Tuesday digest

- Iran's mullah's are pretty much dismissing efforts by the US to bring them to the table to discuss nuclear disarmament. I thought that even engaging them in the first place was a bad idea because it gave them credibility. Now more than ever, it's clear that the US should continue to put the squeeze on Iran while promoting pro-democracy, human rights and civil society movements from the inside. It's no time to back down.

- Condi also seems to have lost her nerve on Hamas. Why? For the last year, the ball has been in the Palestinians' court, and they repeatedly demonstrate that peace is the last thing on their minds. (I'll believe this when I see it. The language is probably so watered down to be meaningless.)

- Income inequality will always be a trade-off in a free society. Instead of trying to eliminate it wholesale, we should be trying to find the best way to manage it. Clearly, as the experience of Katrina shows, government isn't very good at getting the job done well.

- Another must-read from Dennis Prager.