911 Caller Arrested In Deadly Police Shooting | Fox News

911 Caller Arrested In Deadly Police Shooting | Fox News: ""To a certain degree he (Carrillo) is liable for what he caused the police to do what they did," Pollini said. "There should be a thorough investigation."

Caree Harper, an attorney representing McDade's family, said arresting Carrillo may be an attempt by police to shift blame away from the officers. Harper added that Carrillo should be prosecuted for filing a false police report.

"However, he didn't pull the trigger and the officers can use discretion," she said. "They can't blame the caller because they shot an unarmed black man.""

Foxconn workers not all pleased with fewer hours | The Digital Home - CNET News

Foxconn workers not all pleased with fewer hours | The Digital Home - CNET News: " a host of workers for Foxconn, which makes gadgets for technology giants ranging from Apple to Hewlett-Packard, said they're concerned the sweeping changes--including cutting hours--will cause them to earn less income."

We shouldn't assume that others have the same preferences as we do...

Yes, We Can Wait | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

Yes, We Can Wait | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'The genius of the American system is that we are a government of laws and not of men. That often makes for a messy and slow process. But it is far better than the alternative. That’s true even when a president believes “we can’t wait.”'

Seth's Blog: Making big decisions about money

Seth's Blog: Making big decisions about money: 'Here's one reason we mess up: Money is just a number.'

'Here's how to undo the self-marketing. Stop using numbers.

You can have the stereo if you give up going to Starbucks every workday for the next year and a half. Worth it?'

'Suddenly, you're not comparing "this is my dream," with a number that means very little. You're comparing one version of your dream with another version.'

Busybodies of the World, Unite! | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary

Busybodies of the World, Unite! | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Obama's CDC head, who used to be Mayor Bloomberg's health adviser, declared in 2006 that "When anyone dies at an early age from a preventable cause in New York City, it's my fault." Now he cares about you on a national scale."

'via Blog this'

The War on the Working Class | Randal O'Toole | Cato Institute: Commentary

The War on the Working Class | Randal O'Toole | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Intentionally or not, the War on Sprawl is a war on the working class. To curb sprawl, planners use urban-growth boundaries and other limits on suburban development, making housing unaffordable for working-class families. To reduce driving, planners deliberately increase traffic congestion, limit parking, and put other restrictions on driving. This hits working-class commuters, whose jobs are less amenable to flex time, telecommuting, or relocation to suburban offices, the hardest."

"cities adopted zoning codes that often banned non-family residents, backyard livestock, in-home businesses, and other features found in working-class homes."

Columns - Newsroom - Ron Johnson, United States Senator for Wisconsin

Columns - Newsroom - Ron Johnson, United States Senator for Wisconsin: "Yet proposals in Congress, advocated by the White House, would give the federal government, namely the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), power to dictate cyber-

regulations to the private sector. Such regulations would create a maze of assessments, audits and standards that must be obeyed by companies deemed by DHS to be “covered critical infrastructure.”

I do not believe this is the right strategy because I have little faith in the ability of the federal government to be the leader on cybersecurity."

"Even DHS has been the victim of high-profile hackings. Yet businesses are now supposed to trust government regulators to tell them how to do their security better?"

"I questioned Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on whether DHS had analyzed the cost of the proposed regulations. She wasn’t even willing to admit they were creating new regulations, much less analyze the costs."

"The federal bureaucracy simply cannot keep pace with technology. Cyberexperts have said it could take eight to 10 years for DHS to develop cyber-regulations. Ten years is a millennium in technological terms; 10 years ago, there was no iPad, no Wii, and most Americans had never heard of “the cloud.”

New cyber-regulations could even make us less secure. Forcing industry to focus on checklists and audits rather than creating innovative solutions to threats might only provide a false sense of security. The correct strategy will recognize that industry is already the leader on cybersecurity. It is in business’ best interest to keep their networks secure."

No More GOP Whining about Overregulation | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary

No More GOP Whining about Overregulation | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "We are used to various government agencies overreaching and then seeing members of Congress go on TV and complain about what the government agencies are doing. The fact is, Congress (both parties are guilty) has failed in its oversight responsibilities and continues to fund agencies that ignore both the Constitution and the law.

Republicans whine that they cannot control spending because they only control one half of Congress. But the plain fact is that the Constitution is very specific. Any spending bill must be passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by the president. Setting aside for the moment the budget agreements that House Republicans, Senate Democrats and the president made about the overall level of spending and funding of the entitlements, there is still much House Republicans can do through the appropriations process to prevent many of the excesses of government.

For instance, there is nothing to prevent the House Republicans from refusing to fund the EPA’s desired budget until the agency puts procedures in place to guarantee the basic constitutional rights of all Americans, including independent judicial review, before any fines or criminal charges are levied. These same rules also should apply to the Securities and Exchange Commission (well-known for its incompetence and overreaching), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other agencies that have a record of abusing citizens."

"Many Republicans continue to vote for appropriations for international outfits such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which has an anti-tax competition agenda and global minimum-tax agenda, and the International Monetary Fund, which indirectly helped fund the Greek bailout. Both organizations damage American interests. Members of Congress, please explain why U.S. taxpayers should have some of their hard-earned money spent to help the Greeks. The administration and members of Congress argue that no U.S. taxpayer money was directly used, but money is fungible. Just because it goes through several pockets does not mean that U.S. taxpayers did not contribute."

On the Watch for Religious Persecutors | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

On the Watch for Religious Persecutors | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: '"While members of all faiths are sometimes at risk somewhere, Christians are constantly victimized almost everywhere. And in many of these cases the threat is violence, imprisonment, and even death. Martyrdom apparently is more common today than during Roman times.

The California-based group Open Doors has released its latestWorld Watch List of the 50 worst persecutors of Christians around the globe. A Baker's Dozen are communist or former communist states, led by North Korea. An incredible 38 are Muslim, including several of Washington's allies. (Seven are both communist/former communist and Islamic, truly a toxic combination.) The other six are a potpourri — Hindu India, Buddhist Burma and Bhutan, conflict-ridden Colombia, and Eritrea and Ethiopia, which are both repressive and religiously divided."'

Obamacare Both Unnecessary And Improper | Trevor Burrus | Cato Institute: Commentary

Obamacare Both Unnecessary And Improper | Trevor Burrus | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'The power to force someone to give businesses money is incredibly attractive and dangerous. Rather than suffering the political liability of raising taxes, Congress can force citizens to cross-subsidize each other. This is precisely what Congress did here: It avoided the above-the-board taxation and clear budgeting in order to hide the true costs of the law.'

iPad 3 Resolution

An iPad 3 starts at $500. In order to get a normal monitor with that many pixels you need to spend $850!

The Seven Rules of Bureaucracy - Loyd S. Pettegrew - Mises Daily

The Seven Rules of Bureaucracy - Loyd S. Pettegrew - Mises Daily: 'US Census figures show that in 1964, the year this "war" began, the poverty rate was 15 percent and in 2010 it was 15.1 percent. Any fifth-grader can see that there hasn't been much progress on the poverty front, especially given the trillions of dollars spent since then. Not surprisingly, once started, most of these programs have never gone away and demand an ever-increasing amount of taxpayer dollars.'

'Unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012) do not include retirees reentering the workforce, new college graduates looking for a job, nondeployed military personnel, or people who have been out of work for five months or more. It is instructive that the Department of Labor's little-known measure of unemployment, U-6, is ignored by the president, Congress, and the media in favor of the rate presented monthly. The U-6 unemployment rate is currently 16 percent.'

'In the House of Representatives on June 25, 2007, Congressman Frank stated,

We have, I think, an excessive degree of concern right now about home ownership and its role in the economy. Obviously speculation is never a good thing. But those who argue that housing prices are now at the point of a bubble seem to me to be missing a very important point. Unlike previous examples we have had where substantial excessive inflation of prices later caused some problems, we are talking here about an entity, home ownership, homes, where there is not the degree of leverage that we have seen elsewhere. This is not the dot com situation.… Homes that are occupied may see an ebb and flow in the price at a certain percentage level but you're not going to see a collapse that you see when people talk about a bubble. So those of us on our committee in particular will continue to push toward home ownership.'

'Send all newly elected officials to the state capitol or Washington with the specific goal to reduce legislation. America's bureaucracies have forgotten that resources are scarce, and most legislation builds bigger government and demands more tax dollars.'

Seeking Accuracy in the Criminal Justice System | Jeffrey Kirchmeier | Cato Unbound

Seeking Accuracy in the Criminal Justice System | Jeffrey Kirchmeier | Cato Unbound: 'A number of studies support a sequential identification process—where witnesses evaluate suspects one at a time instead of comparing possible suspects standing next to each other. Many advocate for police to use "double-blind" lineups, in which the person administering the lineup does not know which person is the suspect, thus avoiding any unconscious clues that the administrator might give to the witness. When Illinois and other states did exhaustive studies on practices that can lead to erroneous convictions, their reports made various recommendations, including double-blind and sequential lineups.'

Obamacare, Two Years Later | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

Obamacare, Two Years Later | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'when health-care reform was passed, we were promised that it would do three things: 1) provide health-insurance coverage for all Americans; 2) reduce insurance costs for individuals, businesses, and government; and 3) increase the quality of health care and the value received for each dollar of health-care spending. At the same time, the president and the law’s supporters in Congress promised that the legislation would not increase the federal-budget deficit or unduly burden the economy. And it would do all these things while letting those of us who were happy with our current health insurance keep it unchanged. Two years in, we can see that none of these things is true.'

'And, the recent dust-up over insurance coverage for contraceptives is a clear illustration of how the government will now be designing insurance plans for all of us. Regardless of how one feels about the contraceptive mandate itself, it is just the tip of the iceberg as government mandates tell employers what insurance they must provide, and tell us what insurance we must buy, even if that insurance is more expensive, contains benefits we don’t want, or violates our consciences.'

Wisconsin Church Offers Adults-only Services For Sex Offenders | Fox News

Wisconsin Church Offers Adults-only Services For Sex Offenders | Fox News: 'A Wisconsin church has started providing adults-only services so that sex offenders can worship without violating their parole.'

Education's Missing Apple: The Free Enterprise Solution? | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary

Education's Missing Apple: The Free Enterprise Solution? | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Take the now famous example of Jaime Escalante, whose low-income Hispanic students at Garfield High School were, by the mid-1980s, already besting their peers at Beverly Hills High on the Advanced Placement (AP) calculus exam. Though staggeringly successful, Escalante's program was not replicated. On the contrary, his own fellow teachers voted to relieve him as head of the math department after Escalante drew the ire of the local teachers' union because he welcomed over 50 students in his classrooms, while the union contract required no more than 35.'

'The same free enterprise system that has given us Google, Starbucks, and Apple works in education, too — if we let it. This system works for businesses through several key conditions: freedom to innovate, consumer choice, competition between providers, price signals, and the ability to distribute profits to investors.'

'In the Korean tutoring sector, it is not uncommon for the top teachers to have class sizes in the range of 20 to 40 thousand students, thanks to effective use of the Internet to distribute lessons. The best among them earn millions of dollars a year from profit sharing programs operated by the tutoring firms. The more effective a teacher becomes, and the larger the number of students who seek out her lessons, the more she earns.'

'hundreds of entrepreneurial independent schools currently operate in the slums of Hyderabad, India, vying to serve the children of day laborers and food-stall vendors whose poverty is beyond anything in America. These parent-funded independent schools outperform the local state-run schools, and they do so at a fraction of the cost — barely four dollars per month.'

A Re-Elected Obama Wouldn't Be the End of Liberty | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary

A Re-Elected Obama Wouldn't Be the End of Liberty | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'since FDR, few second-term presidents have been capable of great mischief. Obama may have done most of the real damage he's capable of already.'

'If the states refuse to create [health insurance exchanges], the law says the feds can. But it provides zero funds. And good luck getting them through a GOP House."'

'since the end of World War II, unified governments have spent roughly three times as fast as divided ones, and they've been much more likely to waste blood and treasure abroad.'

When Prices Are Wrong, Markets Don't Work | Peter Van Doren | Cato Institute: Commentary

When Prices Are Wrong, Markets Don't Work | Peter Van Doren | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'if gas prices go up and a commuter decides to start driving a Prius, or to move closer to work so the old gas guzzler travels fewer miles, this will have equivalent beneficial effects on aggregate fossil fuel consumption. One does not have to purchase an energy efficient vehicle to reduce fossil fuel consumption.

Even though I used just two paragraphs and no math to articulate this obvious point, voters and their elected officials resist this simple insight and instead prefer to impose only energy efficiency standards on manufacturers of consumer appliances and automobiles. A singular emphasis on energy efficiency rather than prices has two important drawbacks. First, more efficient appliances and automobiles cost much more to achieve equivalent energy savings than a tax on fossil fuel consumption. This occurs because higher prices encourage all possible avenues of reducing energy consumption — which efficiency standards do not. Second, more efficient appliances and automobiles reduce operating costs, which leads consumers to use more energy than they would if prices had increased.'

Inside America's Economic Angst | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute: Commentary

Inside America's Economic Angst | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute: Commentary: '* The recovery began just as Obama’s stimulus spending ended, thus confirming suspicions that lots of money was wasted as part of a process that hindered the economy’s growth.

* The job numbers only began to improve at the end of 2010, right as Republicans took control of the House and presumably ended Obama’s ability to further shift the nation’s course.'

'Such scandals as Solyndra lead people to suspect that cronyism has replaced capitalism.'

From Lori Drew To Dharun Ravi, Punishing People Based On Others' Suicides Is A Mistake | Techdirt

From Lori Drew To Dharun Ravi, Punishing People Based On Others' Suicides Is A Mistake | Techdirt: 'Thus, the incentive then is actually for kids to seriously hurt themselves, if someone acts in a mean way towards them, as that increases the likelihood of the bully getting punished. That doesn't sound like a good incentive system.'

Ron Paul’s caucus strategy is authentic republicanism | Washington Times Communities

Ron Paul’s caucus strategy is authentic republicanism | Washington Times Communities: 'He is the only Republican presidential candidate that has actually said the words “role of government” during any debate. That’s because he is the only candidate that seems to recognize that the government’s role is limited; that even a majority vote cannot sanction it to exercise power beyond those limits. Throughout all of human history, conservatives have defended this principle against the ungoverned passion of the majority.'

'If the Republican Party truly favors the big government alternatives to Ron Paul, candidates who all supported the expansion of the federal government in the past and who refuse to commit to any meaningful cuts now, then what is the debate about?

The federal government doesn’t need a manicure. It needs reconstructive surgery. Make that deconstructive surgery. You don’t turn $1.5 trillion deficits into surpluses by tweaking the way that federal departments are managed. You do so by completely eliminating departments and redefining the role of government. Only Ron Paul is proposing to do so.'

A Parent’s Guide to School Shootings

A Parent’s Guide to School Shootings: 'In studying every school shooting that has occurred in the United States, as well as many that have happened in other parts of the world, I have come to the conclusion that escaping the school is the best option for individual students in a school shooting situation. Virtually all students who get out of the school (even if they have already been shot) survive.'

Chamber of Corporatism - Ryan McMaken - Mises Daily

Chamber of Corporatism - Ryan McMaken - Mises Daily: 'Recently, the US Chamber of Commerce claimed through its spokesman that it supports candidates who support "free enterprise policies that will fuel America's economic recovery."'

'The chamber was a major supporter of SOPA, which gives governments the ability to seize private property without any due process whatsoever, and it supported the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which stole about a trillion dollars from the taxpayers so that the US government could buy up huge portions of the financial sector.

It also supported No Child Left Behind, Obama's "stimulus" program, and the auto bailouts.'

'The US Chamber of Commerce has issued its 2009 congressional scorecard, and once again, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex. — certainly one of the two most free-market politicians in Washington — gets the lowest score of any Republican.
Paul was one of a handful of GOP lawmakers not to win the Chamber's "Sprit of Enterprise Award." He scored only a 67%, bucking the Chamber on four votes, including:
Paul opposed the "Solar Technology Roadmap Act," which boosted subsidies for unprofitable solar energy technology.
Paul opposed the "Travel Promotion Act," which subsidizes the tourism industry with a new fee on international visitors.
Paul opposed the largest spending bill in history, Obama's $787 billion stimulus bill.'

Don't Retreat, Re-aim | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

Don't Retreat, Re-aim | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Obamacare is as unpopular as ever, with polls showing that large majorities favor its repeal. Yet Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced that he will not bring any repeal efforts to the floor until after the election.

Republicans appear to be abandoning other winning issues as well. They so mishandled the debate over the payroll-tax cut last December that they ended up agreeing to a compromise that added billions to the national debt. And speaking of debt, the Republican leadership is trying to push through a transportation bill that would add still more debt. Meanwhile, House Republicans are reportedly split over whether their newbudget should include spending cuts that go beyond last year's debt-ceiling agreement. That agreement would allow the national debt to increase by more than $7 trillion over next ten years, and Republicans can't decide whether spending should be cut further?'

'a USA Today Gallup poll last month showed that 92 percent of voters thought that the economy was important to how they voted, while 82 percent were interested in jobs. More than 70 percent agreed that taxes and Obamacare were critical issues.'

'according to a Rasmussen poll released this week, by a 52–36 margin, likely voters thought government would do too much rather than to little in fixing the problems we face today. Similarly, a January Gallup poll found only 29 percent of voters were satisfied with the current size of government.'

Washington's Fading Faith in Deterrence | Ted Galen Carpenter | Cato Institute: Commentary

Washington's Fading Faith in Deterrence | Ted Galen Carpenter | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Deterrence and containment were the twin pillars of U.S. security policy in the decades after World War II. Containment eventually played out much as the doctrine's principal author, George Kennan, believed that it would, with the transformation or collapse of the Soviet Union. And despite a few perilous moments, especially the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, deterrence also worked.'

'Yet while U.S. leaders seem hyper-confident about the continued relevance of deterrence in Europe — and in East Asia where Washington still provides security guarantees to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and other partners — the opposite attitude has taken place regarding the Muslim world. There, American officials and much of the political and policy elites appear to have little confidence that the principles of deterrence (or containment) have any validity.'

Just War - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Daily

Just War - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Daily: 'In a theory which tried to limit war, neutrality was considered not only justifiable but a positive virtue. In the old days, "he kept us out of war" was high tribute to a president or political leader; but now, all the pundits and professors condemn any president who "stands idly by" while "people are being killed" in Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda, or the hot spot of the day. In the old days, "standing idly by" was considered a mark of high statesmanship. Not only that: neutral states had "rights" which were mainly upheld, since every warring country knew that someday it too would be neutral. A warring state could not interfere with neutral shipping to an enemy state; neutrals could ship to such an enemy with impunity all goods except "contraband," which was strictly defined as arms and ammunition, period. Wars were kept limited in those days, and neutrality was extolled.'

'I have always believed that when the Left claims that all sorts of entities — animals, alligators, trees, plants, rocks, beaches, the earth, or "the ecology" — have "rights," the proper response is this: when those entities act like the Americans who set forth their declaration of rights, when they speak for themselves and take up arms to enforce them, then and only then can we take such claims seriously.'

'And finally, does anyone seriously believe for one minute that any of the 13 states would have ratified the Constitution had they believed that it was a perpetual one-way Venus fly trap — a one-way ticket to sovereign suicide? The Constitution was barely ratified as it is!

So, if the Articles of Confederation could be treated as a scrap of paper, if delegation to the confederate government in the 1780s was revocable, how could the central government set up under the Constitution, less than a decade later, claim that its powers were permanent and irrevocable? Sheer logic insists that: if a state could enter a confederation it could later withdraw from it; the same must be true for a state adopting the Constitution.'

How important/necessary did they consider the reason for dissolution?

Unjust Wars, Then and Now - George F. Smith - Mises Daily

Unjust Wars, Then and Now - George F. Smith - Mises Daily: 'Using recent history as a guide, the total financial cost of the Iraq invasion, including veterans' support, is expected to reach $4 trillion. Yet in 2002, Bush economic advisor Lawrence Lindsey was fired for saying the Iraq war could cost as much as $200 billion, which was 3–4 times the Department of Defense estimate. Even if someone knew how much an Iran war would cost, no one would believe him.'

Fast-track breeding could bring a second Green Revolution - CSMonitor.com

Fast-track breeding could bring a second Green Revolution - CSMonitor.com: 'Breeders now use genetic markers to automatically screen one-inch-tall seedlings and immediately weed out the 99 percent they don’t want, cutting years off the breeding timetable. That makes it easier to get to desirable cross-breed quickly – and also stack up a complex array of traits in a single strain. As a result, says Klee, even mass-produced supermarket tomatoes should actually taste good five years from now.'

The Pleasures And Perils of Tax Loopholes | Jim Powell | Cato Institute: Commentary

The Pleasures And Perils of Tax Loopholes | Jim Powell | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'There’s an important lesson here: the hand that giveth a loophole can taketh away. Apparently the Catholic Church was seduced into supporting the odious Obamacare law including the mandate for compulsory health insurance coverage. Church officials didn’t seem to care how others would be affected by the mandate, because they counted on their political clout to secure a loophole. But politicians maintain their power by juggling many, often conflicting interest groups, and from time to time this involves betraying a major supporter. President Obama betrayed his labor union allies when he nixed the Keystone XL pipeline that would have created thousands of jobs, because he was under intense pressure from his environmentalist allies who don’t seem to care about jobs. Now, evidently, it’s the Catholic Church’s turn to be betrayed.'

Nuclear Iran Is an Exaggerated Threat | Malou Innocent and Jonathan Owen | Cato Institute: Commentary

Nuclear Iran Is an Exaggerated Threat | Malou Innocent and Jonathan Owen | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'James Clapper, U.S. director of national intelligence, said an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would set back its nuclear program by one to two years. U.S. military action every few years is an unmanageable strategy.

Worse, attempts to stop Iran’s program militarily will bolster its resolve to pursue a nuclear deterrent. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said the military solution will make Iranians “absolutely committed to obtaining nuclear weapons.” He continued, “... they will just go deeper and more covert.”'

'As nuclear expert Joseph Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund has argued, Iran might decide, like Japan and other countries, to have only the ability to produce a nuclear weapon fast — in short, a rapid breakout option.'

Hitting the Ceiling | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

Hitting the Ceiling | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: we will likely reach the debt ceiling by mid-October — before Election Day.

Why Are We Still in Afghanistan? | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

Why Are We Still in Afghanistan? | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Afghans are cynical about "their" government. However, they fear "their" security forces, particularly the Afghan National Police. When I visited Afghanistan people described being robbed by the latter, which is supposed to protect them. The latest State Department assessment on human rights reported that the "security forces committed arbitrary or unlawful killings." State cited "reports of serious abuses by government officials, security forces, detention center authorities, and police," including arbitrary arrests, unlawful trials, and illegal imprisonments filled with beatings, torture, and rape. Children are mistreated as well.'

'The burning of the Korans was called "antihuman" by one Islamic cleric and "inhumane" by the clerical delegation which met with Karzai. Yet the murder of non-Muslims is accepted as reasonable and just by some Afghans.'

'Newt Gingrich made an important point when he declared that Washington shouldn't risk "the life of a single American... in a country whose religious fanatics are trying to kill us and whose government seems to be on the side of the fanatics."'

The Ron Paul Revolution Continues | Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary

The Ron Paul Revolution Continues | Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Americans who doubt the U.S. government's ability to reform health care should be doubly skeptical about its efforts to reform Afghanistan.

Those concerned about government power should also appreciate, as Paul does, that war has almost always led to the expansion of the state's size and power at home.'

'Conservatives who comprehend that people aren't inclined to pay for goods if Uncle Sam foots the bill should understand why wealthy allies in Europe and Asia will free-ride, taking U.S. protection as an opportunity to scrimp on defense and splurge on other things.'

'[Romney's] military budget in 2022 would top $1 trillion — 61 percent more than current projections. And Romney has not explained which taxes he would increase or what other spending he would cut to cover that increase, which suggests that he would kick the problem to future generations in the form of more debt. No wonder young people like Paul.'

'A CNN survey last year found that just one in four Americans relished the United States' being the world's "policeman," and a Rasmussen poll concluded that a mere 11 percent of likely voters support that mission.'

'Paul, for example, seems to imply that he would do nothing at all to try to halt or slow Iran's nuclear program, when his focus should be on why the solutions proposed by the other leading candidates in the Republican presidential field are unlikely to solve the problem and would likely make it worse.'

A Safe Bet: Online Gambling's Good for U.S. | Patrick Basham | Cato Institute: Commentary

A Safe Bet: Online Gambling's Good for U.S. | Patrick Basham | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'online technology renders prohibition futile. As an international network, the Internet provides an instant detour around domestic prohibition.'

Struggle for Individual Liberty Never Ends | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary

Struggle for Individual Liberty Never Ends | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'That is a disturbing amount of authority to put in one man's hands — whatever his party. And whether or not Obama is defeated come November, the problem of power will remain.'

Texas Vulture Study Upends Forensics | Fox News

Texas Vulture Study Upends Forensics | Fox News: 'Experienced investigators would normally have interpreted the absence of flesh and the condition of the bones as evidence that the woman had been dead for six months, possibly even a year or more. Now a study of vultures at Texas State University is calling into question many of the benchmarks detectives have long relied on.'

The actual time was 5 weeks so "expert knowledge" was at least 5 times too long! Once again, we need to consider the confidence level of the "expert knowledge" that we have -- especially when it could affect other people's lives!

'Scientists set up a motion-sensing camera that captured the vultures jumping up and down on the woman's body, breaking some of her ribs, which investigators could also misinterpret as trauma suffered during a beating.'

Job-Killing Madness | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary

Job-Killing Madness | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Assume for moment you are the head of a small community bank. You have two-dozen employees. The government then sends you many thousands of pages of new regulations. Who in your bank is going to be able to read and understand all of this and then set up the procedures for complying with all the new regulations? The government says hire lawyers and accountants to give the necessary information and set up the compliance systems. But lawyers and accountants are very expensive, and your bank may not be able to afford them and still make a profit. So the bank is left with the choice of going out of business or selling out to a larger bank. This, in turn, leads to more concentration and less competition in the banking industry and adds to the problem of “too big to fail.” As the costs of regulation grow, banks are forced to charge higher and higher fees in order to stay in business, and they make fewer loans, which means fewer trucks and truck drivers, and less of everything else, including jobs.'

Generally community banks didn't have problems and large banks did so the regulation is encouraging more of types of banks that had problems and discouraging the types of banks that didn't have problems!

'In a mindlessly stupid attempt to try to get a few billion more dollars in tax revenue, the government has put a large share of foreign investment that comes into the U.S. and millions of the resulting jobs at risk. The new rules (including the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act) are so vague, complex and costly to administer that foreign financial institutions are ceasing to allow Americans to open accounts and are refusing to invest in the United States.'

'“Foreign investment in the U.S. amounts to $21 trillion, and $11 trillion of this is invested in U.S. securities. A KPMG survey indicates only 36 percent of financial institutions will comply with [the tax compliance act], leaving 64 percent still considering divesting out of U.S. securities. If even a fraction of those foreign investors divest, the loss to the U.S. would be in the trillions of dollars. This, at a time when the U.S. economy desperately needs more foreign investment, not less.”'

'Rather than focusing on the taxpayers who may not have paid the tax due, Justice decided to go after the foreign banks and their executives with both civil and criminal charges — even though these banks were totally compliant with their own country’s laws and have no U.S operations.'

'Extending U.S. law to foreign countries and institutions is dangerous because it puts all U.S. citizens and businesses at risk. Foreign governments can now argue that their laws should apply in the United States. If someone publishes an article or cartoon in the U.S. that a Muslim government finds offensive, should that government be able to arrest that person in this country or when that person travels outside the U.S.? If a foreign visitor from a country with strict gun laws legally purchases a gun in the United States but does not take it back to his home country, should his country be able to arrest him and the U.S. retailer who sold the gun?'

Once-Loud Opposition to Gay Marriage Has Quieted | David Boaz | Cato Institute: Commentary

Once-Loud Opposition to Gay Marriage Has Quieted | David Boaz | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Gallup finds support for same-sex marriage now at 53 percent, up from 40 percent in 2008.'

'Even Rick Santorum, who has been stridently antigay throughout his career, muted his remarks when he led a rally to repeal the Washington state law.'

'Bruni points out: "More so than politicians, corporations play the long game, trying to engender loyalty for decades to come, and they're famously fixated on consumers in their 20s and 30s. They see support for same-sex marriage as a winner, something that will help with employee recruitment as well."'

It's Not Obama's Fault That Crude Oil Prices Have Increased | Peter Van Doren and Jerry Taylor | Cato Institute: Commentary

It's Not Obama's Fault That Crude Oil Prices Have Increased | Peter Van Doren and Jerry Taylor | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'we import gasoline refined in Europe from North Sea crude. Even though these imports constitute less than 10 percent of U.S. gasoline consumption, they are necessary to satisfy domestic demand and their price sets the market price for all gasoline regardless of whether other cheaper crude sources are used to refine most of our gasoline.'

I certainly don't want to blame Obama when he doesn't deserve it but I don't understand how all oil is sold at the highest price -- that doesn't make sense. :-/

The State Is a Harsh Mistress - David Masten - Mises Daily

The State Is a Harsh Mistress - David Masten - Mises Daily: The space shuttle, built by private organizations with government funding, was infamously advertised as having a payload costing solely $100 per pound.' ... 'The shuttle, in actuality, yielded a payload costing around $10,000 per pound — a sizable hundredfold increase above the expected.'

Mandating Contraception | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

Mandating Contraception | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Obamacare's chief characteristic is substituting a one-size fits all template for today's imperfect but decentralized system. Washington insists that it knows best for 313 million Americans and intends to impose its will on the recalcitrant.'

'Contraception is not an essential medical service more important than treatment for breast cancer, leukemia, colon cancer, and Alzheimer's. Or my knee replacement. If contraception should be "free," why not these other far more vital treatments? Why allow deductibles and co-pays to discourage anyone from getting any medical treatment?'

'Putting Uncle Sam in charge of health care is precisely how not to leave women in control of their own medical destinies. Observed Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY), "The very essence of the healthcare law is that the government is going to tell you what your healthcare is going to be." Washington is filled with interest groups and their lobbyists, not individual patients and their advocates. There is no reason to believe that Uncle Sam will act in the interests of "women,"'

'Even Jesus' ministry — he healed people who did not follow him — would not qualify for an exemption.'

'The president has prepared the perfect free lunch: everyone will have coverage and no one will have to pay for it. It's a miracle!

If this really is "a solution that works for everyone," then why not expand it? Let companies offer health insurance policies which cover, well, no medical treatments. But force insurance companies nevertheless to cover every malady. Voila: Americans would enjoy comprehensive health care insurance at no cost!'

Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley, 'Growing Kids by Growing Families' - My Gateway News - Serving Elmwood, Spring Valley and Woodville, WI

Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley, 'Growing Kids by Growing Families' - My Gateway News - Serving Elmwood, Spring Valley and Woodville, WI: 'Imagine a world where every newborn baby in Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties is visited by a trained professional while he/she is still in the hospital.'

I'm confused, where in the civilized world doesn't that happen? I thought all hospital births include a doctor visit after the birth?

'Imagine a world where prenatal care is also available.'
The whole civilized world?

'Now imagine this: regular opportunities for parents and babies to socialize with other parents and babies'
Virtually the whole world?

'home visits to the family of baby until baby gets on the school bus and heads off to kindergarten.'
Maybe its just the wording or something but that makes me think of Big Brother for some reason.

The Solyndra Saga: Part… (uh… we’re losing count): Low Voltage | FreedomWorks

The Solyndra Saga: Part… (uh… we’re losing count): Low Voltage | FreedomWorks: 'The base model Volt is listed with and MSRP of $31,645 however when considering state and federal government subsidies the cost per vehicle dwarfs the MSRP. With $2.3 billion coming from the federal government alone, total subsidies are well over $3 billion for the program. This makes the cost of each Volt sold well over $200,000.'

Note to self: Encrypt data, memorize password | InSecurity Complex - CNET News

Note to self: Encrypt data, memorize password | InSecurity Complex - CNET News: 'Even though the data being protected could easily be obtained with a warrant if it were not locked up with encryption technology, the act of using the cryptographic lock puts it in a protected zone if it can only be accessed by memory.

"This ruling keeps with the spirit of the Fifth Amendment, which is intended to make sure law enforcement does its job," Hofmann said. "If they're going to prosecute you, they have to make the case against you and can't force you to help them out with that."'

Dictators Murdering Their Own People | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary

Dictators Murdering Their Own People | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary: '"Tens of thousands of Nuba have been living in caves since June when the government began going house to house, killing families with rebel ties and driving out international aid groups."'

'We have never had access to so much instant global information through ever-expanding technological inventiveness, but we remain ignorant of excruciatingly tormented human beings in nations far away — many of whose leaders are proud, even arrogant members of the U.N.'

Why I am so rude to Warmists – Telegraph Blogs

Why I am so rude to Warmists – Telegraph Blogs: '"preserving the planet for future generations"
The reason this cant phrase makes me want to throw up every time I hear it is that it's such a grotesque inversion of reality. It's not people on my side of the debate who want to ravage the countryside with wind farms (with no provision for decommissioning them), rein in economic growth, introduce wartime-style rationing, raise taxes, destroy farmland and rainforests to create biofuels, and base heinously expensive public policy on hysteria and junk science. It's not people on my side of the debate who are condemning those "future generations" to a lower standard of living and an uglier environment in order to deal with a problem that doesn't exist. So how dare they have the gall to try to take the moral high ground?'

Sickening Regulation | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

Sickening Regulation | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Those new regulations would have increased the total number of reimbursement codes from the current 18,000 to more than 140,000 separate codes. The delay will undoubtedly come as a relief for physicians who will have additional time to try to understand the bureaucratic complexity of rules that, for example, apply 36 different codes for treating a snake bite, depending on the type of snake, its geographical region, and whether the incident was accidental, intentional self-harm, assault, or undetermined. The new codes also thoroughly differentiate between nine different types of hang-gliding injuries, four different types of alligator attacks, and the important difference between injuries sustained by walking into a wall and those resulting from walking into a lamppost.'