Classic Christmas Films As Meant To Be

 by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – December 23, 2020

 

(The following column is included in Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York. It originally was published in Newsday in December 2005.)

 

What’s a classic film? My personal definition is that it had to be made before I was born. Of course, this is based on nothing more than growing older, but I’m sticking to it.

 

So, why do many of us love Christmas films produced before we were born? The Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor provides a welcome reminder this week.

Starting tonight and running through Friday, Bay Street will show five great seasonal movies. Scheduled are It’s a Wonderful Life tonight, Babes in Toyland: March of the Wooden Soldiers tomorrow, Miracle on 34th Street on Wednesday, White Christmas on Thursday, and Scrooge on Friday evening.

 

Michael DiSanti, Bay Street’s associate producer, said the theater started showing classic films in October 2004, but this is the first holiday movie series. As DiSanti spoke, it became clear that this is an undertaking by and for film lovers. The movie package each night will include old Mitch Miller sing-a-long, bouncing-ball Christmas carols, movie trailers, and music from the era playing in the lobby.

 

Best of all is how the movies will be presented. Most of us have only seen the Christmas classics at home on small television screens. DiSanti pointed out that with a few exceptions, “Nobody ever does the American classics on the big screen anymore.”  He added: “This is the way they were meant to be seen, these movies, on a big screen.”

 

The wall-mounted, flat screen television might be nice, but it’s still not good enough. There’s something about watching movies in a public theater (as long as people are quiet and polite, which unfortunately is becoming an increasingly elusive expectation), and on a large screen.

 

But why is the idea of seeing Christmas films on the big screen particularly appealing? It goes back to the fact that the best holiday movies provide special links to the season. And this can be accomplished in various ways. Three of my favorites will be shown at Bay Street, but they couldn’t be more different in style, content and impact. 

 

For example, it’s hard to imagine lighter fare than White Christmas. But who cares? This movie serves up high-energy dance numbers, corny jokes, romance, lots of singing, including Bing Crosby leading the way on “White Christmas,” and a Vermont inn with the perfect fireplace that I still long to find. It’s wonderful escapism, and thereby ranks among the simple joys and delights this time of year.

 

Meanwhile, Miracle on 34th Street recaptures a bit of the magic and mystery that arrived with each Christmas as a child. I almost always begin the film recognizing, with some regret, the cold logic of Doris and her young daughter Susan regarding Kris Kringle, but then unfailingly get swept away. Even the rather materialistic and calculating Doris eventually acknowledges: “Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.”

 

Faith carries over to my top-rated It’s a Wonderful Life. If one hasn’t watched the film for some time, it could be forgotten that this isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy fare. Most of the movie focuses on the frustrations of George Bailey – broken dreams, feeling trapped, staring into the abyss of financial ruin and possible prison, and contemplating suicide. But all of these woes give way to how each life touches others; the virtues of sacrifice and compassion; the incalculable value of life, marriage and family; and the importance of faith.  After all, It’s a Wonderful Life opens with family and friends around Bedford Falls earnestly in prayer.

 

So, what makes a Christmas classic is not its age, but how it fits with the spirit of the holiday. I expect that seeing these films as meant to be on the big screen will only enhance their value. 

 

Merry Christmas, and pass the popcorn.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur.  His new book Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know.

 

One of the best ways to enjoy Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries is to join the Pastor Stephen Grant Fellowship! For the BEST VALUE, consider the Book of the Month Club. Check it all out at https://www.patreon.com/pastorstephengrantfellowship

 

Also, tune in to Ray Keating’s podcasts – the PRESS CLUB C Podcast  and the Free Enterprise in Three Minutes Podcast  

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at  www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Review of Behind Enemy Lines

by Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★

The Keating Files – June 8, 2020

The journalistic side of Ray Keating’s writing comes to the fore in Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left Wing New York. Boasting a traditional conservative voice that is measured, self-aware, confident, and persuasive, Keating’s arguments are original and thought-provoking, while many of the ideas explored in this book are surprisingly nuanced.

As a journalist, fiction writer, and general observer of life, Keating has written more than 8,000 columns and pieces over the past thirty years, remaining steadily in the lane of idyllic conservatism – family, God, and country matter above most else. Having read many of Keating’s Pastor Grant novels, the conservative bent to much of this book’s arguments is unsurprising. His iconic protagonist is a gun-toting, Constitution-defending, God-fearing vigilante hero, an appealing figure for a steadfast conservative operating in a bastion of liberal progressivism like New York.

Ranging from lauding praise on Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan to questioning Obama’s ultimate motives and decision-making ability, these opinion pieces are anything but impartial, but they are also well-structured and level-headed. Criticisms of taxpayers picking up the NASA tab, scathing reviews of governmental function (regardless of party leadership), and discussions of the quiet titan of Christianity within American politics are just a few of the subjects touched on in this unexpectedly riveting collection.

Keating’s journalistic style is similarly fearless to his fiction writing, unafraid to dabble in any realm and apply his firmly held beliefs into peaceful debate with those who would disagree. Unlike so much other conservative writing in recent years, especially pro-Trump partiality, Keating has a frank and honest voice that appears to be morally uncompromised. He makes it clear that while his economic, social, and geopolitical opinions may fall on the conservative spectrum, his principles are still very much in place...

Read the rest of this review here...

Thumbs Up For BEHIND ENEMY LINES

In his new book BEHIND ENEMY LINES: CONSERVATIVE COMMUNIQUES FROM LEFT-WING NEW YORK, Ray Keating serves up a wide-ranging collection of columns and essays covering politics, economics, faith, conservatism, history, trade, New York, foreign affairs, immigration, pop culture, business, sports, books, and more. 

Paperbacks and the Kindle editions are at Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086PN1NNZ

Signed books can be ordered at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/behindenemylines

2020 Election Promises To Be Tough on the Constitution

by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – April 15, 2020

Just in case you somehow forgot amidst a pandemic and related economic shutdown, there’s a presidential election in about seven-and-a-half months. Unfortunately, no matter how it turns out, this promises to be a rough one on the U.S. Constitution.

Once again this week, it became clear that President Donald Trump has failed to read and/or understand the Constitution. Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden likely has read one of this nation’s two essential founding documents, but he really doesn’t care what it says.

During this past Monday’s briefing on the coronavirus, Trump said, “I'm going to put it very simply: the president of the United States has the authority to do what the president has the authority to do, which is very powerful. The president of the United States calls the shots. When somebody’s the president of the U.S., the authority is total, and that’s the way it’s gotta be.”

Um, excuse me? But there’s more.

Consider this deeply disturbing claim of total authority on top of a couple of comments in July and June of last year. In June 2019, Trump said, “Article II allows me to do whatever I want.” And the following month, he declared, “Then I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.”

Of course, Article II of the Constitution does not grant total authority to a president or give a president the right to do whatever he wants. In fact, the powers of the president are rather limited by Article II, such as executing laws, commander in chief of the armed forces, and negotiating treaties that must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate. In fact, the U.S. Constitution, through its checks and balances, and enumerated powers, seeks to guarantee limited government, and that the purpose of such limited government is to protect the liberties and rights of all men and women – liberties and rights, by the way, that are not granted by government but pre-existed government. That is, our natural rights.

Declaring that for a president “authority is total” explicitly goes against the Constitution, and effectively violates the oath taken by presidents, who say, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

And given the importance of the Constitution to the foundational principles and ideas of conservatism and this country, my fellow conservatives particularly should be outraged over this authoritarian, anti-Constitution proclamation of President Trump. Indeed, they would have been screaming their outrage if someone like President Obama had said such a thing.

But many Republicans and some conservatives will counter that Trump has appointed and will appoint judges who understand and abide by the Constitution. Perhaps, but how would he know? Well, Trump in effect cut a deal with conservatives during the 2016 election to appoint Supreme Court justices who have received the seal of approval from the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. Thank goodness for that list because no one knows who would be appointed without it. Let’s hope it holds if Trump gets a second term.

As for Biden, in response to Trump’s comments, he said, “I am not running for office to be King of America. I respect the Constitution. I’ve read the Constitution. I’ve sworn an oath to it many times.”

Well, good for Biden, I guess? The problem is that his reading the Constitution doesn’t mean that the Constitution’s purpose and meaning have sunk in or taken hold. After all, Biden pledged in late December, “The people that I would appoint to the Court, are people who have a view of the Constitution as a living document...”

“Living document”? That’s the nice label the Left has adopted for a pernicious judicial philosophy known as judicial activism. The “living document” principle means replacing what the Constitution says with the latest preferences of the Left. Judicial activism violates the Constitution by having judges – especially U.S. Supreme Court justices – claim legislative powers, ignoring what’s actually written in and the intentions of the authors of the document. 

For good measure, the “living document” view of the Constitution rejects the idea of limited government protecting natural rights. Instead, it serves up the notion that government decides the rights that are granted to the people. That, too, points to an authoritarian, anti-Constitution streak.

Rather than interpreting and applying the Constitution and the law, the “living document” crowd, including Biden, believes that a majority on the Supreme Court gets to re-write the Constitution as it sees fit.

So, the depressing choice in November comes down to two men who have little or no regard for the Constitution. That’s deeply troubling, to say the least, for our republic right now, and in terms of political precedents set for the future.

__________

Ray Keating is a columnist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur.  You can order his new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. Keating also is a novelist. His latest novels are  The Traitor: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, which is the 12^thbook in the series, and the second edition of Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel with a new Author Introduction. The views expressed here are his own.

Ray Keating Talks about His New Book BEHIND ENEMY LINES: CONSERVATIVE COMMUNIQUES FROM LEFT-WING NEW YORK

BEHIND ENEMY LINES serves up a wide-ranging collection of columns and essays from Ray Keating. These essays cover politics, economics, faith, history, trade, New York, foreign affairs, immigration, pop culture, business, sports, books, and more. 

You’ll find paperbacks and the Kindle edition at Amazon.com via https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086PN1NNZ

In these often confusing and contradictory times, Keating describes his brand of conservatism as traditional, American and Reagan-esque, firmly rooted in Judeo-Christian values, Western Civilization, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and essential ideas and institutions such as the Christian Church, the intrinsic value of each individual, the role of the family, freedom and individual responsibility, limited government, and free enterprise and free markets.

Keating is a longtime newspaper and online columnist, economist, policy analyst, podcaster, and novelist.

“Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York” by Ray Keating Published at the Right Time

Ray Keating’s Collection of Columns and Essays Offer Insights on Politics, Economics, Pop Culture, Conservatism, and More!

Long Island, NY – BEHIND ENEMY LINES: CONSERVATIVE COMMUNIQUES FROM LEFT-WING NEW YORK serves up a wide-ranging collection of columns and essays from Ray Keating. These essays cover politics, economics, faith, history, trade, New York, foreign affairs, immigration, pop culture, business, sports, books, and more. 

Paperbacks and the Kindle edition of BEHIND ENEMY LINES are available at Amazon.com via https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086PN1NNZ. And signed books can be ordered at www.RayKeatingOnline.com.

Keating is a longtime newspaper and online columnist, economist, policy analyst, and novelist. Some of his latest columns can be read at www.KeatingFiles.com. 

In these often confusing and contradictory times, Keating describes his brand of conservatism as traditional, American and Reagan-esque, firmly rooted in Judeo-Christian values, Western Civilization, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and essential ideas and institutions such as the Christian Church, the intrinsic value of each individual, the role of the family, freedom and individual responsibility, limited government, and free enterprise and free markets. 

There’s a great deal to enjoy, learn from, agree with, get annoyed by, appreciate, reflect on, roll your eyes over, and argue with in this book that offers perspectives on where we are today, where we’ve been, and where we might be headed.

Keating said, “After writing weekly or regular columns and essays for more than thirty years (my rough estimate is that I’ve written more than 8,000 columns, essays and analyses over this period – yikes!), I thought it would be difficult to sort through what makes sense, and what doesn’t, to include in a collection of these musings. But it turned out not to be all that difficult. The simple, primary question was: Does this article, in some way, pass the relevance test today no matter when it happened to be written?”

Keating added, “Trust me, far too many columns and essays that I’ve written wound up holding little relevance beyond the week or month in which they were penned and published. The pieces that I’ve included in this book – ranging from pieces published in the 1990s to March 2020 – hopefully possess staying power. My ultimate hope is that readers will find this book informative and engaging, no matter where they might be coming from on the philosophical and political spectrums.”

What are the major sections in BEHIND ENEMY LINES?

I. What is Conservatism?                         

II. Politics: Unsavory and Not-So-Unsavory

III. Economics Isn’t Dismal ... Unless Left to Politicians, the Media and Professors

IV. Lessons from the 2008 Mess and Its Aftermath

V. Faith Matters

VI. Why Does Anyone Live in New York?

VII. The Not-So-Ugly American

VIII. Trying to Learn from History

IX. Business Isn’t Evil

X. Trade: Opportunity and Stupidity

XI. Immigration: Hope and Opportunity

XII. Pop Culture Ponderings

XIII. Sports: The Great Diversion ... Mostly

XIV. Thoughts on Assorted Books

Review copies, and author interviews and appearances are available upon request. 

Contact: Ray Keating

E-mail: raykeating@keatingreports.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/freeenterpriseeconomics

Twitter: @FreeEnterprise7

KeatingFiles.com

RayKeatingOnline.com

What’s Inside Ray Keating’s BEHIND ENEMY LINES?

What exactly is inside Ray Keating’s new book BEHIND ENEMY LINES: CONSERVATIVE COMMUNIQUES FROM LEFT-WING NEW YORK? The book offers a wide-ranging collection of columns and essays from Ray Keating covering politics, economics, faith, history, trade, New York, foreign affairs, immigration, pop culture, business, sports, books, and more. 

There’s a great deal to enjoy, learn from, agree with, get annoyed by, appreciate, reflect on, roll your eyes over, and argue with in this book that offers perspectives on where we are today, where we’ve been, and where we might be headed.

Following is the complete Table of Contents. 

I. What is Conservatism?                         

II. Politics: Unsavory and Not-So-Unsavory                                        

Introduction                                          

The Impact of President Reagan – 

Personally, Locally and Globally

Recalling William F. Buckley’s        

Charm and Generosity

Margaret Thatcher – Then and for the Future

Doubts About the U.S. Still Being 

a Right-of-Center Country

George W. Bush: The Right Speech            

at the Right Time

George W. Bush: Assessing 

the MBA President

Presidential Elections Mean Denial           

on Wall Street

President Obama was the Anti-Reagan

The Clintons – Yesterday and Tomorrow

A Day for the U.S. Constitution      

State of the Democrats at the                      

Dawn of a New Century: 

The Ethical Decline of a Once-Great Party

State of the Democrats in 2020:                  

The Journey Left Accelerates

State of the Republicans 

at the Dawn of the 21^stCentury: 

A Party in Near-Perpetual Confusion

State of the Republicans in 2020: 

Deep Confusion

State of Conservatism            

at the Dawn of the 21^stCentury: 

Influencing or Being Influenced?

State of Conservatism 2020:            

Seduced by Populists

State of Liberalism at the 

Dawn of the 21^stCentury: 

Intellectually Bankrupt, But Politically Potent

State of Liberalism 2020: 

Still Advancing, Still Incoherent

The Character Question Isn’t New: 

When Giuliani Sought the Presidency

The 7 “C’s” of Voting as a 

Conservative Republican

Cracking the Republican 

Establishment Conspiracy

Any Pro-Life Room in 

Democrats’ Big Tent?

Embryos and Cloning:           

Life and Death in Politics

The Supreme Court Goes in 

Different Directions on Stealing

III. Economics Isn’t Dismal ... Unless Left to 

Politicians, the Media and Professors                                                               

Introduction

Conservatives and Free Enterprise:

Friends or Foes?

In the Age of Trump, Is Free Market         

Ideology a Bad Word?

The Morality of Free Enterprise

Whatever Happened to          

Economic Freedom?

A Walk on the Supply-Side

Less Romance, More Economics in Politics

The Founders and I Hate April 15, Tax Day        

Steps Toward a Rational, 

More Pro-Growth Tax System

Milton Friedman – An Economist 

Changed the World

All Uncertainty from Washington 

Is Not Created Equal

Entrepreneurs, Economists, Educators 

and Politicians, Oh My!

Can Professional Sports Help Us 

to Understand Economics?

Political Spin on the Obama Economy       

The Income Tax at 100 Years          

A Truly Pro-Growth Tax Package Includes 

Big Tax Cuts for the Rich

More on Taxes and the Rich

Kill the Death Tax, Kill the Muni Deduction       

Dying, Death Taxes, and the Economy

Obama-nomics: Incoherent Change

Does the Federal Reserve Really Matter?

Currency Weakness Harms the Economy, 

Manufacturers Too

10 Ways School Choice Would         

Boost the Economy

The Misguided Push for 

National Education Standards

Donating Big Bucks to           

Big Government Schools: 

Wasting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

Infrastructure: If Concrete Pouring 

Were a Stimulant, the U.S.S.R. 

Would Be Booming

Welcome to Health Care Economics 101

Government Failed Fixes for 

Inequality vs. Private Charity 

Addressing Poverty

All Budget Deficits Are Not Created Equal

Abolition of the Senate's Byrd Rule 

Is Long Overdue

CAFE Mandates, Consumers           

and Auto Manufacturers

An Uncomfortable Shave 

from Antitrust Zealots

Government Takes on the 

Beer Monopoly – Really?

Why Does Government Impose 

Big Regulatory Burdens?

Five Ways to Fix Government’s 

Regulatory Mess

What Should Government Be          

Doing in Space?

The Unemployment Rate Is the 

Most Useless Measure of All

Greater Manufacturing Production 

and Fewer Manufacturing Jobs

Economic Doctors Have 

Misdiagnosed the Economy

Coronavirus Economy I: 

Is the U.S. in a Recession Right Now?

Coronavirus Economy II: 

The Realities of the Coronavirus Economy

Coronavirus Economy III:

The Economic Realities of the Coronavirus

Coronavirus Economy IV:

This Economist’s Top 4 Concerns

Labor Day I: What’s the Real Deal 

with Labor Day?

Labor Day II: Celebrate the Decline 

of Labor Unions

IV. Lessons from the 2008 Mess and Its Aftermath              

Introduction

Obama, Trump and 2% Growth

Heading Into the Mess: Why is this 

Optimist Down on the Economy?

The Mess Hits: Is More Government 

Really the Answer to Wall Street’s Woes?

Government Sucking Up Resources 

Makes No Sense

Stimulus from Government?

The Sad Economic Story: Now and 

for the Foreseeable Future

The Economics of 

President-elect Barack Obama: 

Repeal the Laws of Economics?

In the Economy, Failure Must Be An Option

Grading George W. Bush on the Economy

The Era of Silly Economics

V. Faith Matters                                                                                                                                                     

Introduction      

John Paul II: A Pope Who Reached 

Beyond His Flock

The Papal Office – Still a Subject of Division?

Billy Graham: History, Life and Death 

in Flushing Meadows

How Do the Major Faiths 

Respond to Disasters?

More to St. Patrick’s Day Than Beer,        

Parades and Corned Beef

Beyond Narnia to C.S. Lewis 

and Today’s Christianity

After Gibson’s “Passion,” Lent         

May Never Be the Same

What Holy Week and Easter 

Say About Christianity

Conventional Wisdom and Those 

Twelve Days of Christmas

A Season for Journeying Into 

Music and Faith

The Reason for Christmas 

Remains Central

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Catholic Church Scandal: 

Abuse of Children, Abuse of the Church, 

Abuse of the Faithful

The Big Issue Underlying the 

Methodist Divorce

Clergy Controversy Shows the Obligations 

of the Christian Life

Lutherans Escaping Scripture and Reality

One Church’s Effort to Keep the Faith      

The Fall Into Liberal Protestantism

God and Gambling

The Church Has a Limited But 

Critical Role in Politics

The Christian’s Responsibility in 

Time of War and Terror

Holy Week and Easter Comfort in 

Time of War and Death

Judge Roberts, and Faith at Work

History and a TV Star Show You 

Can Be Both Feminist and Pro-Life

First Motion Picture on 

Partial-Birth Abortion

From Catholic to Charter Education

The Pope Needs Lessons in Economics

A Liberal Definition of Fundamentalism

Two Popes on Relativism, Secularism       

and Islamic Fascism

Is Driving an SUV a Sin?

VI. Why Does Anyone Live in New York?                                                         

Introduction      

Leaving New York: No Mystery as to Why 

People Flee the Once-Empire State

A Golf Course Case Makes Clear 

Long Island’s Costly Dysfunction

Trump, Clinton and Sanders:          

Welcome to New York, America

New York Once Had a Principled, 

Conservative Senator

Governor Cuomo Bans Increased 

Economic and Employment Growth

The Numbers Tell New York’s 

Big-Spending Story

Cuomo and Obama Pander on the 

Minimum Wage

New York’s “Bread and Circuses” 

Corruption Bad for Business

Can this Conservative Columnist 

Be Nice to Governor Pataki?

Long Island Land Policies: The Economist 

vs. the Homeowner?

The Beauty and Politics of Jones Beach

Teddy Roosevelt’s Dark Shadow 

Across Long Island

It’s Agreed That New York City’s 

Public Schools Have Failed – Now What?

Can Government Patch Up a Leaky Pool?

New York Politics Adrift on a Sea of Confusion

The New York City Guide to 

Destroying an Economy

In the Green Room with Senator Pothole

Lessons for Long Island from U.S. Presidents

Why Not Truly Free SUNY and CUNY?

A Columnist Says Thanks for the Memories

Golden Retriever Optimism Needed 

for Long Island

VII. The Not-So-Ugly American                                                                                     

Introduction

Terrorist Fallout: War, Politics, the Economy

Yes, the World’s Policeman, 

But Are We Ready?

Shakespeare’s Henry V, President Bush 

and the Justness of War

Life at Home While the Military 

Risk Their Lives

9-11 Anniversary: Where Were You?          

VIII. Trying to Learn from History                                                                                

Introduction

Supply-Side Economics from 

the Civil War to Coolidge

Making Strides in Setting the         

Record Straight on Calvin Coolidge 

The Real Great Depression

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great

Depression and the New Deal

Prohibition’s Lessons for Today’s 

Economics and Politics

President Jackson and the 2008 

Presidential Election

IX. Business Isn’t Evil                                                                                                                                           

Introduction

Trust and Entrepreneurship

A Moral Business Serves the 

Common Good of the Community

Work Matters  

Capturing the Capitalist Spirit      

Profits Aren’t Evil

More on Prices in the Economy       

Marx Was Wrong: Owners 

and Labor Work Together

Amazon.com and Corporate Welfare

Equating Disney to Thanos ... Seriously?

Hollywood's Views of Capitalism

Disney Expanding, Not Limiting, 

Epic Competition and Choices

Big Business the Disney Way

Experiences with Anti-Disney 

Customer Service

Disney and the Changing Movie Business

Dumb Ideas from Business Executives

Disney Says, “Take Back Your Subsidy”

A Silly War on Plastics         

11 Point Guide to Working at Home

X. Trade: Opportunity and Stupidity                                                                            

Introduction

Trump: Could-Be-Worse Trade Policy?

Yes, Free Trade is a Moral Good

Could Only Donald Trump Cut a 

Free Trade Deal with China?

U.S. Trade Leadership Has Been 

Absent Over a Decade

NAFTA at 20: Well Worth Celebrating

On Trade: Too Many Barack Obamas        

XI. Immigration: Hope and Opportunity                                                          

Introduction

Three of the Many Big Reasons to 

Love Immigrants

Don't Fear Immigration, 

It's Good For the Economy

Immigration, Faith and Economics

On Being a Welcoming Society        

Obama International: 

Opportunity on Immigration

Republicans, Immigration 

and Political Suicide

From Economic and Moral Perspectives,

We Should Embrace Immigrants

Immigrants Fighting and Dying 

for Their Adopted Country

Getting the Economics of 

Immigration Straight

Immigrants Embraced and Opposed 

Even Post September 11^th, Immigration

Still Has Strong Support

Brad Paisley: Country Music Star 

and Economist on Trade and Immigration

XII. Pop Culture Ponderings                                                                                                       

Introduction

Bing Crosby: Entertainer of the 20^th Century      

The Faith of Father O’Malley

Bob Hope’s Road to Becoming          

America’s Comedian

Huey Lewis and the News Storms 

Back with “Weather”

The Beach Boys: Fifty Years on the 

Beach and in the Music Business

The Return of WCBS-FM and Embracing 

Music Variety

Growing Older and the Allure of an 

Endless Summer

Bond, James Bond, on Long Island

James Bond in Ian Fleming’s Novels

Star Wars: 6 Big Reasons to Love 

“The Mandalorian”

Does Disney Have a Marvel Comic 

Books Problem?

Why Conservatives Should Love Chuck

Hollywood's Inconsistent Take on Cloning

Defending the Video Game Industry Against 

Bipartisan Political Attacks

Star Trek and Moral Clarity

An Exchange with Jonah Goldberg at       

National Review Online Regarding 

“Star Trek and Moral Clarity”

Human Nature in Outer Space: 

Star Trek vs. Star Wars

Faith, or Lack Thereof, in Star Trek

Jeffersonians in Space: Serenity Comes

from Individual Freedom

Jack Bauer and Just War

Can the Western Make a Comeback?

Classic Christmas Films As Meant To Be

Summer, Shakespeare and 

Marriage in the Park

Shakespeare Politics Yesterday and 

Today at Hofstra University

Controlling Arts Dollars – 

Consumers or Politicians?

Movies and Politics in the Park

XIII. Sports: The Great Diversion ... Mostly                                        

Introduction

Sports Beats Politics Every Time

A Baseball Pilgrimage

Was George Steinbrenner a Capitalist?

Would Letting Pete Rose Back into 

Baseball Be Just?

Cooperstown: What About Joe?

Hope Springs Eternal in Spring Training, 

Especially for the Reds 2020

The Super Bowl and the NFL’s

History Problem

Super Bowl: Big Game, But Not 

So Big for Economy

When Billionaires Build Stadiums, 

Taxpayers Get Whacked

Yo, Brooklyn! Get Real About 

Politics and Sports

Both Fans and Politicians Need to 

Keep Sports in Perspective

The NFL Oilers: A Case Study in 

Corporate Welfare

The Masters and Why Tradition Matters

Does the U.S. Open Boost Local Business?

An Appreciation of Private Golf Clubs      

U.S. Open Makes Clear That Is 

Golf Anything But Boring

U.S. Open Fans: Some Honored and 

Others Dissed the Game

The Long Island Classic – Bogey or 

Birdie for Nassau Taxpayers?

The Government’s Assault on Golf

Hosting the Olympics: A Dangerous 

Economic Event

New York Beware: Olympics Offer 

Short-Term Highs and Costly Lows

The Road Ahead for NASCAR         

Four Business Lessons at the          

Belmont Stakes

Is Soccer Un-American?

Sports and Religion at the Movies

XIV. Thoughts on Assorted Books                                                                                              

Introduction

Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton: 

Have New York Politicians 

Changed Since the Birth of Our Nation?

1776: War and History on Long Island

Two Good Books About Presidents, 

Two Lousy Covers

A Definitive Case for 

Supply-Side Economics

Lessons for Trump from Supply-Sider JFK

Getting Freaky About Summer

Economics Reading

Appreciating The Cloister Walk

Substantive Spirituality: 

The Spirituality of the Cross

About That Hollywood Blacklist

Is James Bond a Good Guy?

Christian Fiction: Some Offer Thrills, 

But Dubious Theology

Wild Fire and the Response to 

Nuclear Terror

Want to Understand the Crusades? 

Read The New Concise History of the Crusades

Christianity Going South

Finding Happiness with Adam Smith

The Life of Adam Smith by

Ian Simpson Ross Leaves the 

Reader Wanting Even More

Appreciating Paul Johnson’s 

The Birth Of The Modern: 

World Society 1815·1830

CelebratingThe Creators: 

A History of Heroes of the 

Imagination by Daniel J. Boorstin

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