In City Journal, Steven Malanga recounts how two very different New York mayors – Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg – recognized how harnessing detailed data could dramatically improve the effectiveness of civic services ranging from fighting crime to locating storm-downed trees. New York’s past record of success offers lessons for Canadian cities – but only those with a mayor driven by an uncompromising sense of purpose.

Palestinian Culture: Unique in its Own Destructive Way
Although the Palestinian Authority enjoys an array of cultural departments and programs, A.J. Caschetta in Jewish World Review finds that all of it – art, education, literature, poetry, music, education and film – is oriented to two goals: the vilification of Jews and the destruction of Israel. Caschetta notes this is in sharp contrast to Arab and Muslim traditions, which include myriad aesthetically normal cultural works. Palestinianism, Caschetta finds, is “a very sick culture”, driven by resentment and fuelled by hate.


