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Lawrence J. Siskind

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Jul 25, 2019, 3:52 AM

History and its discontents

In 1940, when Great Britain stood alone against the Nazi juggernaut, France lay conquered, the United States was officially neutral, and the Soviet Union was tied by treaty to Germany, Winston Churchill recruited history to cheer his countrymen and...

Jun 22, 2019, 10:03 AM

Chernobyl’s lessons

Socialism, an economic system with an unbroken record of failure, still succeeds in attracting adherents. One recent poll reveals that among members of Generation Z, slightly more have a positive reaction to socialism (61%) than to capitalism (58%). In our...

May 17, 2019, 6:11 AM

Harvard’s Failing Grade

Something troubling has happened at Harvard. For the past 10 years, Professor Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr., in addition to teaching at the Law School, has served as Faculty Dean of Winthrop House, one of the 12 houses where Harvard undergrads...

Apr 3, 2019, 8:16 AM

The Conways and the Conservatives: A Tale of Two Broken Homes

Not since Princess Di and Prince Charles has a deteriorating marriage attracted the level of interest lavished on Kellyanne and George Conway. It has become the nation's favorite reality TV show; a show aired not just on one station,...

Mar 13, 2019, 12:59 AM

The reparations temptation

Donald Trump's favorability rating is an anemic 41.8%. That bodes ill for his 2020 reelection prospects. But Trump has a secret weapon. It's called the Democratic Party, an organization apparently determined to ensure his reelection. Democrats – including older members...

Jan 7, 2019, 11:23 PM

The Two Houses of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Two houses, quite unlike in dignity, in fair Manhattan, is where we lay our scene. One is the House of Weissman, whose patriarch serves as an esteemed tenured professor of mathematics at Columbia University. The other is the House...

Nov 19, 2018, 8:00 AM

The year of pain

“The day I had my colonoscopy was the best day of my life,” Everett Staley told me. Staley liked to shock. But he tended to tell the truth. “I hated the prep of course. But the colonoscopy itself lingers in...

Oct 24, 2018, 7:56 AM

Looking backward on Harvard’s diversity problem

Last week witnessed two events, both involving Harvard University and the enigma of ethnic diversity. On October 15, the trial of Harvard College began in a Boston federal courtroom. The institution stands accused of racial discrimination against Asian-Americans in...

Sep 4, 2018, 11:43 AM

DisRESPECT in Detroit

Funerals are meant to be dignified occasions to honor the dead and to remember their deeds. Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, led a life that certainly deserved honor and memory. The first female performer to be inducted into...

Apr 26, 2018, 11:39 PM

The myth of “cultural appropriation”

“Cultural appropriation” is the latest vehicle for those thumbing a ride to victim status. Unlike Black Lives Matter or the #MeToo movement, one needn’t have experienced injustice or discrimination to sign up. Practically anyone, from any culture, may proclaim...

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About Me

Lawrence J. Siskind is an attorney practicing law in San Francisco, California. He blogs at www.ToPutItBluntly.com.