Before the election, the government mobilized groups of thugs to harass voters. On the day of the election, police prevented thousands of opposition activists from voting at all. Nevertheless, when the votes were counted, it was clear that the opposition had won by a large margin. Read on »

When the ATM asks whether I want a receipt, I usually say no. When a Web site wants my credit card number, I usually say yes. Read on »

Yesterday Germans celebrated the 15th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Or, to put it differently, yesterday Germans marked 15 years of what has been the most peaceful, most comfortable, most orderly transition from totalitarianism to democracy ever — the polar opposite of the transition now taking place (if it is taking place) in Iraq. There was no violence, no unrest. There was no looting or pillaging. Read on »

Unlike 99.9 percent of the nation, I didn’t think that yesterday’s election represented a choice between good and evil. When I pressed the little button on the touch-screen voting machine, I did not do so feeling that the defeat of my chosen candidate would signify the onset of Armageddon. Regardless of the outcome, I knew I would neither be elated nor plunged into despair. Read on »

According to Ayad Allawi, the Iraqi prime minister, Saddam Hussein is “distraught and depressed” and begging for mercy. According to others, Saddam Hussein spends his days playing dominoes with former cronies. Read on »

“Just a few more miles, I’m sure we’ll see a pumpkin sign. There will have to be a pumpkin sign. Look, children,” I said, with forced enthusiasm, “there are the Blue Ridge Mountains!” Read on »

When you read the words “United Nations,” what comes into your mind? Perhaps it’s an august phrase, such as “international community,” or a lofty image, such as the blue U.N. seal. Read on »

Try, if you can, to screen out the memories. Forget the cover stories, the “Angriest Man in America” profiles, the revolutionary rhetoric, the million-dollar book contracts. Whether you loved him or hated him, forget how he infuriated you. Read on »

To most of us, the phrase “student loans” does not conjure an image of wealth or riches. Most of us think a student loan is something that enables someone to live on canned soup and crackers for four years while holding down a hamburger-flipping job and pulling all-nighters in the library. A student loan is for students, and most students aren’t rich. Read on »

Try as I may, I am unable to conjure up a single shred of nostalgia for the once-fabled network evening news programs. Walter Cronkite is a name to me, not a symbol of reassurance or stability. Edward R. Murrow is a historical figure. Read on »