Jenny Sanford on Husband's Affair: I Told Him Not to See Her - Political News - FOXNews.com

Jenny Sanford on Husband's Affair: I Told Him Not to See Her - Political News - FOXNews.com: "South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford sat in her oceanfront living room Friday, recalling how her husband repeatedly asked permission to visit his lover in the months after she discovered his affair."

Unbelieveable!

Record-setting fireworks to cap off Fourthfest | Duluth News Tribune

Record-setting fireworks to cap off Fourthfest | Duluth News Tribune | Duluth, Minnesota: "Terry Mattson, CEO of Visit Duluth, said the Duluth fireworks display is “the largest pyrotechnic display in Minnesota. They have earned the reputation as the best around.”

Comparing size of the fireworks display and the shells themselves, the Duluth fireworks are second only to Chicago, Mattson said."

TakeBackMedicine

TakeBackMedicine - Home: "Physicians have stood on sidelines too long as you have watched your control over the practice of medicine taken over by politicians, insurance companies and regulators – people who have never laid a hand on a sick patient, explained to a sobbing child why she needs a “shot,” or made split-second life-or-death decisions.
�
They’ve never know what it’s like to have a make a decision whether to “break the rules” or do what’s best for your patient in spite of the rules.
�
For too long, doctors have been carrying the burden of a scheme that increasingly leaves you out of the decision-making process, and tells you that your first responsibility is to the government or insurance company, rather than your real clients, your patients."

Obama Leaves Door Open to New Tax on Health Benefits - Political News - FOXNews.com

Obama Leaves Door Open to New Tax on Health Benefits - Political News - FOXNews.com: "Hospitals were being asked to accept a reduction of roughly $155 billion over the next decade in fees they are promised under government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, according to numerous officials."

"Baucus is seeking similar concessions from nursing homes, insurance companies, medical device makers and possibly others"

Money doesn't grow on trees and neither do cost reductions. We will pay for that someway or another.

"At its heart, any legislation is expected to require insurance companies to offer coverage to any applicant, without exclusions or higher premiums for pre-existing medical conditions."

So everyone will get higher premiums.

"Current law allows those expenses to be itemized when they exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income. The proposal under review would raise that to 10 percent, officials said."

Only people with massive medical problems will be affected by this so we'll tax the hurting.

"Gerald W. McEntee, president of the 1.6 million-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said in an interview that union leaders believe Obama is 'a person of his word.' He was referring to Obama's opposition to taxing those benefits during last year's campaign.

'They're not going to take it,' McEntee said of workers' views of that proposal. 'They're not going to tolerate that.'"

"ABC News was the lone network broadcasting Obama's town hall -- drawing criticism from Republicans who wanted equal time.

In defense, ABC News President David Westin said the show would 'include a variety of perspectives coming from private individuals asking the president questions and taking issue with him, as they see fit.'"

So that makes it fair? Would they consider it fair to only do a Republican town hall like that?

Stop the Cap-and-Trade Bill

Campaign For Liberty — Stop the Cap-and-Trade Bill: "Supporters of the legislation are of course trying to downplay the cost of this scheme to the American people.

But if the bill does not directly and massively increase energy costs to consumers, how would it possibly achieve its stated aims?"

Supreme Court Rules Strip Search of Child Illegal - US Supreme Court | Cases | Justices - FOXNews.com

Supreme Court Rules Strip Search of Child Illegal - US Supreme Court | Cases | Justices - FOXNews.com: "The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a school's strip search of an Arizona teenage girl accused of having prescription-strength ibuprofen was illegal."

I don't understand why anyone would think it is ok to strip-search someone just because another student claimed she had ibuprofen!

Ethanol Standards: Why Federal Policy Is Crazy | Harry de Gorter and David R. Just | Cato Institute: Commentary

Ethanol Standards: Why Federal Policy Is Crazy | Harry de Gorter and David R. Just | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The EPA's sustainability standard is based on 'life-cycle accounting' (LCA), a 'well to wheel' measure of greenhouse gas emissions in the production of gasoline and a 'field to fuel tank' measure for ethanol production. While attractive in theory, LCA fails to recognize that if incentives are given for ethanol producers to use relatively 'clean' inputs (e.g., natural gas and land previously used for soybean cultivation), the 'dirtier' inputs (e.g., coal and land previously dedicated to rainforests) that might otherwise have been used will simply be used by other producers to make products not covered by the sustainability standard.

In short, sustainability standards reshuffle who is using what inputs with no net reduction in national emissions. LCA measures are therefore misleading and may not measure the actual greenhouse gas emissions saved by ethanol production."

Does aid to Africa help Africans?

Geldof Humanitarian Gig | Marian L. Tupy and Michela Wrong | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Africa, however, would surely be better off if rich countries followed the much-lambasted Italian example and cut their aid budgets. Decades of academic research have failed to show a positive correlation between foreign aid and economic development. In Africa, the correlation between the two is negative. In addition to breeding corruption, aid acts as a disincentive to genuine political and economic reform."

Some form of restraint in our choice of medical procedures is going to be necessary

The Non-Debate over Non-Reform | Arnold Kling | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Some form of restraint in our choice of medical procedures is going to be necessary. The debate we should be having is over whether restraint in our use of medical services should be initiated by government officials or left to consumers. The Democrats want to avoid that debate. Instead, they make it sound as if they can make excess health-care spending disappear by magic. But even if we were to stipulate for the sake of argument that all of the supposed savings from preventive care, electronic medical records, and eliminating the waste and greed supposedly inflicted by insurance companies and doctors will actually materialize, the excessive use of medical procedures would still be the main problem with our health-care system."

VA Medical System in Shambles, Veterans Groups Say - Political News - FOXNews.com

VA Medical System in Shambles, Veterans Groups Say - Political News - FOXNews.com: "With Veterans Affairs hospitals giving botched radiation treatments to nearly 100 vets and exposing 10,000 to HIV and hepatitis viruses, veterans advocates and lawmakers say the VA health system is in dire need of proper oversight and funding."

That is another example of how government isn't good a doing things outside of its domain.

Security Tip: Change color scheme

Websites sometimes cause pop-ups that are made to look like they come from Windows to convince you to trust them. But they always use the default color scheme so if you change your color scheme it will be obvious which pop-ups are caused by Windows and which are caused by a website.

The eternal optimism of the Clear mind - Joel on Software

The eternal optimism of the Clear mind - Joel on Software: "Now, the TSA doesn’t even trust pilots, who go through the same screening as the rest of us to make sure they’re not bringing something extraordinarily dangerous onto a plane like a 3.5 oz bottle of shampoo. Because, of course, with a little bottle of shampoo, they could make a bomb, which they could use to fly the plane they are piloting into a building, something that is impossible for mere pilots sitting at the controls of the jet."

Boy Who Fled Chemotherapy Angry About Treatments - Cancer - FOXNews.com

Boy Who Fled Chemotherapy Angry About Treatments - Cancer - FOXNews.com: "Daniel Hauser told The Associated Press he had hoped he would instead be able to stop chemotherapy, which he says makes him dizzy and gives him headaches."

Why should the judge choose what is best for the boy?

A trillion dollars

How much is a trillion dollars?


That is quite impressive but take a look at this 100 trillion dollar bill (it could be in our future).

Iacocca Tells Detroit to Kick Government Out ASAP - Auto - FOXNews.com

Iacocca Tells Detroit to Kick Government Out ASAP - Auto - FOXNews.com: "Former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca has some advice for the people who are running his old company, and those who will lead the new General Motors: Get the government out of your business as soon as possible.

Iacocca, a slick pitchman who became an American hero in the early 1980s when he used over a $1 billion in government loan guarantees to rescue the nearly defunct Chrysler, said in a rare interview with The Associated Press that government intervention was strong motivation to repay the loan early.

'They're on you day and night. Their oversight is just too extreme,' said Iacocca, who is promoting a new limited-edition customized Iacocca Ford Mustang. 'That's why our 10-year loan, we paid it back in three years. We couldn't stand the government. The bureaucracy kills you.'"

Wild Wisconsin: Around the Web: Website Development

Wild Wisconsin: Around the Web: Website Development: "For website hosting I used Fatcows. Not only do they provide one of the cheapest plans but they also have top of the line customer support. I had used GoDaddy in the past and was satisfied with their price (not as good as FatCows though) but had troubles with their help and site navigation. Fatcows has a better navigation system and less service advertisements. It is simple, clean, and effective.

I have had a few issues with server speed, but they seem to have addressed those. If you do use Fat cows, please enter my website (www.visitchristtheking.org) in as your referral and I will get a slight discount on my next membership renewal."

Teen cheating morphs with new tech, poll shows | Wireless - CNET News

Teen cheating morphs with new tech, poll shows | Wireless - CNET News: "'Cell phones and the Internet have been a real game-changer for education and have opened up many avenues for collaboration, creation, and communication,' said James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. 'But as this poll shows, the unintended consequence of these versatile technologies is that they've made cheating easier.'"

Maybe it is time to change our expectations about testing students in offline mode. Maybe it should be ok for students to use communications devices to help them with tests because they would do that in the real world. How accurate are offline tests at measuring real-world effective knowledge?

New York City detective: I've gone into hundreds of [fortune-teller's parlors]...

Quote Details: New York City detective: I've gone into hundreds... - The Quotations Page: "I've gone into hundreds of [fortune-teller's parlors], and have been told thousands of things, but nobody ever told me I was a policewoman getting ready to arrest her.
New York City detective"

Laurence J. Peter: Psychiatry enables us to correct our faults by...

Quote Details: Laurence J. Peter: Psychiatry enables us to... - The Quotations Page: "Psychiatry enables us to correct our faults by confessing our parents' shortcomings.
Laurence J. Peter"

Fran Lebowitz: I've done the calculation...

Quote Details: Fran Lebowitz: I've done the calculation... - The Quotations Page: "I've done the calculation and your chances of winning the lottery are identical whether you play or not.
Fran Lebowitz"

Battery-free LED flashlight recharges in 90 seconds | Crave - CNET

Battery-free LED flashlight recharges in 90 seconds | Crave - CNET: "Light for Life recharges in just 90 seconds and shines at 90 lumens for 90 minutes per charge. The flashlight has three modes--bright (270 peak lumens), standard (90 lumens), and strobe, which is good for dance parties or scaring the neighbors' dog and kids (OK, I'm kidding, but you get the picture).
According to 5.11 Tactical, the 50,000-hour LEDs never have to be replaced and the flashlight is engineered to 'offer 10 years of maintenance free service under typical conditions.' (You can recharge it up 50,000 times or one time a day for 135 years)."

U.S.: Climate Change Damage Happening Now - Political News - FOXNews.com

U.S.: Climate Change Damage Happening Now - Political News - FOXNews.com: "Global warming has already caused more heavy downpours, the rise of temperatures and sea levels, rapidly retreating glaciers and altered river flows, according to the document released Tuesday by the White House science adviser and other top officials."

Except that average temps of been steady for the last decade!

SPS Commerce's CEO, Archie Black, Interviewed For FOX Business Morning C-Suite Sit-Down

SPS Commerce's CEO, Archie Black, Interviewed For FOX Business Morning C-Suite Sit-Down: "SPS Commerce, the leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) trading partner integration center provider, today announced that its president and CEO, Archie Black, was featured on today's FOX Business Morning C-Suite Sit-Down segment. Mr. Black shared his perspective on the challenges facing retailers in today's economy and how SaaS solutions offer valuable efficiencies in the supply chain to reduce costs and improve visibility to inventory.

A recording of Mr. Black's interview with FOX Business Morning is available at http://www.foxbusiness.com/search-results/m/22926935/making-retail-supply-chains-more-efficient.htm."

Obama Shrugs Off Concerns | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary

Obama Shrugs Off Concerns | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary: "a solemn pledge by Barack Obama that almost made me vote for him (but I'm pro-life, and he's a pro-choice extremist) was that his administration would be the most open and transparent in our history, in contrast to the deeply, darkly secret George W. Bush-Dick Cheney administration. But, as with some of his other broken promises to restore the Constitution, I increasingly have less hope for a reason to believe in the Obama presidency.

For a glaring example, with regard to the pervasive secrecy of his predecessors, President Obama has stunningly not only continued to invoke state secrets to order judges to close down lawsuits, but has gone further than Mr. Bush by claiming total government immunity from litigation by citizens protesting illegal spying on our communications by the National Security Agency."

Study: Bank Bailout Exposes Government to Massive Losses, Fraud - First 100 Days of Presidency - Politics FOXNews.com

Study: Bank Bailout Exposes Government to Massive Losses, Fraud - First 100 Days of Presidency - Politics FOXNews.com: "In a 250-page quarterly report to Congress, the rescue program's special inspector general concludes that a private-public partnership designed to rid financial institutions of their 'toxic assets' is tilted in favor of private investors and creates 'potential unfairness to the taxpayer.'"

Record Serves as Reminder of Hugo Chavez's Human Rights Transgressions - Political News - FOXNews.com

Record Serves as Reminder of Hugo Chavez's Human Rights Transgressions - Political News - FOXNews.com: "A 2006 State Department report on human rights documented a slew of abuses, including data implicating Chavez's security forces in about 6,000 killings over five years.�

The department's annual Country Report on Human Rights practices released in March 2008 cited The Venezuelan Program of Action and Education in Human Rights statistic of 165 unlawful killings by Chavez security forces from October 2006 through September 2007.

The group reported that it received 11 complaints of torture and 692 complaints of cruel or degrading treatment during the same period, which was actually a decline from the year before."

America's Explosion: Operations & Tactics at Officer.com

America's Explosion: Operations & Tactics at Officer.com: "A candid interview with a confidential source of information employed by the Israeli military highlighted several characteristics portrayed by suicide bombers as they become deployed to achieve their target and detonate themselves. In speaking with this individual, it became apparent that traits exhibited by the suicide bombers are not vastly different from those of the traditional American criminals. Therefore, it is fair to conclude that regardless of cultural differences, human behavior has a commonality. A synopsis of these characteristics is listed below with a brief explanation of the actions portrayed by the suicide bomber.

Characteristics:
Explanations

Constant touching the area of the bomb, body part or bag.
The bomber is under tremendous psychological guilt. This guilt stems from the understanding of what he/she is about to do, therefore wants to re-assure him/herself that the explosives are still intact and not visible to the public.

Package or bag does not match the person.
Suicide bombers often dress inappropriately for their surroundings, overdressed by either wearing a jacket in a warm climate or the wearing of business attire. Bombers will often wear a suit and carry a large bag instead of a brief case that would be the typical compliment of an individual dressed in business attire.

Quickly change travel direction when engaged by law enforcement personnel.
Like most criminals, there desire is not to confront law enforcement, but to avoid contact. Suicide bombers overtly change direction at the presence of law enforcement.

Sweating profusely.
An increased respiratory response due to nervousness creates warmth of the body; consequently, it is the body’s natural reaction to reduce the core temperature, thus causing the individual to perspire.

Constricted pupils of the eye.
Involuntary natural constriction of the pupil due stress.

Increased blinking of the eye.
Natural reaction that is stress induced.

Lack of stability / Smaller strides in walk.
Due to the nervousness of the individual, the muscular structure is tightening thus reduced flexibility in normal activities.

Unusual air is pushed through the lips.
Involuntary relief of pressure. Often observed as an animated breathing.

Use of book or newspaper to appear occupied.
Disguising guilt. Many individuals believe that the "eyes are the windows to the soul." This is evident as many bombers avoid eye contact at all costs."

WORLD Magazine | Sharing secrets | Cal Thomas | Apr 28, 09

WORLD Magazine | Sharing secrets | Cal Thomas | Apr 28, 09: "In any game, much less a war, when one player plays by a set of rules and the other plays by no rules at all, it does not take a genius to conclude who will win. America’s enemies know how to play us and how to use our Constitution, legal system, the media, and public opinion to advance their ends, while frustrating ours."

We don't have to abandon our rules to win! And if we do and win then it will be empty.

The Case against "Smart Taxes" on Carbon - D.W. MacKenzie - Mises Institute

The Case against "Smart Taxes" on Carbon - D.W. MacKenzie - Mises Institute: "corrective taxation requires knowledge of the magnitude of externalities. Externalities are by definition not priced through any social mechanism or institution."

"RSS and UAH data on global temperatures indicate that global warming peaked in 1998 and went flat during the past decade, while CO2 levels continued to rise."

FOXNews.com - Philanthropies Come to the Rescue When Government Comes Up Short - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

FOXNews.com - Philanthropies Come to the Rescue When Government Comes Up Short - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News: "Lost in the tidal wave of government greenbacks is the private solution: the contributions of foundations, corporations and private volunteer organizations that are continuing to step up to help a nation in need.

Traditionally, these philanthropies and corporations have invested private or corporate wealth in the stock market and used the interest to support causes in their community and around the world.

Now, despite enormous stock market losses, they are continuing to do so -- even dipping into their endowments to make it happen."

“We can usually react to changing community needs more quickly than a government entity,” said Scott Tennant, spokesman for The Cleveland Foundation, which has given out more than $1 million in recent months in response to the economic crisis.

United Auto Workers Chief: Union Will Sell Its Chrysler Stock - Political News - FOXNews.com

United Auto Workers Chief: Union Will Sell Its Chrysler Stock - Political News - FOXNews.com: "Gettelfinger said that critics who think the union is getting a better deal than Chrysler's secured debtholders are wrong because the UAW is taking a big risk with Chrysler stock funding the trust. The stock is worthless today, he noted."

Unfortunately the most likely way for the stock to have value is for the government to give it value.

Jack Kemp -- A Dissenting View | Jerry Taylor | Cato Institute: Commentary

Jack Kemp -- A Dissenting View | Jerry Taylor | Cato Institute: Commentary: "government spending was the true tax on the private sector. One way or another, all federal dollars come from the private (productive) sector. They might be taxed away, of course, but they might also be borrowed (meaning that taxpayers tomorrow will pay for spending today . . . with interest!) or confiscated indirectly via the printing press (that is, via inflation)."

Health Care Reform? Maybe Next Year | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary

Health Care Reform? Maybe Next Year | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary: "But now, the health care industry seems to be saying, 'Here, take our coin.' Did the industry really just volunteer to pay for health care reform?

A good rule in politics is that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Lobbyists don't simply propose to reduce their members' incomes. If they did, they would be fired and replaced with different lobbyists.

Another possibility is that the industry — which would get more customers under universal coverage — wants to help the president and Congress ignore the math."

Lawmakers Urge Obama to Fight Release of Photos of U.S. Detainee Abuse - Political News - FOXNews.com

Lawmakers Urge Obama to Fight Release of Photos of U.S. Detainee Abuse - Political News - FOXNews.com: "Some lawmakers are questioning the wisdom of releasing hundreds of photos potentially showing U.S. military personnel abusing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon.

'If we release the pictures, the odds are that Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups will then use our pictures to recruit people to come into the war against us,' Sen. Joe Lieberman. I-Conn., told FOX News."

What horrible reasoning. People aren't upset by the photos but the actions. Keeping them secret destroys our integrity.

Financial Health of Social Security, Medicare Worsens in Past Year - Political News - FOXNews.com

Financial Health of Social Security, Medicare Worsens in Past Year - Political News - FOXNews.com: "Trustees of the programs said Tuesday that Social Security will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in 2016, one year sooner than projected last year, and the giant trust fund will be depleted by 2037, four years sooner.

Medicare is in even worse shape. The trustees said the program for hospital expenses will pay out more in benefits than it collects this year and will be insolvent by 2017, two years earlier than the date projected in last year's report."

Ignore the trust funds -- the money has been spent and will have to be raised just as if it had never existed.

So S.S. has 7 years and Medicare has less than 1!

The Myths of Capitalism's History - Art Carden - Mises Institute

The Myths of Capitalism's History - Art Carden - Mises Institute: "Incorrect social science, incorrect theory, and incorrect historiography have enslaved us to a narrative about processes of economic change that simply isn't true.

The rich did not get richer by exploiting the increasingly immiserized poor during the early parts of industrialization.

People weren't forced out of an idyllic rural life and into the dark satanic mills of industrial England.

Pristine childhood wasn't transformed into a grotesque caricature of itself in which children were robbed of their innocence by wicked industrial masters.

Man's labor did not confront him as something alien."

"Hayek pointed out that the historical discontinuity that appeared during the era that we loosely call "industrialization" was that people came to expect economic progress rather than stagnation as the natural course of things. Regular people up through the 18th century could expect to see no economic progress during their lifetimes. Today, we are disappointed when economic growth is slower than we expect."

Darth Greenspan - Dan O'Connor - Mises Institute

Darth Greenspan - Dan O'Connor - Mises Institute: "In fact, in 1966, Greenspan wrote a famous article advocating the need for a gold standard in America in which he stated,

In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of value. The financial policy of the welfare state requires that there be no way for the owners of wealth to protect themselves.

"

Obama's Stock Market Mini-Bubble - Frank Shostak - Mises Institute

Obama's Stock Market Mini-Bubble - Frank Shostak - Mises Institute: "Obviously, no individual wants to hold more money than is required. An individual can get rid of surplus cash by exchanging the money for goods.

All the individuals as a group, however, cannot get rid of the surplus of money just like that. They can only shift money from one individual to another individual.

The mechanism that generates the elimination of the surplus of cash is the increase in the prices of goods. Once individuals start to employ the surplus cash in acquiring goods, this pushes prices higher."

Never-Ending Government Lies About Markets - Thomas J. DiLorenzo - Mises Institute

Never-Ending Government Lies About Markets - Thomas J. DiLorenzo - Mises Institute: "When the Pilgrims came to America, they nearly starved to death because they adopted communal agriculture. When William Bradford, leader of the Mayflower expedition, figured this out he reorganized the Massachusetts pilgrims in a regime of private property in land. The incentives created by private property promptly created a dramatic economic turnaround and the rest is history."

"After the American Revolution, it was imperative to build roads and canals so that commerce could expand and the economy thrive. George Washington's Treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, declared in his famous Report on Manufactures that private road and canal building would never succeed without government subsidies. President Thomas Jefferson's Treasury secretary, Albert Gallatin, concurred. Meanwhile, private capital markets and the private "turnpike" industry were busy financing thousands of miles of private roads without any governmental assistance. When government did intervene in early-American road building, it was a financial catastrophe almost everywhere, so much so that by 1860 only Missouri and Massachusetts had not amended their state constitutions to prohibit the use of tax dollars for "internal improvements."

Americans have been taught by their government-run schools that the post-1865 Industrial Revolution was bad for the working class, which made government regulation of work and wages, and the creation and prospering of labor unions necessary. In reality, people left the farms for factories because the latter offered far better wages and working conditions. Between 1860 and 1890, real wages increased by 50 percent in America, as myriad new products were invented, and made available to the common working person thanks to low-cost, mass production. It was capital investment that dramatically increased the productivity of labor, allowing hours worked to decline from an average of 61 hours per week in 1870 to 48 hours by 1929.

Higher worker productivity, fueled mostly by capital investment by entrepreneurs and private investors, also made it less necessary for families to force their children to work. Child labor was on the wane for decades before government got around to regulating or outlawing it. And when it did so it was to protect unionized labor from competition, not to protect children from harsh working conditions.

The "robber barons" of the late 19th century robbed no one. Most of them made their money by providing valuable — if not revolutionary — goods and services to the masses at lower and lower prices for decades at a time. John D. Rockefeller, for example, caused the price of refined petroleum to drop from 30 cents per gallon in 1869 to 8 cents in 1885, and continued to drop his prices for many years thereafter. James J. Hill built the most efficient and profitable transcontinental railroad without a dime's worth of government subsidy."

"As I show in How Capitalism Saved America, all of the industries accused of being monopolies by Congress in 1889–1890 had been dropping their prices for at least a decade thanks to vigorous competition. And it was not a result of the idiotic theory of "predatory pricing." No sane businessperson would intentionally lose money for decades by pricing below cost with the hope that he would somehow frighten away all competition forevermore."

"Every time the price of gasoline goes up significantly, Congress convenes a Nuremburg Trial–style inquisition of oil-company executives. This practice began in the 1970s when the government's own foolish price controls on petroleum products caused massive shortages, and it needed someone to blame. Oil company executives are never praised when gasoline prices fall, as they have in the past year from over $4/gallon to under $2/gallon in many parts of the United States.

Most recently, the current economic crisis is said to be caused by the "excesses" of economic freedom and "too little regulation" of the economy, especially financial markets. This is said by the president and numerous other politicians, with straight faces, despite the facts that there are a dozen executive-branch cabinet departments, over 100 federal agencies, more than 85,000 pages in the Federal Register, and dozens of state and local government agencies that regulate, regiment, tax, and control every aspect of every business in America, and have been doing so for decades.

Laissez-faire run amok in financial markets is said to be a cause of the current crisis. But the Fed alone — a secret government organization that is accountable to no one and which has never been audited — performs hundreds of regulatory functions, in addition to recklessly manipulating the money supply. And it is just one of numerous financial regulatory agencies (the SEC, Comptroller of the Currency, Office of Thrift Supervision, FDIC, and numerous state regulators also exist). In a Fed publication entitled "The Federal Reserve System: Purposes and Functions," it is explained that "The Federal Reserve has supervisory and regulatory authority over a wide range of financial institutions and activities." That's the understatement of the century. Among the Fed's functions are the regulation of

Bank holding companies
State-chartered banks
Foreign branches of member banks
Edge and agreement corporations
US state-licensed branches, agencies, and representative offices of foreign banks
Nonbanking activities of foreign banks
National banks (with the Comptroller of the Currency)
Savings banks (with the Office of Thrift Supervision)
Nonbank subsidiaries of bank holding companies
Thrift holding companies
Financial reporting
Accounting policies of banks
Business "continuity" in case of an economic emergency
Consumer-protection laws
Securities dealings of banks
Information technology used by banks
Foreign investments of banks
Foreign lending by banks
Branch banking
Bank mergers and acquisitions
Who may own a bank
Capital "adequacy standards"
Extensions of credit for the purchase of securities
Equal-opportunity lending
Mortgage disclosure information
Reserve requirements
Electronic-funds transfers
Interbank liabilities
Community Reinvestment Act subprime lending requirements
All international banking operations
Consumer leasing
Privacy of consumer financial information
Payments on demand deposits
"Fair credit" reporting
Transactions between member banks and their affiliates
Truth in lending
Truth in savings

That's a pretty comprehensive list, the result of 96 years of bureaucratic empire building by Fed bureaucrats. It gives the lie to the notion that there has been "too little regulation" of financial markets. Anyone who makes such an argument is either ignorant of the truth or is lying."

Nobody Likes Paying Too Much | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary

Nobody Likes Paying Too Much | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Other things being equal, would you start a new business in a higher- or lower-tax jurisdiction, and would you prefer to live and invest in a higher- or lower-tax locale? This is not a tough question for most people, but the powers in Washington (the administration and the congressional Democratic leaders) are incensed that the American people are answering the question in a most politically incorrect way by opting out of high-tax place"

"If a U.S. business operating globally has to pay a 35 percent (U.S.) corporate tax rate (the second-highest in the world) plus state corporate taxes while its international competitors pay much lower rates, the U.S. company will be at a competitive disadvantage. Rather than provide necessary tax relief, the new Treasury proposals, if enacted, will give American multinational companies two basic choices for the long run — move the company outside the United States to a more tax-friendly jurisdiction, or go out of business and fire the workers."

"You may not be aware that foreign citizens who invest in stocks and bonds in the United States do not have to pay U.S. income tax on the interest, dividends and capital gains from those investments. This is good economic policy for the United States because it attracts necessary foreign investment. Without foreign investment, the United States would have far less capital to invest in research and development, new plants and equipment, and job creation; also, the government would have a much more difficult time financing the federal deficit.

Some U.S. citizens have been trying to get in on the good deal the United States offers foreigners by investing in the U.S. through foreign institutions. In order to close this loophole, the Treasury and Congress are proposing regulations of mind-boggling complexity that are likely to drive many foreign investors out of the U.S. market, thus causing Treasury to lose, rather than gain, revenue.

Perhaps if we treated U.S. citizens as well as we treat foreign investors by removing the double tax from interest, dividends and capital gains, the markets would boom, businesses would expand, millions of new jobs would be created and, consequently, more taxable income likely would be created, rather than less."

Unions As Safe in Colombia As in D.C. | Daniel Griswold | Cato Institute: Commentary

Unions As Safe in Colombia As in D.C. | Daniel Griswold | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The U.S. International Trade Commission estimates the FTA would boost U.S. exports, of manufactured and farm goods, by $1 billion a year.

Most of Colombia's exports to the U.S. already enter duty-free because of the Andean Trade Preferences Act. The FTA would make Colombia's access to the U.S. market permanent, boosting investment and growth in that country.

And by reducing and eliminating Colombia's tariffs, the agreement would deliver the 'level paying field' that critics of trade are always demanding."

"Labor complaints ignore the dramatic progress that has been made under Uribe against violence of all kinds. Since he took office in 2002, the government has disarmed 30,000 paramilitary fighters and largely defeated the left-wing guerrilla movement known as FARC.

As a result, the murder rate in Colombia has been cut by 40%, and murders of union members by 80%. One study showed that union members in Colombia are actually at less risk of murder than nonunion members."

Nuclear Realities | Ted Galen Carpenter | Cato Institute: Commentary

Nuclear Realities | Ted Galen Carpenter | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Although the Obama administration's offer of carrots is more generous to Tehran than to Pyongyang, the stick remains essentially the same: painful isolation of both countries if they refuse to cooperate. But U.S. policy makers need to ask whether that threat is either feasible or wise. Evidence suggests that it is neither.

Washington is unlikely to achieve the degree of isolation that might compel either North Korea or Iran to change its policies."

Key House Democrat Wants More Government Say in Executive Pay - Political News - FOXNews.com

Key House Democrat Wants More Government Say in Executive Pay - Political News - FOXNews.com: "Frank wants to develop guidelines for compensation practices, and not just for companies receiving government bailout dollars. Frank argues the problems is much wider."

Executive pay was insignificant compared to the government intervention.

When you are really behind on laundry...

When you are really behind on laundry...
You can Gain a foothold by beating Downy the Tide for a new Era of Ultra cleanliness to bring Cheer to All.

The Fed Might Have Painted Itself into a Corner - Frank Shostak - Mises Institute

The Fed Might Have Painted Itself into a Corner - Frank Shostak - Mises Institute: "A major concern for Fed policy makers is a visible weakening in the US dollar against major currencies. If the Fed were to allow the dollar to fall further, the US central bank runs the risk that major holders of US-dollar assets will divest to nondollar assets. This could push long-term rates and mortgage rates higher, thereby igniting another crisis. If, in order to defend the dollar, the Fed were to start taking some of the newly pumped money from the economy, i.e., to curb the money supply rate of growth, this will hurt various old and new bubble activities and set in motion an economic bust. Even if the Fed were to decide to tighten its stance just slightly, given the current strengthening in the growth momentum of economic activity, this could visibly weaken the growth momentum of monetary liquidity, thus posing a threat to the stock market. It seems that the Fed might have painted itself into a corner."

Why Technologists Want Fewer Patents - WSJ.com

Why Technologists Want Fewer Patents - WSJ.com: "One measure of how badly the patent system needs reform: IBM, for years the company that's been assigned the greatest number of patents now says too many patents are being granted. IBM is also the leader in 'business method' patents that the court could now invalidate. Several justices have doubted that software can be protected by patents. Industries from high-tech to biotech and financial services are watching the case of Bilski v. Doll with intense interest."

"The makers of almost every new product have to jump through hoops to make sure they haven't violated a patent, which is one reason that patent king IBM is willing to toss in its crown. "In the Industrial Age, innovation primarily was the result of work by individuals or small groups within an enterprise," explains IBM lawyer David Kappos. "The nature of innovation has changed. Today, we benefit from inventions made possible through highly collaborative and interconnected technologies. Many of the products that consumers demand are complex and include contributions from multiple innovators that incorporate hundreds if not thousands of patented inventions."

Mr. Kappos notes that this "increases the need for predictability and clarity in determining the valid scope of patent rights." As things now stand, the vagueness of patent law means the "precious time of skilled scientists and engineers is too often spent defending against costly and time-consuming litigation, instead of creating innovations that drive economic growth." Incentives still need to be available for individual inventors and start-up companies, giving venture capital a key role in funding businesses based on new ideas."

Why the Meltdown Should Have Surprised No One - Peter Schiff - Mises Institute

Why the Meltdown Should Have Surprised No One - Peter Schiff - Mises Institute: "And I remember one country I was active in was New Zealand, and I remember trying to convince people who owned shares of stocks, like Yahoo, why they should sell their Yahoo and buy a stock in New Zealand.

I would point out that Yahoo was worth twice the entire country of New Zealand; every stock they had, all the real estate.

I'd say, 'What would you rather own, this entire country?' The dividend yield on the New Zealand stock market was over a billion dollars a year. That was the dividend yield. Yet Yahoo was trading for more than twice the value of that whole stock market.

I said, "What would you rather own, this company that just got started a couple years ago, or this whole country? And you could take all the dividends." No. No one cared; they wanted Yahoo. But it was just all nonsense, but nobody saw it.

Of course, after the Internet bubble burst, everybody was talking about how crazy it was."

"President Bush, in one of his speeches, said that Wall Street got drunk. And he was right, they were drunk. So was Main Street. The whole country was drunk. But what he doesn't point out is, where'd they get the alcohol? Why were they drunk?

Obviously, Greenspan poured the alcohol, the Fed got everybody drunk, and the government helped out with their moral hazards, and the tax codes, and all the incentives and disincentives they put in — all the various ways that they interfered with the free market and removed the necessary balances that would have existed, that would have kept all this from happening.

We've always had greedy people. Everybody's been greedy, not just Wall Street. But all of a sudden everybody was greedy all at the same time? Can't they understand there's a trigger for this, there's a reason that everybody acted this way?

Normally, when people are greedy, they're also fearful of loss, and people's fear of loss overcomes their greed and checks their behavior. But what the government did, repeatedly, was try to remove the fear — they tried to make speculating as riskless as possible."

"People do a lot of research before they buy a plasma TV, but nobody does any research before they put their money in the bank. No one cares. Who could care? Because the government has created a moral hazard by guaranteeing the accounts.

If the government didn't guarantee bank accounts, then banks would not be doing foolish things with our deposits. Because people would care, because people could know, gee, if you make loans and they don't get paid back, I'm going to lose my money.

So banks would not just compete on how much interest they'd pay, but they would compete on how safe their balance sheets are."

"If somehow we can all have like a little machine that we could just push little buttons and whatever we wanted would magically appear, right, nobody would have to work. And the government, of course, would try to outlaw those gadgets, because it would create a lot of unemployment. But who would care? We wouldn't need employment, we would have everything we want.

So, we work because we want stuff, not because we want to work. So just to preserve jobs doesn't make any sense if they're not productive, if they're not efficient."

"And when I talk about letting General Motors go bankrupt — and I, of course, I was predicting that they would go bankrupt five or six years ago. I knew they couldn't survive.

But, if we let them go bankrupt, does that mean it's an end to the automobile industry? Does that mean that all those plants in Detroit or in the Detroit area are just going to sit idle? That all those skilled workers are just going to sit there and nobody is going to try to hire them? Of course not.

What would happen if we let General Motors go bankrupt is that some entrepreneurs would step up and buy up the assets at a bankruptcy, and they would no longer be encumbered with big labor union contracts or health care obligations or interest on debt. They would be able to buy the assets without the liabilities and organize them in such a way to make cars profitably.

Now, in order to do that, they would probably have to pay their workers a lot less than the workers are being paid now, but at least they'd be working for companies that made cars profitably. And we'd probably end up with a lot more people working in the automobile industry than we have today.

And, the fact of the matter is, rather than making cars for Americans, we should be making cars to export, because Americans, we don't really need any cars. We have too many cars. We have, what, two or three cars per household at this point."

"So what do we need? We need the government to eliminate the deficit and go to a surplus. We need the government to stop spending money and depleting our savings. We need consumers to stop spending money and rebuild their savings. We need a recession. We need it. We need one badly.

And what the government has to do is fess up and let us know, yes, this is the price we pay for years of indulgence and reckless spending; now comes the sacrifice, now comes the penance, we're going to have to take this recession. And there's nothing the government can do about it.

The only thing the government can do about it is to acknowledge to the American public that the government is a burden on the economy. And in good times, maybe we can tolerate that burden, but in bad times, there's no way."

Ten and Win - www.tenandwin.com

Ten and Win - www.tenandwin.com: You could with $20,000 if you can recite the 10 commands. Only the first person to do so will get the prize.

Campaign For Liberty — Libertarian Health-Care Alternative: Medical Choice - Part II

Campaign For Liberty — Libertarian Health-Care Alternative: Medical Choice - Part II: "unhealthy people spend more on health care and live shorter lives; it has very little to do with who pays their doctors. Unless you propose that we kill them - which would provide the additional benefit of reducing CO2 emissions, so maybe I shouldn't have suggested it - nationalizing health care will not make us healthy.


Americans are not particularly healthy people; and this is a choice we have made fully informed."

"The solution for health insurance is hiding in plain sight. Let's think about driving. There are good drivers and bad drivers, and all points in between. For the most part, your driving costs are the consequences of your choices and behaviors. Your choices decide direct costs of driving, and you also choose from a wide array of insurance products, based upon your own needs, preferences, behaviors, and economic circumstances."

Campaign For Liberty — Libertarian Health-Care Alternative: Medical Choice - Part I

Campaign For Liberty — Libertarian Health-Care Alternative: Medical Choice - Part I: "There are many reasons to oppose government-run health care, but we only really need the first one; the government will run it."

"The problem with our health care system is economic inefficiency – cost escalation in health care has outpaced other sectors of the economy. Health care and health insurance are two of the most regulated economic sectors; if government interference was the answer, we would not have the problem. Economic inefficiency in health care starts with the disempowerment of the consumer in medical choice. We consumers (patients) have very little effective say over what care we receive and what we will pay."

"Where choice and competition exits and consumers pay directly for the health care services they receive, costs do not escalate; in many cases, they have gone down. Who could have imagined $4 prescription drugs five years ago? Or $29 eyeglasses? Who could have predicted how inexpensive laser eye surgery has become? Free market capitalists, that’s who. These examples do not come from the world of over-regulated, third-party-pay medicine; they were produced by consumer choice, provider competition, and direct payment. Medical Choice works."

Biden Says 'Everyone Guessed Wrong' on Unemployment Numbers - Political News - FOXNews.com

Biden Says 'Everyone Guessed Wrong' on Unemployment Numbers - Political News - FOXNews.com: "Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday that 'everyone guessed wrong' on the impact of the economic stimulus, but he defended the administration's spending designed to combat rising joblessness.�

Biden said inaccuracies in unemployment predictions shouldn't undercut the White House's support of the $787 billion economic revival plan that has not met the expectations of President Obama's team. Instead, the vice president urged skeptics to look at teachers who kept their classroom assignments and police officers who kept their beats because of financial assistance from Washington."

Even if everyone else was also wrong, when you are wrong you should at least reexamine your assumptions.

Insuring Bankruptcy | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary

Insuring Bankruptcy | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "If you were in debt, would you be more or less likely to increase your liabilities if you knew someone else would pay them off? Many children can quickly figure out the answer to this question, but it seems to be a real stumper for members of the House Financial Services Committee, chaired Rep. Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat. They are considering having the federal government reinsure municipal bonds."

"If California is bailed out, other governors and mayors are going to think, "Why be prudent if the Feds will rescue me if I am irresponsible and overspend?" If that occurs, there will be no limit to the liabilities that ultimately will be dumped on the American taxpayer. Those of us who live in relatively well-managed states like Virginia will be responsible for all of those who have been less responsible — without end."

"The low-tax states tend to have higher income growth and lower unemployment rates than do the high-tax states. And, as would be expected, people move — particularly the most productive and the highest-income earners — to lower-tax states as they increasing flee high-tax states.

Past financial disclosures by members of Congress have shown many of them own state and municipal tax-free bonds. If any members of Congress vote to insure, reinsure or provide any other form of bailout for such bonds, they will have a very direct conflict of interest because they will be voting to bail out their own portfolios (and/or those of friends and family), all at the expense of the taxpayer."

Dead Banks Walking - Doug French - Mises Institute

Dead Banks Walking - Doug French - Mises Institute: "RBC Capital's Gerald Cassidy, who is predicting that there will be over 1,000 bank failures, half-jokingly says that he scans Bankrate.com to identify the highest rate payers to determine which banks will fail next, according to Condon."

Government Allows Banks to Repay Aid, But Move Not a Sign of Recovery, Experts Say - Political News - FOXNews.com

Government Allows Banks to Repay Aid, But Move Not a Sign of Recovery, Experts Say - Political News - FOXNews.com: "The White House plans to announce that some of the nation's largest banks can pay back billions in federal aid"

It's pretty bad when the government can determine when you can repay a loan and when you can't.

CEObama | Daniel J. Ikenson | Cato Institute: Commentary

CEObama | Daniel J. Ikenson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Even if President Obama were sincere in his claim that he doesn't want to run a car company, it will be impossible for him to eschew policies that distinctly benefit GM. With taxpayers on the hook for $50 billion (just for starters), the administration will do whatever it takes to demonstrate the wisdom of its intervention.

That will require, at a minimum, a positive return on the coerced investment. But to merely break even on taxpayers' 60% stake, GM will have to be worth $83 billion (60% of $83 billion is $50 billion). How and when will that ever happen? At its peak in 2000, GM's value (based on its market capitalization) stood at $60 billion. Thus, the minimum benchmark for 'success' will require a 38% increase in GM's value from where it was in the heady days of 2000, when Americans were purchasing 16 million vehicles per year. U.S. demand projections for the next few years come in at around 10 million vehicles. Taxpayer ownership of GM is something we should all get used to, and the 'investment' is only going to grow larger. Think Amtrak.

It should be obvious that the administration will rely on policy (tax policy, trade policy and regulations) to induce consumers to purchase GM products, to subsidize production and, indeed, to hamstring GM's competition. This will have perverse effects on Ford and other companies that find it difficult to compete against a free-spending Treasury. And all of this will happen even if the president is true to his claim that he doesn't want to run a car company. He can take a hands-off approach and tilt the playing field in GM's favor at the same time."

Reform Must Empower the Consumers | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

Reform Must Empower the Consumers | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Furthermore, cost estimates for government programs have been wildly optimistic over the years, especially for health care. For example, when Medicare was instituted in 1965, it was estimated that the cost of Medicare Part A would be $9 billion by 1990. In actuality, it was $67 billion. Similarly, in 1987, Medicaid's special hospitals subsidy was projected to cost $100 million annually just five years later; it actually cost $11 billion, more than 100 times as much. And in 1988, when Medicare's home care benefit was established, the projected cost for 1993 was $4 billion, but the actual cost was $10 billion. If the current estimates are off by similar orders of magnitude, we would be enacting a new entitlement that could bury future generations under mountains of debt and taxes."

Obama Speech Connects to the Founders' Foreign Policy | Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary

Obama Speech Connects to the Founders' Foreign Policy | Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Still, for all their faults, the Founders views on foreign policy are worth recalling. They believed that the new nation should advance human rights and the cause of liberty by its example, not by force. They believed that military force was sometimes required, as does Obama today, for example, when he pledged to 'relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security.' By the same token, the Founders realized that war was one of the primary vehicles whereby governments infringed upon individual liberty, and they sought ways to limit the government's propensity to wage war, particularly by giving the power to declare and fund wars to Congress."

Sotomayor: A Presidential Power Skeptic? | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary

Sotomayor: A Presidential Power Skeptic? | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Her record on property rights is no more promising: In 2006's Didden v. Village of Port Chester, she ratified an eminent domain abuse that makes the infamous Kelo case look mild.

The landowner in Didden, who wanted to build a CVS, refused to pay off a politically connected developer, so the town gave his property to the developer to build a Walgreen's. Sotomayor's panel saw no evil in this case of state-sponsored extortion."

Campaign For Liberty — The Deceit of the Drug War

Campaign For Liberty — The Deceit of the Drug War: "The movement against marijuana, hemp, and cannabis was pushed forward by special interest groups who saw hemp specifically as a competitive threat. DuPont had recently patented nylon and jumped on the opportunity to take hemp out of the picture. Hemp was also a legitimate force in the paper industry and represented a threat to that area of the lumber industry. Pharmaceutical companies didn't appreciate the fact that they couldn't control the cannabis market, given the fact that people could grow it right in their backyard and didn't rely on the commercial market."

"Dr. William Woodward of the AMA would explain in Congress that the AMA opposed the legislation, did not recognize any of the violence that the government linked with marijuana, and generally questioned the whole approach that the government was taking with the proceedings. In short, there was little to no medical evidence or support from the medical community that marijuana induced violence, one of the primary reasons for the government's incessant attack on the substance.

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt on August 2, 1937, after several years of racist, medically unsupported, and exaggerated propaganda. Of course, in WWII the Department of Agriculture produced a video, "Hemp for Victory," encouraging farmers to grow as much hemp as possible for the war effort. I can't help but get the feeling that when the government needs it, it is okay to farm hemp. But when the government doesn't have the urgent need for it, hemp is off the table."

"Hemp is currently one of the most (if not the most) efficient prospects for renewable fuel. Hemp is an extraordinary plant that could easily cut down our dependence on oil, reliance on trees to produce paper, and expand the vital element of choice and competition in various areas of the economy. Over 25,000 products can be made with hemp. There is nothing remotely dangerous with hemp that the states and the market can't work out that justifies prohibiting it from freely competing in the marketplace."

"We can't forget the lessons of alcohol Prohibition in the 1920s. People did not suddenly stop consuming alcohol, alcohol did not disappear, and as a result it was the gangs and criminals who ran the industry. It is a nearly identical situation we are in today with drugs. As with Prohibition, we are trying to control individual behavior, and the only way to bring it about is through increased government force and infringement on personal freedom."

Five Questions for Sotomayor | Ilya Shapiro | Cato Institute: Commentary

Five Questions for Sotomayor | Ilya Shapiro | Cato Institute: Commentary: "senators from both parties should ask probing questions that can cut through the 'that case may come before me' clutter and actually shed light on Judge Sotomayor's judicial philosophy. Here are five:

1. Can the government rewrite leases, mortgages, and other contracts? The Depression-era Supreme Court said yes in a case called Home Building & Loan Association v. Blaisdell because constitutional protections for property and contract rights can be sacrificed to 'protect' homeowners. While such reasoning may promote a crude form of social justice, it prevents people from planning their affairs because it undermines their confidence that contracts they sign today will be enforced tomorrow — and thereby destroys the credit and capital markets upon which modern life rests. Is this the kind of 'empathy' the nominee shares?

2. Can the government regulate activity that is neither commerce nor crosses state lines? The Interstate Commerce Clause of the Constitution says no, but the 1942 case of Wickard v. Filburn allowed the Department of Agriculture to fine a farmer for growing too much wheat and not taking enough of it to market — because his actions, when aggregated with other farmers, could affect the interstate price of wheat. Sixty-three years later, the court used similar logic to stop a seriously ill woman from growing marijuana for "compassionate use" under California law.

3. Where in the Constitution is the right to privacy — and other unspecified rights — located? Cass Sunstein, a legal adviser to President Obama, has said that Roe v. Wade was poorly reasoned and not rooted in constitutional text or precedent. Does Sotomayor agree? The point here is not to tease out whether she is pro-choice. Rather, does she agree that the right to privacy comes from, as the court explained in Roe, penumbras formed by emanating constitutional amendments? If so, what else lurks in those shadows? Or is the right to privacy — at least as it relates to issues such as sodomy and contraception, which, unlike abortion, don't involve claims to potentially competing rights — really found in the Ninth Amendment, which protects "others retained by the people?" If so, what are other examples of retained rights? The right to pursue an honest living or otherwise be free from government interference with economic liberty?

4. What does the nominee think of Kelo v. City of New London? This is the case in which the city decided to take people's houses and give them to a private company, which promised to use the land in a way that would create jobs and generate more tax revenue. The Supreme Court approved this eminent domain abuse because the Fifth Amendment's "public use" requirement included the "public benefit" contemplated here. Justice O'Connor was forceful in dissent: "Nothing is to prevent the State from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory." What is Sotomayor's understanding of "public use"?

5. Should the Supreme Court refer to foreign court decisions to help interpret US law and the Constitution? Certain members of the court increasingly cite foreign sources to support their arguments, typically in disputes over the death penalty and other hot-button issues. The problem is that, while it is perfectly appropriate to look abroad when interpreting international commercial contracts, the views of foreign lawyers are simply irrelevant to the meaning of our founding document. And while Congress should look to foreign example when crafting legislation — much as the founders did when designing the Constitution — interpretation should be done solely with reference to national legal traditions. Otherwise, we not only delegitimize our own law but move it in unexpected directions. For example, US law is much more "liberal" than that in the rest of the world in areas such as abortion and free speech.

There are more questions that need to be asked. If Sotomayor refuses to answer them substantively or offers anodyne truisms, she will not have met the appropriate burden. More important, she will not have gained the trust of the American people."

Obama Drops Tough Plan on Bank Salaries - Political News - FOXNews.com

Obama Drops Tough Plan on Bank Salaries - Political News - FOXNews.com: "Administration is dropping its plan to cap salaries at firms receiving government bailout money, leaving them subject to congressionally imposed limits on bonuses, sources say."

Just like government to prevent performance rewards.

Supreme Court Halts Chrysler Sale to Fiat - Political News - FOXNews.com

Supreme Court Halts Chrysler Sale to Fiat - Political News - FOXNews.com: "Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock said the ruling was a small victory for Indiana pensioners, who brought the request for an injunction for fear of losing their stake.

'The ... thing I hear is, 'Oh, if this doesn't happen, the sale won't take place.' Let's not forget Fiat is not paying one penny for 20 percent of this deal. If I am going to receive $400 million worth of assets on day one and I don't have to make an investment, I don't care so much if it happen Monday, Tuesday or next week, I am going to be there in the end.'"

How Not to Reform Health Care | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

How Not to Reform Health Care | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "But three years after it was voted in, experience suggests the 'Massachusetts model' actually provides an object lesson in how not to reform health care. The program has failed in its main goal of achieving universal coverage. It has failed to restrain the growth in health-care costs. And it has greatly exceeded its initial budget, placing new burdens on the state's taxpayers."

The Case Against the Fed - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Institute

The Case Against the Fed - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Institute: "By far the most secret and least accountable operation of the federal government is not, as one might expect, the CIA, DIA, or some other super-secret intelligence agency. The CIA and other intelligence operations are under control of the Congress. They are accountable: a Congressional committee supervises these operations, controls their budgets, and is informed of their covert activities. It is true that the committee hearings and activities are closed to the public; but at least the people's representatives in Congress insure some accountability for these secret agencies.

It is little known, however, that there is a federal agency that tops the others in secrecy by a country mile. The Federal Reserve System is accountable to no one; it has no budget; it is subject to no audit; and no Congressional committee knows of, or can truly supervise, its operations. The Federal Reserve, virtually in total control of the nation's vital monetary system, is accountable to nobody — and this strange situation, if acknowledged at all, is invariably trumpeted as a virtue."

"On the face of it, [President Clinton's rejection of my openness for the Fed], though traditional among chief executives, is rather puzzling. After all, doesn't a democracy depend upon the right of the people to know what is going on in the government for which they must vote? Wouldn't knowledge and full disclosure strengthen the faith of the American public in their monetary authorities? Why should public knowledge "undermine market confidence"? Why does "market confidence" depend on assuring far less public scrutiny than is accorded keepers of military secrets that might benefit foreign enemies? What is going on here?"

Placebo - Why the Democrats' Proposals Will Not Work | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary

Placebo - Why the Democrats' Proposals Will Not Work | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Universal coverage is impossible without coercion; that's why the leading Democratic proposals would force Americans to obtain health insurance, either on their own or through an employer. Those who do not obtain the prescribed level of coverage would pay a fine. Those who do not pay the fine would go to jail."

"employer mandates 'are like public programs financed by benefit taxes': They can increase unemployment, work against the very people they purport to help (i.e., low-wage workers and the sick), and 'fuel the growth of government because their costs are relatively invisible.' Economists Kate Baicker of Harvard and Helen Levy of Michigan estimate that, by effectively increasing the minimum wage, an employer mandate could kill 315,000 low-wage jobs. Unlike the hundreds of thousands of jobs lost to the current recession, those jobs would not return"

"here's zero evidence that anything beyond a basic health plan actually improves health outcomes, yet the individual and employer mandates gradually make coverage less affordable by outlawing the leaner, less expensive plans. (If Congress enacts these mandates, we can say goodbye to health savings accounts as we know them.)"

"Despite Medicare and Medicaid's failure to contain health-care costs, the Left claims that one more government program ought to do the trick."

"Thus the $1 billion in the stimulus bill for "comparative effectiveness" research — which would help government bureaucrats decide, e.g., whether Mom's next round of chemo (in the words of a draft committee report on the stimulus bill) 'will no longer be prescribed.' Massachusetts has created a commission to help the government develop a 'common payment methodology across all public and private payers,' including the use of 'evidence-based purchasing strategies' — code for explicit government rationing."

"A government-controlled price is almost never right. Price controls are responsible for both the current surplus of specialists (because prices are too high) and the shortage of primary-care physicians (because prices are too low). Medicare and Medicaid price controls are generally not binding on private payers, though they do influence overall supply. That's one reason, for example, many Massachusetts residents — particularly those newly insured under the Romney plan — are facing long waits for primary care.

Price controls enable a veiled form of government rationing: If government sets the prices low enough, many doctors won't participate, which creates non-price barriers to access. States set Medicaid's prices so low that nearly half of all doctors limit the number of Medicaid patients they will accept. Some 20 to 30 percent refuse all Medicaid patients. Medicaid patients often travel hours to find a participating provider."

"Even setting prices too low can sometimes cause spending to rise: In 2007, Maryland's low Medicaid price controls kept Deamonte Driver from seeing a dentist for his toothache. (Only one in six Maryland dentists accepts Medicaid patients.) The infection in Driver's abscessed tooth, which could have been treated with a simple extraction, spread to his brain. That led to $250,000 of medical services, including two unsuccessful brain surgeries. Price controls do not contain costs so much as pretend that certain costs don't exist — like the loss of Deamonte Driver, who died at age 12, as the Washington Post put it, 'for want of a dentist.'"

"When the Left claims that government programs do a better job of containing costs than private insurance, what they mean is that government does a better job of hiding costs — such as the monetary and non-monetary costs it imposes on patients and providers. Pacific Research Institute economist Ben Zycher points out that the taxes required to run Medicare destroy economic activity, making that program's administrative costs 'between four and five times [those] of private health insurance.'"

"Medicare's 'fee for service' payment system, on the other hand, pays providers an additional fee for each additional service or hospital admission. That actually penalizes providers that try to improve those dimensions of quality. EMRs help avoid duplicative CT scans by saving and making accessible the results of previous scans. But Medicare will pay for a second scan. And a third. And a fourth. So a provider that invests in EMRs is not only out the cost of the computer system, but also receives fewer payments from Medicare.

The story with medical errors is similar, but more horrifying. If a medical error injures a patient who then requires additional services, Medicare will pay not just for the services that injured the patient but also for the follow-up services. That's right: Medicare pays providers more when they injure patients. Again, if providers invest in error-reduction technologies, they are not only out that initial investment, but Medicare penalizes them with fewer payments."

10-Year-Old Prepares to Graduate College With Degree in Astrophysics - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

10-Year-Old Prepares to Graduate College With Degree in Astrophysics - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com: "'I don't consider myself a genius because there are 6.5 billion people in this world and each one is smart in his or her own way,' Cavalin told NBC affliate Wood TV."

Well said!

"Cavalin has a general idea what his IQ is, but doesn't like to discuss it. He says other students can achieve his success if they study hard and stay focused on their work."

The End of American Exceptionalism - David Gordon - Mises Institute

The End of American Exceptionalism - David Gordon - Mises Institute: "For the United States, abolishing nuclear weapons ought to be an urgent national security priority… Nuclear weapons are unusable… Furthermore, the day is approaching when the United States will be able to deter other nuclear-armed states, like Russia and China, without relying on nuclear weapons. Modern conventional weapons possess the potential to provide a more effective foundation for deterrence."

I Wrote the Guide to Extend Rothbard - Robert P. Murphy - Mises Institute

I Wrote the Guide to Extend Rothbard - Robert P. Murphy - Mises Institute: "The next step in the argument is for the apologist for FDR to claim that Hoover handed over the worst economy in US history, and hence it's not surprising that things recovered more slowly under the New Deal.

Ah, not so fast. I dispose of that counterobjection by digging up Canadian unemployment statistics from the 1930s. Comparing them year by year with the official US figures, I discovered the following interesting factoid: From 1930 to 1933, the US unemployment rate averaged 3.9 points higher than the Canadian rate. Yet from 1934 to 1941, the US rate averaged 5.9 points higher. (Both rates tended to fall over time from their 1933 peaks, but Canada's fell faster.)

Why is this significant? It shows that not only did the US economy recover from depression under FDR more sluggishly than at any other point in US history, but it also recovered more sluggishly compared to Canada's experience during the Great Depression itself. What else do we need to do to show that the New Deal did not 'get us out of the Depression'?"

Conscription of Men, Women, and Resources - Art Carden - Mises Institute

Conscription of Men, Women, and Resources - Art Carden - Mises Institute: "What is compulsory national service but a type of slavery?"

"'Service' extracted at the point of a gun is not honorable. It is tragic. Furthermore, conscription is a backdoor way of increasing the state's burden on society in a way that is more difficult to measure than taxing and spending. The use of compulsion suggests ipso facto that resources are being wasted."

"Higgs points out that people were slow to volunteer after the United States entered the war (p. 131). In spite of Woodrow Wilson's stated opposition to conscription, he moved forward with a draft law that had been sent to Congress 'the day before the declaration of war'"

"Individuals' reluctance to volunteer suggests that service to the alleged moral rightness of the cause is not a sufficient compensating differential to those who are called to risk life and limb."

"Evidently no one in the government ever considered whether the desired number of volunteers could be obtained by making the deal sufficiently sweet."

Genuine Change Won't Come this Way | Neal McCluskey | Cato Institute: Commentary

Genuine Change Won't Come this Way | Neal McCluskey | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Suppose I'm willing to buy a hotdog for one dollar, but then get a dime in frankfurter assistance. Now I'll happily pay $1.10. And then suppose my local wiener retailer, from whom I've always bought one-dollar dogs, knows I've got that aid. By charging $1.10 he can make himself richer without making me any worse off. It's tuition inflation in a nutshell or bun, as the case might be.

College pricing and aid data strongly suggest this dynamic is at work. For instance, between 1986 and 2006, published tuition, fees, room and board prices at four-year private colleges rose an inflation-adjusted 68 percent. But students didn't cover most of the increase with their own money. They got grants, cheap loans, and other forms of assistance that made their perceived increase only about half that of the published amount. That big difference gives strong reason to believe that 'sticker prices' were only able to rise so high because consumers felt just a fraction of the pain, and schools knew it."

"stingy state and local spending can't explain tuition inflation in private schools, which the task force itself puts at 154 percent between 1979 and today.

In addition, total taxpayer burdens for public institutions haven't fallen. According to the federal Digest of Education Statistics, between 1990 and 2005 (the latest year with available data), real state and local appropriations to public degree-granting institutions rose almost 15 percent, hitting nearly $67 billion.

The only way state and local funding has dropped has been on a per-pupil basis thanks to growing enrollment, which the report ultimately notes. Even on that score, though, one can't lay most of the blame for tuition inflation on state and local governments – tuition revenue per-student has risen much faster than government allocations have dropped."

Sad End to the Immigration Issue - Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. - Mises Institute

Sad End to the Immigration Issue - Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. - Mises Institute: "A standard test of a country's well-being is whether people want in or out. Whether you have an immigration issue or an emigration issue is telling. For example, people wanted out of East Germany and wanted into West Germany. People wanted out of Russia and into Estonia. People once wanted out of China, whereas now they want in."

"Data from Mexico is extremely telling in this regard. There has been a massive plummeting in Mexican immigration to the United States within the last year. A quarter of a million people who would otherwise have come to the United States for work have decided to stay away."

"Time was when shelters just across the border, where people lived until they saw an opportunity for safe passage, were filled and overflowing. Now they are empty. Time was when the border-patrol vans and buses hauled people here and there, whereas now they just drive around on day trips, looking for some sign of life.

To have an "immigration problem" is enormously flattering for a country. For that problem to go away is a dark cloud, a bad omen, a sign that something is going terribly wrong. The absence of an immigration problem can quickly turn into an emigration problem."

"Prosperity is associated with the widest-possible division of labor. This is what leads to innovation too."

Handling America's Homeless Families | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

Handling America's Homeless Families | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The Bible demonstrates concentric rings of responsibility moving outward, starting with individuals who are enjoined to take care of themselves, rather than living off of others. Those who fail to care for their families are worse than unbelievers, Paul warns. The early church transferred money within and among faith communities. Finally, Paul says in Galatians, 'let us do good to all people.'

If the political authorities are to act, it should be because other institutions have failed to meet people's basic needs. Today, far more private than public programs serve the homeless. The Catholic and Protestant doctrines of subsidiarity and sphere sovereignty, respectively, recognize that government is to respect the roles of other social institutions."

"The answer is not simply more money for more government programs, of which there are thousands nationwide. This enormous challenge can be best met by reflecting back on the biblical model. We need to simultaneously meet current needs, which often include illness and hunger, and reduce future problems."

"We should instead make housing less expensive. Through exclusionary zoning (including restrictions on multifamily housing and minimum-lot size and square-footage requirements) and outmoded building codes (which reflect union interests rather than safety concerns), government has limited the housing supply and increased housing costs. Palliatives like rent control only worsen the underlying problem; government should strip away barriers to affordable housing. Doing so would help reduce homelessness."

Arsonist Behind California Wildfire That Killed 5 Firefighters Sentenced to Death - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Arsonist Behind California Wildfire That Killed 5 Firefighters Sentenced to Death - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com: "A convicted arsonist was sentenced to death Friday for setting a Southern California wildfire that claimed the lives of five federal firefighters as they struggled to defend a rural home from raging wind-driven flames."

(Not knowing all of the details) It seems like the punishment out-weights the crime.

Handguns Will Be Allowed in Tennessee Bars and Restaurants - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Handguns Will Be Allowed in Tennessee Bars and Restaurants - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com: "'I still think that guns in bars is a very bad idea. It's an invitation to a disaster.'"

The same can be said about alcohol in bars. :-))

Private Education and Development: A Missed Connection? (Part III) | James Tooley | Cato Institute: Commentary

Private Education and Development: A Missed Connection? (Part III) | James Tooley | Cato Institute: Commentary: "For Sajitha it was clear: If many — or even a few — parents had higher aspirations for their children and wanted to send them to private schools, then 'they should not be allowed to do so, because this is unfair.'

It's unfair because it makes it even worse for those left behind. This puzzled me. Why should we treat the poor in this homogenous way? Would we — Sajitha and I — be happy if we were poor, living in those slums, and unable to do the best for our children, whatever our meager funds allowed?"

"The team observed that in the government schools, "generally, teaching activity has been reduced to a minimum, in terms of both time and effort."Importantly, "this pattern is not confined to a minority of irresponsible teachers — it has become a way of life in the profession." But they did not observe such problems in the private schools serving the poor."

"So what was the secret of success in these private schools for the poor? The report was very clear: "In a private school, the teachers are accountable to the manager (who can fire them), and, through him or her, to the parents (who can withdraw their children)."

'In a government school, the chain of accountability is much weaker, as teachers have a permanent job with salaries and promotions unrelated to performance. This contrast is perceived with crystal clarity by the vast majority of parents.'"

"Something as surprising as large numbers of the poor using private schools is surely worthy of comment in the conclusions, isn't it? Not a bit. The fact that the poor are helping themselves in this way was deemed unworthy of further mention in the introduction or conclusions. It was all a non-issue as far as the Oxfam Education Report was concerned."

Dick Cheney Is Becoming Obama's Enabler | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary

Dick Cheney Is Becoming Obama's Enabler | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Whatever you think the right policy is regarding enemy combatants, warrantless wiretapping, and 'enhanced interrogation,' the differences between Obama and Bush are far more stylistic than substantive.

'Enemy Combatants': Actually, there's no such thing as an 'enemy combatant' anymore: the Obama administration has, with great fanfare, abandoned the term. We can call terrorist suspects our 'special friends' if we like, but the Obama team has fought hard in court to retain the same powers that Bush exercised."

"Surveillance: Here too, the promised "Change" is less than meets the eye. Obama sold out on surveillance well before he was inaugurated, breaking his campaign promise to filibuster any law immunizing telecom companies that cooperated with Bush's illegal wiretapping program.

As president, Obama has gone further still than Bush, arguing in court that, as the Electronic Frontier Foundation has put it, 'the government can never be sued for surveillance that violates federal privacy statutes.'"

"Interrogation: In the first week of his presidency, Obama swore his administration would follow the Army Field Manual in interrogations. A welcome change, until you looked at the fine print, which allows the CIA to adopt other tactics if the president chooses.

If Obama sets the CIA loose, they still won't be allowed to waterboard. But only three prisoners were subjected to that technique, and none since 2003. Which points up a weird disconnect in conservative arguments about torture: Folks like Cheney insist that these techniques were vital, but defend themselves by maintaining they were rarely used. Has Bush/Cheney timidity kept us at risk for the last six years?"

"FBI officials scornfully referred to "leads" generated by Bush's secret wiretapping program as "calls to Pizza Hut," and a CIA operative told the Washington Post that, thanks to torture, they'd "spent millions of dollars chasing false alarms." Lacking access to secret evidence, ordinary citizens are hard-pressed to sort out these claims.

Even so, we went more than seven years without a foreign terrorist attack on US soil after the attempted World Trade Center bombing in 1993. Should we therefore conclude that Bill Clinton's policies kept us safe all that time?"

Critics Deride Bill Designed to Keep Weapons Out of Terrorists' Hands - Political News - FOXNews.com

Critics Deride Bill Designed to Keep Weapons Out of Terrorists' Hands - Political News - FOXNews.com: "The Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009 would authorize Attorney General Eric Holder to deny the sale or transfer of firearms to known or suspected terrorists"

"It doesn't say anything about trials and due process," said Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. "This is one of the most outrageous pieces of legislation to come along in some time. It's basically saying, 'I suspect you, so your rights are toast.'"

Interfaith Dialogue: The Great Unmentionable | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

Interfaith Dialogue: The Great Unmentionable | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "past Western dialogue with Islam has consistently missed the elephant in the room: Pervasive religious persecution.

Who persecutes religious minorities around the world? Communist and former communist states are big offenders: China, Cuba, Vietnam, and North Korea. There's a motley mixed group, including India, Sri Lanka, and Burma. Then there are Islamic states.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently released its latest report. Of 13 states named Countries of Particular Concern, seven have overwhelming Muslim majorities: Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Two, Eritrea and Nigeria, have narrow Muslims majorities. Of 11 countries on the Commission's Watch List, six have majority Islamic populations: Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Somalia, Tajikistan, and Turkey. Of three countries being 'closely monitored,' two, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan, are majority Muslim. That is 17 of 27.

International Christian Concern publishes a 'Hall of Shame' naming the ten worst persecutors. Six of them — Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia — have Muslim majorities.

In fact, it is unusual to find an Islamic nation where religious minorities are not discriminated against, both legally and socially. One of the best predictors that a government persecutes, or fails to protect religious minorities from persecution, is that the majority faith is Islam.

Obviously, there is a range within the Islamic world. Some of persecutors, such as Eritrea and the Central Asian countries, for instance, seem driven more by ideology than theology. Moreover, not all Islamic states imprison or kill dissenters. But even the good isn't very good."

"Although Islamic states are not monolithic, many of them routinely and sometimes savagely repress religious minorities. In contrast, there is a dearth of Christian states which persecute. Cuba and Venezuela are repressive, but their depredations are political, not theological. Only in Russia does official discrimination — bothersome but not deadly — seemingly reflect a religious bias, in this case in favor of the Orthodox Church.

Obviously the president cannot center U.S. foreign policy on the issue of religious liberty. But the freedoms of conscience and of religious faith are basic human rights, the promotion of which is an important objective of American policy. Moreover, no genuine dialogue with the Islamic world can overlook the Muslim record on religious persecution. If Islamic governments expect the Western states "to take all possible measures to promote tolerance and respect for all religions and beliefs," then the former need to do so as well. And that means protecting the liberty of those who believe and worship differently in their own countries.

By all means, let's encourage dialogue with Muslim nations. But let's put all issues on the table, including religious persecution."

Proliferated Nonsense | Ted Galen Carpenter | Cato Institute: Commentary

Proliferated Nonsense | Ted Galen Carpenter | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Yet while the trend is unmistakably in the direction of more, not fewer, nuclear powers, the arms-control community is devoting ever more time and resources to the goal of 'global zero'—the abolition of nuclear weapons. That obsession is a fascinating and maddening detachment from reality.

It is not even clear that abolishing nuclear weapons would produce an unambiguously beneficial result. Perhaps it is only a coincidence, but the six and a half decades since the dawn of the atomic age constitute the first extended period since the emergence of the modern state system in the seventeenth century that no major wars have occurred between great powers. Many historians conclude that the principal reason the cold war did not turn hot was because both Moscow and Washington feared that a conventional conflict could easily spiral out of control into a nuclear conflagration. It is at least a worrisome possibility that the elimination of nuclear weapons could inadvertently make the world safe for new great-power wars. And given the destructive capacity of twenty-first-century conventional weapons, such wars would be even more horrific than the two bloodbaths in the twentieth.

But even if global zero did not produce such a perverse outcome, the goal is simply unattainable. It is improbable enough that the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China would be willing to relinquish their arsenals. It is a much bigger stretch to believe that such countries as Israel, India and Pakistan would do so. And it is bordering on fantasy to expect such wannabe nuclear powers as North Korea and Iran to abandon their aspirations.

All of those countries embarked on nuclear programs because of acute regional and extra-regional security concerns. Israel worries about the huge demographic edge enjoyed by its Islamic neighbors, and the prospect that the Jewish state's edge in conventional military capabilities will gradually erode. Pakistan worries about the growing economic and military power of its larger neighbor, India. New Delhi, for its part, not only distrusts Pakistan, but frets about China's geostrategic ambitions. All of those countries regard their nuclear arsenals as their ace in the hole, guaranteeing not only their regional status, but in some cases their very existence. They are highly unlikely to relinquish such a tangible insurance policy in exchange for paper security promises from the United Nations or any other source."

"Instead of pursuing the chimera of global zero, the arms control community needs to focus on attainable goals in a world in which proliferation is becoming an unpleasant reality. Getting the United States and Russia to drastically cut their bloated nuclear arsenals is one such goal. So, too, is an effort to induce India and Pakistan to adopt more explicitly defensive nuclear doctrines, and in the case of Pakistan, to improve the security of its arsenal. It may be possible—although it is more of a long shot—to persuade Iran to refrain from weaponizing its nuclear program, thereby reducing the incentive of its worried neighbors to build their own deterrents. An effort to reduce Pyongyang's temptation to become the global supermarket for the sale of nuclear technology has at least some prospect of success."

All Cost, No Benefit | Jerry Taylor | Cato Institute: Commentary

All Cost, No Benefit | Jerry Taylor | Cato Institute: Commentary: "If the proposed fuel efficiency standards were in place today, Edmunds.com reports that only two cars — the 2010 Toyota Prius (50 mpg) and the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid (42 mpg) — would meet the standard."

(Don't forget the Tesla)
If only a few cars meet that standard how many will in 7 years? And what about options with more passengers, cargo, towing, or safety?

"There is little dispute that, as a consequence, cars would become more expensive and industry profits more scarce. Even the Obama administration concedes that automotive costs would increase by $600 per car on average and that industry revenues would decline by $13 billion to $20 billion a year. Others offer larger figures, but it's difficult to peg costs with any certainty."

"U.S. emissions would likely decline, but reduced U.S. demand for crude would mean reduced global crude prices, which in turn would increase demand for — and consumption of — oil outside the USA. Eventually, most if not all our reductions might be offset by increases elsewhere.

Finally, drivers and passengers would be less safe. Plenty of hard evidence suggests that smaller, lighter cars equal more highway injuries and fatalities.

Reduced fuel consumption is not an end unto itself. It is a means to an end. These means wouldn't achieve the advertised ends."

Does Military Power Keep Us Safe? (Part II) | Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary

Does Military Power Keep Us Safe? (Part II) | Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary: "By reducing the size of our military to a level more consistent with our own needs, and by encouraging others to become more self-reliant, we can make space for the other forms of human interaction that facilitate security and prosperity over the long term."

"Some worry of a new cold war with Russia, while others see a hot one with China in the offing, perhaps over Taiwan. Those prospects cannot be dismissed lightly, but the fact remains that the major powers have managed to avoid the very sorts of cataclysms that claimed the lives of an estimated 100 million people in the first half of the 20th century. Perhaps we've all learned something?"

"The casualties caused by international terrorist incidents since September 11, 2001, and the prospects for future casualties, pale in comparison to the death and destruction that took place between August 1914 and November 1918, and again between September 1939 and August 1945.

The violence and bloodshed that can be deployed by non-state actors is an order of magnitude smaller than what could be caused by even a medium-size modern industrial state.

Can it even be compared with the Cold War, which claimed far fewer lives but lasted nearly five times longer than the two world wars combined? Again, no. Both are ideological struggles, fought chiefly by non-military means, but the threat of global thermonuclear war hung over every aspect of Cold War diplomacy.

And the scale of violence that would have been unleashed had U.S. or Soviet (or Chinese, French or British) decision makers lost their cool would have caused far more death and destruction than Osama bin Laden can muster in the darkest reaches of his imagination.

What we need is a little perspective. This perspective should inform our strategy for the next generation.

For if there is a historical analog for the radical Islamist terrorist threat of the early 21st century, it is the anarchist movement of the late 19th century. Like the modern-day terrorists, the anarchists spread chaos and disorder by blowing up bombs in crowded places and by inciting riots.

Anarchists succeeded in assassinating a number of world leaders, including Czar Alexander II of Russia, Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary — and even U.S. President William McKinley.

The killing of a single man, Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in June 1914, precipitated the global conflict that resulted in more than 30 million casualties. That provides a useful lesson for the present day, but not the one that the scaremongers want you to learn: namely, that the overreaction to comparatively minor incidents can have far-reaching, and often horrific, effects."

"On the other hand, and especially in the case of Iraq, we have lashed out, convinced of our right to do so based on our own security needs, and believing the military to be the best instrument for breaking that supposed state-terror nexus.

On still other occasions, we have pointed to our sense of obligation to act, in the service of democracy promotion or the advancement of human rights, believing that those lofty goals would also undermine the terrorists' cause.

But surely if ever there was a case of means upsetting ends, this was it, because for every ten, or even 100, quiet successes against al-Qaeda and its ilk, it takes but one loud failure to set back our efforts, perhaps for many years."

"They worry not that we will direct our wrath at them, but rather that in our thirst for justice we will harm those unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."