The Medical Marketplace, Free and Unfree - Andrew Foy, MD - Mises Daily

The Medical Marketplace, Free and Unfree - Andrew Foy, MD - Mises Daily: "The results showed that while spending increased as benefit coverage increased, health status and health outcomes did not improve. There was very little evidence to demonstrate that having a high level of benefit coverage improved population health on average.[3] The RAND Health Insurance Experiment debunks the idea that patients are not capable of being prudent consumers of medical goods and services."

Debt-Limit Deal: Will the Cuts Be Phony? | Chris Edwards | Cato Institute: Commentary

Debt-Limit Deal: Will the Cuts Be Phony? | Chris Edwards | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Looking at Congressional Budget Office projections, it is fairly easy to come up with $2 trillion in 'savings' without actually cutting anything."

"To construct the baseline, the CBO takes current spending and increases it over time by inflation. But nobody expects war spending to continue rising like that. Rather, spending is supposed to fall in coming years as troops are withdrawn."

"A deal that simply counts projected future savings against inflated discretionary baselines would be a fiscal fraud."

First-term Assembly Republicans drove history-making changes - JSOnline

First-term Assembly Republicans drove history-making changes - JSOnline: "'You had freshmen standing up that are in swing districts that said, 'You know what? I didn't come down here to be re-elected again. I came down here to set the state right, and that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to take this vote; I know it's probably not the easiest politically for me,' ' Fitzgerald said, adding:

'That was the beauty - the political courage - of it, that these folks were like, 'I'll take this vote and, if I don't come back, I can look myself in the mirror and say, 'That's what I went down there to do and that's what I think the people sent me there to do.' '"

Why 70% Tax Rates Won't Work | Alan Reynolds | Cato Institute: Commentary

Why 70% Tax Rates Won't Work | Alan Reynolds | Cato Institute: Commentary: "reductions in top tax rates under Presidents Kennedy and Reagan, and reductions in capital gains tax rates under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, not only 'paid for themselves' but also provided enough extra revenue to finance negative income taxes for the bottom 40% and record-low income taxes at middle incomes."

Johnson Comments on Obama Involvement in Debt Ceiling Negotiations - Press Releases - Newsroom - Ron Johnson, United States Senator for Wisconsin

Johnson Comments on Obama Involvement in Debt Ceiling Negotiations - Press Releases - Newsroom - Ron Johnson, United States Senator for Wisconsin: "Although I'm glad the President has finally decided to get personally involved in addressing this nation's severe economic and budgetary problems, it would be far better if that discussion and debate occurred in the open where the American people can see and hear the results."

The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty: "Interestingly, the very reason the Yugo even became an item was a U.S. government move to keep small Japanese cars out of the United States. The Japanese automakers responded to this protectionism by making mid-sized luxury cars, which created a void for a small, inexpensive vehicle. The Yugo would (at least temporarily) fill that void thanks to the foresight of entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin."

Blame the Wheel | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Blame the Wheel | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty: "President Obama says automation accounts for high unemployment today. He really said that. And he said: “You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM, you don’t go to a bank teller, or you go to the airport and you’re using a kiosk instead of checking in at the gate.” So maybe when his administration finances “shovel-ready projects,” they should literally use shovels and not modern equipment. That would put a lot of people to work."

He better give up Air Force one, Marine One, limos, etc and use a chair carried by people. Give up internet and T.V. and pay messengers and heralds!

Taking Marriage Private - New York Times

Taking Marriage Private - New York Times: "For 16 centuries, Christianity also defined the validity of a marriage on the basis of a couple’s wishes. If two people claimed they had exchanged marital vows — even out alone by the haystack — the Catholic Church accepted that they were validly married."

"The American colonies officially required marriages to be registered, but until the mid-19th century, state supreme courts routinely ruled that public cohabitation was sufficient evidence of a valid marriage."

Privatize Marriage Now by Ryan McMaken

Privatize Marriage Now by Ryan McMaken: "Many people get 'married' in courthouses in totally non-religious ceremonies. Such marriage contracts are in essence no different from run-of-the-mill legal contracts. The fact that we call such unions 'marriage' doesn’t make them so. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, marriage is a religious matter. Some government judge can’t make you 'married' any more than can your hair dresser."

Truth about Trade Deficits and Jobs | Daniel Griswold | Cato Institute: Commentary

Truth about Trade Deficits and Jobs | Daniel Griswold | Cato Institute: Commentary: "A trade deficit doesn't mean those dollars flowing abroad just disappear. They quickly return to the United States. If they are not used to buy our goods and services to export, they are used to buy American assets — Treasury bills, corporate stock and bonds, real estate and bank deposits.

In this way, America's trade deficit is always and almost exactly offset by a foreign investment surplus. The net surplus of foreign investment into the U.S. each year keeps long-term interest rates down, prevents the crowding out of private investment by government borrowing and promotes job creation through direct investment in U.S. factories and businesses."

"Since 1980, real U.S. GDP has grown at an annualized rate of 3.6 percent during those periods of rising trade deficits, compared to a sluggish 1.0 percent during periods of shrinking deficits. So much for trade deficits being a drag on growth."

"Despite worries about the U.S. industrial base, manufacturing output during periods of expanding trade deficits rose a healthy 5.2 percent per year. During periods of declining (i.e. 'improving') trade deficits, manufacturing output contracted at an annualized rate of 2.0 percent."

"during periods of rising trade deficits, employment has grown at an annualized average of 1.4 percent, compared to zero growth on average during periods of declining deficits. The unemployment rate dropped by an average of 0.4 percentage points a year during periods of rising deficits, compared to a painful 1.0 point per year when the deficit was declining"

The Real Budget Problem | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

The Real Budget Problem | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In fact, the Congressional Budget Office predicts that as economic growth returns, federal tax revenues will grow by an average of 7.3 percent annually over the next ten years. By the end of the decade, taxes will have pushed back through the 18 percent level, and be headed toward 20 percent — all without any changes in tax policy."

"the real cost of government is the size of government. According to the CBO, the federal government is on track to consume 42 percent of GDP by 2050. (State and local governments will consume another 10 to 15 percent of GDP.)"

Targeting the World's Worst Religious Persecutors | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

Targeting the World's Worst Religious Persecutors | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Although there is great variety among persecuting states, two characteristics stand out: Islamic national or regional majorities and Communist or former Communist ideologies. Of the 25 nations singled out as the worst abusers by the Commission, 11 are majority Muslim and 10 are Communist/former Communist."

The Lying Double Standard | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary

The Lying Double Standard | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Former Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine said last week that lying is 'unacceptable' and that Mr. Weiner should resign. If lying about sex is unacceptable, shouldn't it also be unacceptable to lie about government financial statements, what is actually permitted by the Constitution and what one is really doing in government? Congress should let it be known that it will not fund agencies whose senior officials lie about important matters until they are removed from office.

People can have real differences of opinion about the effects of any proposed policy without lying. I expect that the administration really believed its rosy unemployment forecast stemming from the stimulus bill — that was not a lie, but a mistake in judgment. But some things clearly are lies — misrepresenting facts on financial statements, attempting to redefine words to avoid complying with the Constitution and commonly understood ethical standards, and making false claims about what one is doing. The rules that the Securities and Exchange Commission imposes on business executives should be imposed equally on officials in government, where the stakes are much higher.

A few high-profile removals for lying about important issues would send a message to all the others that such behavior is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated."

Roles of American dads diverging this Father's Day - FoxNews.com

Roles of American dads diverging this Father's Day - FoxNews.com: "Nearly half of American dads under 45 this Father's Day say they have at least one kid who was born out of wedlock. And the share of fathers living apart from children is more than double what it was not so long ago.

In encouraging news, though, among married fathers, children are said to be getting more attention from both parents at home than ever before."

The Tragedy of Immigration Enforcement - Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. - Mises Daily

The Tragedy of Immigration Enforcement - Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. - Mises Daily: "They could face 80 years in prison. In the raid, 'Homeland Security' stole their computers, their accounting and employment records, and walked out the door"

"To lock anyone away for life is a shocking sentence, so surely the punishment must fit the crime. Psycho sniper murderers have gotten less. What they are alleged to have done is to hire people who don't have the proper bureaucratic forms filled out for them. That's all. Nothing more."

"The workers themselves are untouched by any of this. Their benefactors — and the benefactors of society — are the ones being targeted with police-state tactics."

"to the extent that many people object to illegal immigration, it has nothing to do with those who go to work and make an honest living doing things like working in restaurants. The problem with illegal immigration is related to other issues that drive people crazy, like going on welfare, engaging in actual (not pretend) crime, and demanding tax-funded support services."

Are Philanthropists Backing the Best Charter Schools? | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary

Are Philanthropists Backing the Best Charter Schools? | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "there already are a number of places around the globe where educational excellence is scaling up. Where top teachers use the Web to reach not hundreds or thousands of students but hundreds of thousands. And where they are rewarded for doing so with salaries in the millions of dollars. There are successful networks of schools that have grown not merely to a few dozen schools in a few dozen states, but to tens of thousands of schools in scores of countries.

Why do top teachers in Korea's for-profit tutoring sector become celebrities who earn more than the nation's professional baseball players? Why has the Japanese tutoring chain, Kumon, expanded to serve over four million students worldwide? Could it be because the tutoring sector operates within the same free enterprise system that has resulted in the massive scale-up of excellence in every other field? Is it an accident that when we reward education entrepreneurs for their success, their success grows? Could it be that philanthropists have failed to consistently fund the best charter schools because they do not expect a return on their investment, as hard-nosed venture capitalists do?"

Federal Hall Monitors on Patrol | David Rittgers | Cato Institute: Commentary

Federal Hall Monitors on Patrol | David Rittgers | Cato Institute: Commentary: "the investigators were searching for financial records connected with suspected financial aid fraud, conspiracy, theft of government funds, false statements to the government, and wire fraud. Wright wasn't the suspect — his estranged wife was and she wasn't present for the raid — but for this list of white collar crimes the agents breached the front door, dragged Wright and his three children from the home, and kept them in a police cruiser for hours (the children for two, Wright for over six)."

The Case against Raising the Debt Ceiling - Robert P. Murphy - Mises Daily

The Case against Raising the Debt Ceiling - Robert P. Murphy - Mises Daily: "Only in the political realm could it have ever become a standard talking point to claim that we need to go deeper into debt to reassure our creditors that we will pay them back."

"if the government merely returned to its 2003 spending levels, then the current revenue stream would be enough to pay for everything — including interest on existing debt"

It's Time for Congress to Vote on the Illegal War in Libya | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

It's Time for Congress to Vote on the Illegal War in Libya | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The Republican Party says that it supports the Constitution. Except when it doesn't. Like reclaiming the power to start wars from the president."

"Although the three journeyed to Tripoli a couple years ago to toast Moammar Qaddafi and discuss the provision of military aid, they recently discovered that he was an evil dictator who must be removed"

"Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned that the Kucinich resolution was 'dangerous,' even though the president said America was so minimally involved that the war didn't even count as a war."

"Boehner's 'intention is not to undermine the commander in chief when we have troops in harm's way.' But the president said no troops are in harm's way."

Hullabaloo

Hullabaloo: "If Medicare costs had risen as fast as private insurance premiums, it would cost around 40 percent more than it does. If private insurers had done as well as Medicare at controlling costs, insurance would be a lot cheaper."

That presumes that Medicare and private insurance offer the same coverage, benefits, service, etc. Also the laws make private insurance subsidize Medicare and many doctors won't accept new Medicare patients because they lose money. If everyone was on Medicare then why would any doctor provide service?

Spending Cuts Would Dishonor U.S., Obama Says | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Spending Cuts Would Dishonor U.S., Obama Says | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty: "“President Barack Obama Wednesday argued that budget cuts that choke spending on clean energy and education would dishonor US history"

What?!?!

How to Create Jobs Now | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary

How to Create Jobs Now | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In essence, they are fixated on the old Keynesian idea that government spending can create jobs. Milton Friedman, F.A. Hayek, and many other Nobel Laureates and other fine economists, such as Harvard's Robert Barro, have demonstrated that the concept is dead wrong and neither works in theory or practice. Yet, because it gave politicians a rationale to spend more of other people's money, it is a bad idea that has never died."

"'in economies open to trade or operating under flexible exchange rates, a fiscal expansion leads to no significant output gains. Further, fiscal stimulus may be counterproductive in highly-indebted countries; in countries with debt levels as low as 60 percent of GDP [gross domestic product], government consumption shocks may have strong negative effects on output.' Note the U.S. has a 68 percent debt-GDP ratio and it is rising."

"increases in government spending are associated with lower levels of employment and vice versa."

"The Crains' report also showed that regulatory costs are about 36 percent greater for small firms (the big job creators) than for large firms ($10,585 per year versus $7,755). Regulation is a hidden tax on both employment and productivity growth. Much regulation does not even come close to meeting reasonable cost-benefit tests."

Real Cuts for the Debt Vote | Chris Edwards | Cato Institute: Commentary

Real Cuts for the Debt Vote | Chris Edwards | Cato Institute: Commentary: "There are only two types of cuts that are 'real': legislated reductions in entitlements and complete terminations of discretionary programs. Once enacted, those types of cuts have the best chance of shrinking the government permanently."

ACO Debacle Exposes Obamacare's Fatal Conceit | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary

ACO Debacle Exposes Obamacare's Fatal Conceit | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary: "For nearly five decades, Medicare regulations have financially penalized doctors who coordinate care. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reports that Medicare regulations are 'largely neutral or negative towards quality' and sometimes pay providers 'even more when quality is worse,' like when poor coordination injures Medicare patients.

Obamacare supporters say the solution to this failure of centralized economic planning is ... more centralized economic planning."

"When purchasing health care, the government should do what it can to improve quality while reducing costs. But this latest debacle once again demonstrates that for all its immense purchasing power, Medicare is paradoxically powerless to do so. Why? Because greater efficiency necessarily means that low-quality/high-cost providers will get less money, and those providers all hire lobbyists to protect their Medicare subsidies.

Inefficient providers have effectively killed nearly every pilot program that previous administrations promised would make Medicare more efficient."

Magnifying Calamity with Man-Caused Disasters | Michael Giberson | Cato Institute: Commentary

Magnifying Calamity with Man-Caused Disasters | Michael Giberson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Price-gouging laws usually apply during emergencies. They are meant to help consumers. Unfortunately, the laws interrupt actions by consumers and businesses that would promote recovery.

Higher prices encourage consumers to be especially careful with goods that have become especially useful. Higher prices encourage retailers and wholesalers to go to extraordinary efforts to bring goods consumers need into disaster-struck areas.

A law that keeps prices low discourages these responses and leaves more disaster-recovery work for charities and government agencies."

Ten Charts that Prove the United States Is a Low-Tax Country

Ten Charts that Prove the United States Is a Low-Tax Country: "We don’t have this problem because we tax too little. We have it because we spent too much.”

It’s a popular talking point, but it simply isn’t true. Deficits do not stem from spending levels alone."

While it is true that deficits are a mismatch between revenue and spending, historically low tax rates don't mean that spending isn't a much bigger problem. Historically and comparatively low tax rates don't prove that tax rates are lower than they should be. Also, the article fails to consider the "inflation tax".

The Backfire Effect � You Are Not So Smart

The Backfire Effect � You Are Not So Smart: "So, if the future we were promised is now here, why isn’t it the ultimate triumph of science and reason?"

For one, "science" is done by humans and non-science is presented as science. Therefore is is logical to be wary of anything presented as "science". Also, scientific studies are often limited in scope to the point where most people draw conclusions that aren't warranted. Rejecting those conclusions isn't the same as rejecting science.

"Days later, when the world learned they would be denied photographic proof [of Osama's death], the conspiracy theories grew legs, left the ocean and evolved into self-sustaining undebunkable life forms."

I don't see that as a rejection of science because there was no scientific proof provided. (I also don't believe that releasing the photos would matter because it is so easy to fake that.)

The Backfire Effect � You Are Not So Smart

The Backfire Effect � You Are Not So Smart: "Each group then read the fake studies full of pretend facts and figures suggesting their worldview was wrong. On either side of the issue, after reading studies which did not support their beliefs, most people didn’t report an epiphany, a realization they’ve been wrong all these years. Instead, they said the issue was something science couldn’t understand. When asked about other topics later on, like spanking or astrology, these same people said they no longer trusted research to determine the truth. Rather than shed their belief and face facts, they rejected science altogether."

If lies are presented as "science", there is logic in rejecting "science".

Back Off. It's My Plate. | Walter Olson | Cato Institute: Commentary

Back Off. It's My Plate. | Walter Olson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Like all such recommendations out of Washington, including earlier versions that did more to push cheese and starch options, this one came out of negotiations that reflected input from farm and producer interest groups. Just something to remember before taking nutrition advice from the federal government, especially since that nutritional advice has often been wrong in the past."

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Ron Paul on Debt Ceiling: Boehner Will Cave

Ron Paul on Debt Ceiling: "The only budget that counts is this year. 10-year programs are pie-in-the-sky talking."

Candidate Shelly Moore: Expanding her classroom | River Falls Journal | River Falls, Wisconsin

Candidate Shelly Moore: Expanding her classroom | River Falls Journal | River Falls, Wisconsin: "She’s taught English and drama at Ellsworth High School for 13 years."

She is also one of 5 people representing Wisconsin on the NEA board of directors!

"Despite the recent political upheaval in Madison and the ensuing 10th Senate District recall petition, Moore says she’s not running for public office “out of anger or frustration.”"

But she says the WEAC union demands respect.

"she’s not above saving and reusing lumber and screws for play props and insisting that water be continually added “…to make paint last longer.”"

Continually adding water to paint makes the coat inconsistent and doesn't sound like a good way to save money -- you just need more coats of paint.

A Military Response to Cyberattacks Is Preposterous | Benjamin H. Friedman and Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary

A Military Response to Cyberattacks Is Preposterous | Benjamin H. Friedman and Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary: "We do not threaten to bomb countries caught spying on us in traditional ways and should not do so just because the prefix 'cyber' applies."

"Taken literally, the new policy might have us risking nuclear exchange with Russia because it failed to stop teenagers in Moscow Internet cafés from attacking Citibank.com."

"Cyberattacks have never killed an American, yet Senator Carl Levin compared them to weapons of mass destruction."

"We exaggerate online threats for the same reason we exaggerate other security threats: our information about the danger comes largely from those that benefit from the provision of defenses against it."

Facebook Used by Courts to Find Those Who Are ‘Only Online’ - Businessweek

Facebook Used by Courts to Find Those Who Are ‘Only Online’ - Businessweek: "In March, Hilary Thorpe, a lawyer in East Sussex, England, persuaded a British court to allow her to serve a woman solely through her Facebook account, after showing that calls, faxes and visits had failed to track her down.

The people in both the U.K. and Australian cases were successfully notified in the eyes of the court, the lawyers said. Tsirimokos said that “within a day” of sending the notice, the recipient’s privacy settings in the Australian case were tightened, showing the debtors got the notice. MKM won a court order and then seized and sold the house."

Why PBS Is a Public Menace | David Boaz | Cato Institute: Commentary

Why PBS Is a Public Menace | David Boaz | Cato Institute: Commentary: "PBS used to ask, 'If not PBS, then who?' The answer now is: HBO, Bravo, Discovery, History, History International, Science, Planet Green, Sundance, Military, C-SPAN 1/2/3 and many more."

"In 2003, NPR told potential advertisers that 'compared with the general public, NPR listeners are 55 percent less likely to have a household income below $30,000 ... 152 percent more likely to have a home valued at $500,000 or more and 194 percent more likely to travel to France.' And PBS viewers were 98 percent more likely to be a CEO and 315 percent more likely to have stocks valued at $75,000 or more.

...

So why should working- and middle-class taxpayers be subsidizing the news and entertainment of the rich?"

Commander in Chief of the U.S. Economy | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary

Commander in Chief of the U.S. Economy | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Some conservatives will, predictably, conclude that Obama is Saul Alinsky with nuclear weapons — and that the fate of the republic depends on defeating him in 2012.

But Obama didn't invent the notion of the president as 'CINC of our economy,' and the powers he's accrued won't disappear when he retires to Hawaii, Chicago or McLean.

It's worth remembering that it was President George W. Bush who demanded, and got, a $700 billion blank check from Congress to, in his words, 'save the free-market system.'

And it was Bush who — Congress be damned — gave GM and Chrysler $17 billion in TARP funds immediately after Congress voted down the auto bailout."

Walker: Concealed carry needs permit, training

Walker: Concealed carry needs permit, training: "Police are calling for permits and a database that officers could check to see if people they encounter might be carrying."

So they would know if they are talking to a law-abiding carrier? Do the law-abiding carriers matter? They wouldn't be able to look up the person until they asked for ID so wouldn't that be too late to do any good anyway?

Obama solicitor general: If you don't like mandate, earn less money | Philip Klein | Beltway Confidential | Washington Examiner

Obama solicitor general: If you don't like mandate, earn less money | Philip Klein | Beltway Confidential | Washington Examiner: "President Obama's solicitor general, defending the national health care law on Wednesday, told a federal appeals court that Americans who didn't like the individual mandate could always avoid it by choosing to earn less money."

Federal Court Rules New York City Can Ban Schools From Churches - FoxNews.com

Federal Court Rules New York City Can Ban Schools From Churches - FoxNews.com: "The justices said that it could unconstitutionally convert schools into state-sponsored Christian churches on weekends."

“Jews and Muslims generally cannot use school facilities for their services because the facilities are often unavailable on the days that their religions principally prescribe for services,”

Does that mean that school should be held on Sundays to not show favoritism to religions that meet on Sundays (Saturdays also)?

Everything you've heard about fossil fuels may be wrong - War Room - Salon.com

Everything you've heard about fossil fuels may be wrong - War Room - Salon.com: "If gas hydrates as well as shale gas, tight oil, oil sands and other unconventional sources can be tapped at reasonable cost, then the global energy picture looks radically different than it did only a few years ago. Suddenly it appears that there may be enough accessible hydrocarbons to power industrial civilization for centuries, if not millennia, to come."

Is Immigration Really the Problem? - Stefano R. Mugnaini - Mises Daily

Is Immigration Really the Problem? - Stefano R. Mugnaini - Mises Daily: "Assuming that illegal immigrants are absolutely guilty of all the above charges, attempt to answer this question: How will legislation that denies jobs and housing to individuals already in our communities lighten the burden they place on society?"

How the Experts Are Wrecking Healthcare - Andrew Foy, MD - Mises Daily

How the Experts Are Wrecking Healthcare - Andrew Foy, MD - Mises Daily: "The data regarding the Medicaid population is similarly abysmal. The bottom line regarding these expertly designed programs is that they have done tremendous damage to the medical marketplace, and the minor benefits they bestow on target populations could have probably occurred in their absence given the direction of developments in private medical insurance prior to their passage. But here is the best part: in 1965 the government estimated that in 1990 Medicare expenses would total $12 billion; instead actual spending turned out be $110 billion — a 1,200 percent increase!"