Later, at the site where world leaders are meeting to negotiate a climate pact outside of Paris, California governor Jerry Brown urged a small crowd to "never underestimate the coercive power of the central state in the service of good."

What happened to the Golden State? In the mid-twentieth century, California was the American Dream within the American Dream; a booming economy, vibrant middle-class, and an unshakeable optimism for the future were hallmarks of a state that had become the crown jewel of the Empire of Liberty.

How utopian fantasies destroy.

Memo to Wall Street: Hillary Clinton attacks you in the New York Times not because you did anything wrong. No, it is simply early December, and she is reminding you to make your 2015 contribution. It is time to pony up some big bucks to her favorite charity. Look on the bright side: It is tax-deductible.