It’s not enough for Ted Cruz to be wrong, because he is. It’s not enough that he’s offensive, because he is. And it’s not enough that he’s a hypocrite, because he is. The worst part is that he has the whole package, and he’s terribly difficult to listen to. But Ted Cruz represents much more… Continue reading Cruz Missal
Author: Robert I. Grundfest
I am a teacher, writer, voice-over artist and rationally opinionated observer of American and international society. While my job is to entertain and engage, my purpose is always to start a conversation.
Governor Disaster: Why Christie Could Lose Now and Will Lose in 2016
In case you missed it, there’s a terrific piece on Governor Christie in the New Jersey media. Written by columnist Tom Moran, it lays bare the basic fact that although Christie has benefited from disaster, he’s actually been a disaster as governor. The basics: Essentially, New Jersey has experienced failure at almost every level by… Continue reading Governor Disaster: Why Christie Could Lose Now and Will Lose in 2016
Diplomacy Gets Syrias
One of the criticisms of President Obama’s plan to strike Syria was that once a country unleashes weapons on another, the consequences are unpredictable and uncontrollable. The same could be said for diplomacy. Obama’s speech last night was certainly different from the one he planned to give when he announced his intention to speak to the… Continue reading Diplomacy Gets Syrias
Strike Syria
I know that this is not the popular choice, given our experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. For the record, I supported strikes in Afghanistan as necessary to weaken terrorists, and certainly opposed the Iraq War as based on faulty intelligence and a desire by President Bush to avenge Saddam’s attempt to assassinate his father. Syria,… Continue reading Strike Syria
The High Schoolization Of College
Last week, President Obama made a series of speeches about making higher education affordable, which of course would be a great idea if we really had a socialist system and the government could tell schools what to charge. The problem is that we have a quasi-meritocracy with a bit of market capitalism mixed in, and… Continue reading The High Schoolization Of College
The Common Core Follies
You know it’s late August because the school stories are coming fast and furious. And speaking of furious, how about the reaction to the Common Core standards that are supposed to prepare our schoolchildren for work and college? In New York, where the scores declined in the debut year for the standards, the knives came… Continue reading The Common Core Follies
The State of the Unions
There’s been a lot of talk recently about workers. You know, the people who do the work in this country and who expect to be paid a livable wage while earning a little respect from employers and customers. The problem is that somewhere along the way, the conservative revolution has been glorifying the wealthy while… Continue reading The State of the Unions
Christie Unbound
If the thought of Chris Christie being reelected makes you feel woozy, then imagine him reelected and with a Republican majority in the Senate, if not the state legislature. My apologies if you’ve re-tasted your breakfast. The thought of that possibility is just as noxious to me, especially when it comes to education. Consider: With… Continue reading Christie Unbound
The Endgame
Here’s what’s clear: the success of President Obama’s second term will come down to the next few months of 2013 and early 2014 in the form of immigration reform, the success of the health care law, and the rising economy. There probably will be no grand bargain on the debt (thank heavens), tax reform is… Continue reading The Endgame
So Much Done. So Much More To Do.
If you follow the news every minute (used to be every day), you’d think that Obama’s presidency has been a grand failure. After all, he didn’t save the world, or make friends with the terrorists and turn them into democrats or make the economy zoom along at a 5% growth rate or clean the air… Continue reading So Much Done. So Much More To Do.
Trayvon
A young African-American man is dead. He was armed only with Skittles and a hoodie, which now qualifies as dangerous. He reacted when a self-styled and armed neighborhood watchman bothered him for little reason other than he seemed to be threatened that an African-American male was walking the gated premises. The laws of Florida allow… Continue reading Trayvon
A Visiting Scholar
I have a violet lanyard, and attached to it is a violet ID card from New York University. At the bottom, under my picture, it says, “Visiting Scholar.” Yes, friends, it’s summer and time for all good teachers, at some point in their careers, to be called a Visiting Scholar. My entrée to this august… Continue reading A Visiting Scholar