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Pat Allen
I am a retired corporate lawyer, living in the Chicago suburbs, with a wife and two adult children.
Interests: Current events, the Cubs, reading, history, New Zealand
Recent Activity
35th Annual Cubs Convention – January 17-19, 2020
Posted yesterday at The View from Right Field
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Getting to Carbon-Free
Carbon-free. That is the goal. Companies, countries are setting a goal of becoming carbon-free. Some are aiming at 2030. Others 2040. And others still 2050. But regardless of the date, the goal is the same. To become carbon-free. To not... Continue reading
Posted 4 days ago at The View from Right Field
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The Killing of Qassem Soleimani and the Dog That Didn’t Bark
“The Adventure of Sliver Blaze,” one of the most popular Sherlock Holmes stories, involves the theft of a famous race horse, Silver Blaze, and the killing of its trainer, just before an important racer. In a conversation with a Scotland... Continue reading
Posted 7 days ago at The View from Right Field
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Youth Climate Activists Call for a Halt to Fossil Fuel Investment – Right Now
Greta Thunberg and twenty other youth climate activists have issued a letter in which they “demand” (their word) that, at the World Economic Forum meeting scheduled for later this month in Davos, Switzerland, “all companies, banks, institutions and governments immediately... Continue reading
Posted Jan 12, 2020 at The View from Right Field
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Might It Have Been Possible to Oppose Donald Trump Without the Fury?
As we enter the last year of either Donald Trump’s presidency or President Trump’s first term, it seems like an appropriate time to look back on the last three years. First, in looking at my posts about President Trump, I... Continue reading
Posted Jan 10, 2020 at The View from Right Field
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A Few Thoughts on the Killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani
1. It seems to me that, with a proper plan and an appropriate long-term strategy, the killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani could work out well for the United States and other people and countries opposed to the... Continue reading
Posted Jan 7, 2020 at The View from Right Field
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Illinois and Stein’s Law
Herbert Stein, economist and Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors under Presidents Nixon and Ford, is probably best known by many people today as the father of Ben Stein (of “Ferris Buehler's Day Off” and “Win Ben Stein’s Money”... Continue reading
Posted Jan 4, 2020 at The View from Right Field
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Illinois Is Starting on the Next “Great Experiment”
On January 16, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment came into effect, launching Prohibition across the country. It was called, by some, the “Great Experiment.” Needless to say, it did not work out as expected and, within fourteen years, it was repealed.... Continue reading
Posted Jan 3, 2020 at The View from Right Field
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Inequality, Social Mobility, and a “Fair Go”
A new post on the New Zealand idea of a “fair go” is up on my other blog, “A Different New Zealand.” You can find it here. Continue reading
Posted Dec 29, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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Inequality, Social Mobility, and a “Fair Go”
Inequality and a decline in social mobility is a concern of many today. In the Financial Times of December 19, Miranda Green wrote about Sanna Marin, the new 34-year old prime minister of Finland.1 Ms. Marin had been a shop assistant and was the first in her family to go... Continue reading
Posted Dec 28, 2019 at A Different New Zealand
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The 2010s In Review: At Least There Was One Night in Cleveland
Posted Dec 28, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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What Christmas Is All About
Things have been a little hectic lately (and I hope to get back to posting next week), but I don't want to miss my annual Christmas Eve post: Charlie Brown: "Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"... Continue reading
Posted Dec 24, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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Are the Cubs Really Going to Trade Kris Bryant?
The question around baseball, at least in the Chicago papers, has been whether the Cubs will trade Kris Bryant. The idea, as I understand it, is that, with two years left before he becomes a free agent, trading Kris Bryant... Continue reading
Posted Dec 15, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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The Effect of “Exit” and “Voice” on Financial Irresponsibility and Corruption in Illinois
“Exit” and “voice” are the two main ways that people can react to problems they have with business or government – or pretty much anything. With “exit,” you just leave. If you don’t like one cell phone company, you go... Continue reading
Posted Dec 10, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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Is This the Afghanistan Bug-Out I Have Been Worried About?
While he was in Afghanistan for Thanksgiving last week, Donald Trump said that peace talks would resume with the Taliban. But, as normal for President Trump, things about the resumption of talks are a little unclear. According to The Wall... Continue reading
Posted Dec 4, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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Climate Change: Getting It Done Versus Merely Adopting Plans
With the world meeting in Madrid for the annual U.N. Climate Change Conference, it’s time repeat something I said back in July (and alluded to in October): If we want to cut emissions, the key is not what we do... Continue reading
Posted Dec 3, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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If “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”, Then What’s the Matter with Me?
In 2004, Thomas Frank wrote a book entitled What’s the Matter with Kansas?1 The main idea of the book was that Republicans had used issues like abortion, school prayer, etc., to get working class and other Kansans to vote Republican,... Continue reading
Posted Dec 2, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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Michael Bloomberg’s Race for President: As If People Needed Another Reason to Doubt the Mainstream Media
With Michael Bloomberg announcing he is going to run for president, the editorial and research wing of his mega-media company has a bit of a problem. (I think it is fair to call it a “mega-media company” since its annual... Continue reading
Posted Nov 30, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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Hong Kong: Freedom’s Light Still Shines
Three weeks ago, on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, people were wondering what went wrong. Democracy is on the decline in eastern Europe and elsewhere, while nasty populism is rising all over the world, including... Continue reading
Posted Nov 29, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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“For Laws and Lech, Basil and Borders Opened – Thanks!” – Joan Beck’s 1989 Thanksgiving Column
As I mentioned back in 2009 (and 2010 and 2011), each year at Thanksgiving, Joan Beck, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune (among other things), would write a special column of Thanks. This year being the 30th anniversary of the... Continue reading
Posted Nov 27, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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It’s Hard to Believe How Poorly MLB Treats the Minor Leagues – Except It’s Not
In an effort to show that it can make a World Series with record-low (or near-record-low) ratings plus a potential cheating scandal (at least it was the team that lost the World Series) not look so bad, Major League Baseball... Continue reading
Posted Nov 26, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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Crossing the “Great Trump Divide”
I have been somewhat negative on Donald Trump/President Trump over the last four years (how’s that for understatement). However, the fact I don’t like President Trump doesn’t mean I don’t like people who like President Trump. Which is an important... Continue reading
Posted Nov 23, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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South Korea. North Korea. Friends and Enemies. Or Is it Vice Versa?
Donald Trump’s policy on Korea continued in the normal way this past week: giving concessions to the North and making absurd demands on the South. I assume the concessions to the North are because President Trump “loves” North Korean leader... Continue reading
Posted Nov 22, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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Is There Any Program Illinois Politicians Can’t Find a Way to Corrupt?
Sixteen years ago the City of Chicago began installing red-light cameras. The idea of red-light cameras is simple and sounds good: make sure cars stop before turning right on a red light. But Chicago being Chicago, and Illinois being Illinois.,... Continue reading
Posted Nov 21, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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A Few Thoughts on Impeachment – And Process
It’s hard to come up with things to write about with impeachment sucking all of the oxygen out of the news. So, let me make a few comments on impeachment and the impeachment process. Before I start, though, let me... Continue reading
Posted Nov 16, 2019 at The View from Right Field
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