A Sun Special – Columns by Arthur Brooks

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

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Recession’s Gift
April 9, 2008

You have to be living in a cave to miss the news that America’s economy is increasingly rocky. Crises in housing, credit, and financial markets are now threatening to increase unemployment. Indeed, the Labor Department reported last week that jobless claims are now at their highest point since September 2005.

Hypocrisy’s Virtue
March 25, 2008

The prostitution scandal that toppled Eliot Spitzer has turned a spotlight of attention on prostitution and sexual hypocrisy. Citizens and the press were shocked — shocked — that the governor was paying for sex.

Democrats And ‘Diversity’
March 4, 2008

For the Democrats, “diversity” is one of the most important themes of the presidential campaign. As Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean recently boasted, “The Democratic Party’s field of Presidential candidates is not just the strongest but the most diverse ever,” based on the fact that the party’s two leading contenders, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, are black and female, and a lesser candidate, Bill Richardson, has Latino roots. In contrast, Mr. Dean characterized the Republicans as embracing “the politics of division, hatred, and fear.”

The Upside of Bush’s Foreign Policy
January 8, 2008

One infrequently hears kind words uttered about President Bush in educated circles, particularly in the area of foreign aid. It is simply an article of faith, especially on the political left, that this administration has been an unmitigated disaster in improving America’s position internationally, or helping the world’s needy.

Why Giving Makes You Happy
December 28, 2007

As we approach year’s end, your mailbox is filling up with fundraising appeals from various charities and causes, hoping to capitalize on your holiday cheer — or at least, your effort to avoid a bit of 2007 income taxes through deductible contributions.

This is not a false hope: Americans gave nearly $300 billion away last year, and some charities claim to collect as much as a quarter of their annual contributions in the month of December alone. But there is one special reason to give, beyond the noble goals of helping your favorite charity and beating back the voracious taxman. It is that your gifts will give you a happier new year.


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