ABOUT US

Our objective is to challenge the slogans of the right, left and center with civil, fact-based and logical analysis.  We will support what we believe to be good and true and criticize that which is not.  Contrary to a great deal of evidence, the founders believe that there is still room for rational thought about even the most divisive topics. 

New issues will appear biweekly (on Tuesdays) with one lead article and shorter material.  Articles will be written by several different contributors as well as the editors.  As we work out the kinks and contributors start to fill the pipeline with stories, we hope to move to weekly publication.

Since this journal is not dependent on advertising, grants or the social media thought police, no topic will be off-limits, no matter how offensive some group might find a particular point of view.  At the same time, personal attacks will have no place in this journal.  Its purpose is to promote rational discourse about ideas and issues, not personalities and attitudes.  We cannot, however, promise that a particularly witty insult may not creep in from time to time.

Content will vary with the interests of columnists and the news of the day.  Some issues will deal with economic controversies, including tax policy, international trade, and environmental and energy policy.   Others will deal with social issues: gender, crime, marriage and the family to name a few.

Politics will be a frequent topic, sometimes dealing with particular candidates and legislative proposals, at other times with broader issues such as civility, free speech, religious freedom, and persecution.  Experts on national defense and foreign policy will contribute.

Trigger warning: there may well be articles on gender reassignment, gun control, abortion, homosexual marriage, Islamic terrorism, patriotism, heroism and the virtues of Western Civilization that will upset some readers.  We hope they will read them anyway.

With that, a look at this issue will provide the best introduction to the journal’s intended format, purpose and content.  Readers who would like to receive a reminder that a new issue has been published can subscribe, for free, by clicking the SUBSCRIBE button and providing an email address.  Readers who would like this venture to prosper are encouraged to share it with their friends and post links to our articles on Facebook.

The Editorial Board

The Chesapeake Observer was founded by John DeQ. Briggs, Matthew Daley and David Montgomery – an attorney, a diplomat and an economist who live on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  They form the editorial board and will be frequent contributors to the journal.

David Montgomery serves as the managing editor of The Chesapeake Observer and, since May 15, 2023, as a member of the Easton Town Council.  He is retired from a career that included teaching, government service, and consulting.  He taught economics at Caltech and Stanford, served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy and Assistant Director of the Congressional Budget Office, and was Senior Vice President of NERA Economic Consulting.  David has a PhD in economics from Harvard University and studied theology at the Catholic University of America.  He is the author of two books and many articles in academic journals, and wrote columns for the Talbot Spy, Fox News and other publications before founding the Chesapeake Observer.

John DeQ. Briggs is semiretired from a 47-year career focused on antitrust and competition law and policy, dealing mainly with corporate mergers, litigations involving allegations of monopoly, cartels, and allied matters.  He served as Chairman of the 10,000 lawyer Section of Antitrust Law of the American Bar Association and for a decade headed the largest private Antitrust Group in the world.  He practiced for several years in Europe and for most of the past decade has been co-chair of the largest “boutique” competition law practice in the United States  and been an adjunct professor of  international Competition Law & Policy at the George Washington University Law School.  He has written and published extensively in his field.

Matt Daley moved to the Eastern Shore nearly ten years ago after retiring from the federal government and from stints in the private sector.  Matt studied international affairs at Tulane University, the University of Paris and the University of Wisconsin. His government service included the US Army, the US Secret Service and the Department of State where he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.  Following his departure from government, Matt was the President of the US-ASEAN Business Council and served on a number of non-profit boards.