oversimplify, but only modestly, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the conventional wisdom was that Communism and socialism were on the way out, and that capitalism had won the debate. Economies would prosper. Sure, there'd be some government regulation and some complaints about income inequality and poverty, but basically the big argument had been settled. Now, a financial downturn — blown into a "crisis" in part by government regulators who called it that and helped cause a panic — has made the argument a live one all over again. In America, the government is taking over banks, insurance companies, and automobile manufacturers while also aiming to increase its role in health care. Are we sliding toward socialism? Would that be good or bad, and why? This site aims to ventilate and illuminate these questions by using detail and example. Editor: The site is edited by Ira Stoll. Stoll is author of Samuel Adams: A Life (Free Press, 2008). He was vice president and managing editor of the New York Sun, which he helped to found, from its debut in 2002 until its demise in 2008. Before that he was a consultant to the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, North American editor of the Jerusalem Post, editor of Smartertimes.com, Washington correspondent and then managing editor of the Forward, and a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He is a graduate of Harvard, where he was president of the Harvard Crimson. He lives in New York City. Audience: Readers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. Comments are welcome using the comments function on the Web site. Comments are moderated by the editor and are subject to editing. History: The site was publicly launched on September 9, 2009 after a period of operating in stealth/beta mode that began on May 21, 2009.

the American Revolution, this book belongs on your shelf.” Bookpage called it “Insightful, remarkably researched, and compelling…a fascinating journey into American culture at its birth.” The Orange County Register called it, "excellent, deeply researched."