew it as a place where very little functioned as it should have. The currency was worthless. Families often had 10 or even 14 children. Garbage was simply … >>
Going to a gym has many obvious benefits, but also some that are not obvious. For example, at my gym you can watch six television screens, each showing a different channel, at the same time. It’s something I can’t do at home. So there I was the other night, dividing my attention between news reports about Iran and my favorite … >>
On the day this article goes online, I won’t be at work. Nor will most Europeans, because it’s the Christian feast of the Ascension. Americans, on the other hand, will celebrate Memorial Day this same weekend (on Monday, May 25), a secular holiday remembering those who died in military service. In this respect, the two sides of the Atlantic could … >>
Ever since 1933, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt pushed through important elements of his ambitious program of reforms in his first three and a half months in office, the first 100 days of a president’s term have been a benchmark for his overall success. By many accounts, President Obama has done at least as much to reverse the course set by … >>
Going to the movies this weekend will take us back 40 years, and ahead 240 years, in the new, “reimagined” Star Trek film. In 1969, poor ratings caused the demise of the original television series. But the Star Trek franchise gained so much momentum over the years that it’s now unstoppable. Why is it so popular? One word: optimism. Unlike … >>
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” wrote one of America’s great philosophers, Benjamin Franklin, in 1789. In our time, conservative populists have often tried to prove him wrong. It’s an easy way to get votes: tell people their government is stealing from them and needs to be replaced. “It’s your money” is … >>
It was two in the morning, and the shops and markets of Dubai, open late during Ramadan, had finally closed. Realizing how far away my hotel was, I stopped walking after half an hour and caught the only taxi that came past. I sat down next to the driver in what I can only describe as a religious shrine with … >>
I almost missed it, it was so small. Hidden below a story about the death of Socks, the Clinton family cat, was this item in Time magazine: REOPENED Five years after the atrocities committed within its walls shocked the world, Abu Ghraib now touts modern amenities and humane treatment of its inmates. The renovated jail, rechristened Baghdad Central Prison, formally … >>
Ordinary Americans, and members of Congress, needed a deep breath to think about spending another $787 billion to get the derailed US economy back on track. Only one-sixth of the total was for projects in infrastructure and science, but a small item received an undue amount of attention. It was a $1.3 billion subsidy for Amtrak, the national passenger rail … >>
Finally, he’s back. In a major address to both houses of Congress Tuesday night, Barack Obama outlined his plans for the economy and his priorities for the country. Not only was it one of Obama’s most inspirational speeches; it was probably the most inspirational speech given by any president in recent memory. (Watch video | Read the text) The somber, … >>