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lower rate than the United States, and
its economy is characterized by a
slower rate of GDP growth.
In May 2007, the payroll survey
recorded an increase of 157,000 jobs.
Compared to August 2003, nonfarm
payroll employment has increased by
over 8.0 million jobs, 45 months of
consecutive gains, where professional
and business services added 1.9 million,
education and health services
added 1.7 million, leisure and hospitality
added 1.3 million, trade, transportation,
and utilities added 1.2 million,
construction added 910,000, government
added 653,000, and financial
activities added 436,000. The household
survey showed a gain of 157,000
employed workers in May 2007 as
well, and a gain of over 8.4 million
employed workers since August 2003.
DAVID SATTER’S
testimony on Russia
before the House
Foreign Affairs
Committee
May 17
One of the most important questions
in the world today concerns the intentions
of Russia. One can only wonder
what is motivating Russia to create so
many artificial problems in a short
period of time.
If Russia were motivated by logical
concerns, it would be dedicated to balancing
growing Chinese power, guarding
against Islamic terrorism, and preventing
the emergence of nuclear powers
on its borders. Instead, however,
Russia appears fixated on dominating
the countries that emerged from the
former Soviet Union and appears willing
to sacrifice its vital interests for the
empty satisfaction of appearing to give
orders to countries it believes it has a
right to dominate.
The leaders of a country are usually
dedicated to defending that country’s
vital interests. Developments in Russia,
however, show that there is a real
divergence between the interests of the
country and the interests of the small
group of people who run it.
JOHN FONTE’S
testimony on immigrant
assimilation before the
House Judiciary
Committee
May 16
What do we mean by patriotic assimilation?
First of all, patriotic assimilation
does not mean giving up all ethnic
traditions, customs, cuisine, and birth
languages. It has nothing to do with the
food one eats, the religion one practices,
the affection that one feels for the
land of one’s birth, and the second languages
that one speaks. Multiethnicity
and ethnic subcultures have enriched
America and have always been part of
our past since colonial days.
Historically, the immigration saga
has involved some “give and take”
between immigrants and the nativeborn.
That is to say, immigrants have
helped shape America even as this
nation has Americanized them. On the
other hand, this “two way street” is
not a fifty-fifty arrangement. Thus, on
the issue of “who accommodates to
whom,” obviously, most of the accommodating
should come from the newcomers,
not from the hosts.
So what is patriotic assimilation?
Well, one could say that patriotic
assimilation occurs when a newcomer
essentially adopts American civic values,
the American heritage, and the
story of America (what academics call
the “narrative”) as his or her own.
NINA SHEA’S
testimony before the
House of Represent a tives’
Task Force on Religious
Freedom
May 23
The Egyptian government maintains
tight control over all Muslim religious
ins titutions, including mosques and religious
endowments, which are encouraged
to promote an officially sanctioned
interpretation of Islam. All mosques
must be licensed by the government,
and sermons are monitored by the government,
reportedly as a necessary precaution
against religious extremism and
terrorism. Yet human rights organizations
inside the country are seriously
con cerned that Islamic extremism is in
fact advancing in Egypt, making questionable
the prospects for democratic
reform, religious tolerance, and the
rights of women and girls and members
of religious minorities. Despite the state
controls, some believe that the government
is not acting to its fullest ability to
counteract religious militancy, especially
in the areas of public education and the
media, where extremist influence is
grow ing. In addition to surveillance and
harassment by the state security services,
Coptic Orthodox and members of
other religious minorities also face societal
in tolerance and violence by Muslim
ex tremists. Despite draconian efforts on
the part of the Egyptian government to
fight extremism, these same Egyptian
security entities are often lax in or indifferent
to protecting the lives and property
of minority groups from extremist
violence, as well as in prosecuting those
responsible for the violent actions.
6 HUDSON INSTITUTE / FALL 2007