Back in the ‘70s, when Richard Nixon was in the throes of the Watergate scandal, the U.S. economy was overheating because of the Vietnam War, among other causes. Nixon had attempted during his first term to deal with the problem by imposing a wage and prize freeze. After several months, the freeze was lifted. Distracted…

We live in interesting times. For the second time in our lives, for many of us, the president is a former television personality. Ronald Reagan was a B Hollywood actor who became the spokesman for General Electric. Reagan appeared weekly on the little screen, and while doing that he made a lot of money traveling…

These are obviously difficult and trying times for many of us, especially for those of us who believe in civility, compassion, constitutionality and competence in government. I will in the coming days and months share my thoughts, for what they’re worth, on the contemporary scene. If you’re interested, watch this space.

The day began—officially at least—at five a.m., when Walt Morgan showed up in the newsroom. Walt had been the early man for eleven years, and his routine was the same. Winter or summer, he took off his coat, rolled up his shirtsleeves to mid-forearm, and then poured himself a cup of coffee, black, no sugar,…