Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Ho Hum - Fiscal Cliff Deal Stalls - Republicans Offer More and More Concessions; Poison Pill Nonsense

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis: Ho Hum - Fiscal Cliff Deal Stalls - Republicans Offer More and More Concessions; Poison Pill Nonsense: "Every compromise to date leaves the US worse off than if the fiscal cliff happens. Thus, the best hope still remains that all compromises fail."

Arizona sheriff plans to put armed posse at schools | Fox News

Arizona sheriff plans to put armed posse at schools | Fox News: "The posse has the same training regarding guns as our regular deputy sheriffs, over 100 hours of training, plus refresher courses,"

"Arpaio has used similar volunteer groups to patrol malls over the holidays. Posse members arrested 31 people this year, and the sheriff thinks their presence may deter criminal activity."

Did Prohibition End Alcohol Abuse? | Kirk Cameron

Did Prohibition End Alcohol Abuse? | Kirk Cameron: "Prohibition became a notorious example of what happens when we attempt to legislate the actions of the human heart. Alcohol abuse was not ended and organized crime was given the stimulus it needed to thrive. The answer for alcohol abuse is the same answer for gun abuse — the gospel of Christ."

"Even though it is against the law, murder continues."

Why is it effective to legislate against murder but not alcohol abuse? Would it be effective to legislate against abortion?

Criminals and the "gun show loophole"

USConcealedCarry.com: "a 5-year nationwide study by the FBI of over 800 incidents involving the most dangerous armed street criminals, and concluded: “Contrary to media-generated myth, not a single weapon in the study was purchased at a gun show.”"

Guns Are Not the Problem, People Are | Campaign for Liberty

Guns Are Not the Problem, People Are | Campaign for Liberty: "There is already an assault weapons ban enacted there, and obviously it did not stop Adam Lanza from obtaining weapons. To illustrate the point, consider that cocaine is 74% cheaper today than it was 30 years ago, despite the $20-25 billion dollars per year the Government has spent trying to stop its entry into the country. Making something illegal does not stop it from getting into the hands of those who desire it."

"Every day, we make choices that expose us to extreme danger.  Acts like merging onto the highway, standing next to a forklift operator, even turning on a light switch or stepping onto an elevator require a high level of trust in the benevolence of an unknown stranger; our lives literally depend on them doing the right thing."

"we should instead look within.  Are we being compassionate towards those around us?  Are we treating each other with respect and dignity?"

A New Republican Agenda for the Future | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute

A New Republican Agenda for the Future | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: "Washington’s wild spending, huge deficits, and massive unfunded liabilities are the most important challenge today. However, the Republican Party gave away that issue under George W. Bush and the Republican Congress."

"their argument against tax hikes is not hatred of government, but recognition that Washington wastes money prodigiously"

"Republicans should promise there will be no more interminable wars for democracy promotion and nation-building in the future"

"The GOP should support an increase in legal immigration, long a plus to American society"

"The desire was not to ensure access to contraception, which is inexpensive and widely available, but to force those who oppose the practice to pay for it. That is, the mandate is an aggressive, offensive use of the state against a fundamental freedom."

"The principle is simple: If you choose to have sex, you share responsibility for any life that results. The debate should be over what that responsibility entails. The purpose of an abortion ban is not to impose values but to protect life and choice by ensuring responsibility."

"Every few years someone writes the political obituary of one of the major parties. Doing so always ends up being premature."

All about Taxes | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute

All about Taxes | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: "But there is a profound lack of curiosity when it comes to the other half of this supposed bargain. Remember that hypothetical deal of $1 in tax increases to $10 in spending cuts? Republicans are still being asked about it and criticized for rejecting it. But balancing the budget under that formula would require $9 trillion in spending cuts over the next ten years. When was the last time the president or a Democratic congressman was asked whether or not they would agree to such a deal?"

"it’s worth noting that more than half of Democratic congressmen and eleven senators have signed a pledge to oppose any changes to Social Security or Medicare. If pledges are the root of all evil, couldn’t we pause for just a moment in our attempts to run Grover Norquist out of town to work up the tiniest bit of outrage about this one?"

"The president’s most recent budget calls for $2.6 in increased spending between now and 2022. That’s $1 trillion more than the $1.6 trillion that the president has called for in new taxes. Therefore, the tax hikes would not be used to reduce the deficit, but to finance new spending."

The No-Tax-Hike Pledge Is an IQ Test for Republicans | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute

The No-Tax-Hike Pledge Is an IQ Test for Republicans | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute: "taxation — one of the fundamental responsibilities of government"

Taxation is a responsibility?!?!?!? Silly me -- I always thought it was considered a "necessary evil" to accomplish the real responsibilities of government (like protecting people).

Thinking Big on Trade Policy | Cato Institute

Thinking Big on Trade Policy | Cato Institute: "Negotiating trade agreements with certain countries, but not others, is not really “free” trade. Rather, it is “preferential” or “discriminatory” trade."

"one of the biggest complaints our trading partners have relates to subsidies to U.S. agricultural producers"

An Age of Illusionists | Steve H. Hanke | Cato Institute

An Age of Illusionists | Steve H. Hanke | Cato Institute: "For purposes of evaluating federal projects, the OMB requires that an excess burden of 20% be employed. A wide range of scholarly research indicates that the average excess burden of the federal tax system is actually closer to 35%. Accordingly, the real economic cost of a dollar’s worth of federal spending is $1.35, not $1.00."

Plea from Chinese labor camp found in Halloween decorations | Fox News

Plea from Chinese labor camp found in Halloween decorations | Fox News: "found the letter tucked in between two Stryofoam headstones when she opened it in October, The Oregonian reports.

“If you occasionally buy this product, please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization,” the unsigned letter read. “Thousands people here who are under the persicution [sic] of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever.""

Iowa high court says bosses can fire workers who they consider an 'irresistible attraction' | Fox News

Iowa high court says bosses can fire workers who they consider an 'irresistible attraction' | Fox News: "The Iowa Supreme Court says a dentist did not commit gender discrimination when he fired an attractive female assistant he viewed as a threat to his marriage."

Massad Ayoob » Blog Archive » UNDERSTANDING BOTH SIDES

Massad Ayoob » Blog Archive » UNDERSTANDING BOTH SIDES: "he appointed to lead a supposedly impartial fact-finding commission none other than long-time gun ban advocate Joe Biden, which is rather like appointing the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church as chair of a committee to study gay rights."

"The general consensus of cops and criminologists is that a decade of the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban proved absolutely meaningless as a “crime-stopper.” That law was in full sway when the Columbine High School massacre was perpetrated."

"in 2010 more murders were documentably committed by bare hands and stompings (745) than with rifles (358) of all types"

A Call to Duty | USConcealedCarry.com - USConcealedCarry.com

A Call to Duty | USConcealedCarry.com - USConcealedCarry.com: "We are clearly in an improved state of readiness since Columbine, but every mass murder committed since then has proven that just responding to the shootings has not been enough.  In the vast majority of these cases, it is all over by the time we get there."

"This is the first mass murderer to overcome a target-hardened school, and we knew that it wouldn’t be hard in a teacher-controlled setting."

"instead of volunteering to coach school teams, we should be volunteering to guard school teams"

Libertarians and Right to Work Laws | Cato @ Liberty

Libertarians and Right to Work Laws | Cato @ Liberty: "Rather than prohibiting voluntary union-shop agreements between employers and unions, a state legislature could pass a bill simply declaring that the NLRB had no jurisdiction in that state."

"federal labor law gives unions the power to negotiate for the whole labor force in a plant or a firm. That’s monopoly."

Man with board labeled 'high-powered rifle' arrested at Sandy Hook Elementary in Virginia | Fox News

Man with board labeled 'high-powered rifle' arrested at Sandy Hook Elementary in Virginia | Fox News: "Christopher Gerrit Johnson, 33, walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Strasburg with the board Wednesday afternoon in an apparent attempt to make a statement about school safety."

Marine vet of Iraq war takes up self-imposed duty at Calif. school in wake of Conn. shooting | Fox News

Marine vet of Iraq war takes up self-imposed duty at Calif. school in wake of Conn. shooting | Fox News: "A Marine veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan took up self-imposed duty in front of a central California elementary school in the wake of the Connecticut shooting.

Hughson Elementary School Principal Laura Fong said Sgt. Craig Pusley stood all day Wednesday in fatigues in front of the flag pole at the school just southeast of Modesto. He was not armed."

9 Must-See Gun Control Statistics Independent Journal Review

9 Must-See Gun Control Statistics Independent Journal Review: "With just one single exception, the attack on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson in 2011, every public shooting since at least 1950 in the U.S. in which more than three people have been killed has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry guns."

Mass killings occur in USA once every two weeks

Mass killings occur in USA once every two weeks: "A third of mass killings didn't involve guns at all."

"When guns were involved, killers were far more likely to use handguns than any other type of weapon."

"mass killings still accounted for only a tiny fraction — about 1% — of all the Americans who were murdered"

"more died from migraines and falling out of chairs than were murdered by mass killers"

"Three times as many people perished from sunstroke."

Federal Assault Weapons Ban - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Federal Assault Weapons Ban - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Semi-automatic rifles able to accept detachable magazines and two or more of the following:

• Folding or telescoping stock
• Pistol grip
• Bayonet mount
• Flash suppressor, or threaded barrel designed to accommodate one
• Grenade launcher (more precisely, a muzzle device that enables launching or firing rifle grenades, though this applies only to muzzle mounted grenade launchers and not those mounted externally).

Semi-automatic pistols with detachable magazines and two or more of the following:

• Magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip
• Threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or suppressor
• Barrel shroud that can be used as a hand-hold
• Unloaded weight of 50 oz (1.4 kg) or more
• A semi-automatic version of a fully automatic firearm.

Semi-automatic shotguns with two or more of the following:

• Folding or telescoping stock
• Pistol grip
• Fixed capacity of more than 5 rounds
• Detachable magazine."

Why are all of those "assault" features? Why do they make it more dangerous?
In what mass murder was a bayonet, flash suppressor, or barrel shroud a factor? Why does it matter if it is a semi-automatic version of a fully automatic firearm?

Obama backs new assault weapons ban

Obama backs new assault weapons ban: "Obama would back proposals to close the "gun show loophole," which allows people to buy weapons without background checks."

What does the research say about how much of a problem this is? What percent of crimes with guns had the gun obtained from a gun show (or any private transaction)?

"We ban about 100 weapons by names"
So if they just change the name then the weapon is ok? It seems illogical to ban by name. The only benefit that I can see is political.

Disarming the Myths Promoted By the Gun Control Lobby - Forbes

Disarming the Myths Promoted By the Gun Control Lobby - Forbes: "Newsweek has reported that law-abiding American citizens using guns in self-defense during 2003 shot and killed two and one-half times as many criminals as police did, and with fewer than one-fifth as many incidents as police where an innocent person mistakenly identified as a criminal (2% versus 11%)."

"many states fail to provide mental health records to the federal computerized background check system"

"somewhere between 830,000 and 2.45 million U.S. defensive gun uses annually"

Active shooters in schools: Should teachers be trained by police firearms instructors?

Active shooters in schools: Should teachers be trained by police firearms instructors?: "Every school in the nation conducts two or three fire drills per year, despite the fact that not one single child has died from a school fire anywhere in North America in well over a half a century.

Yet, we almost universally ignore the threat which really is claiming the lives of our kids — active shooters"

Scissors save premature baby's life | Fox News

Scissors save premature baby's life | Fox News: "she was so tiny doctors did not know if they should try to save her.

But when they put her on the scales she weighed 1 pound, the minimum weight for a baby to be considered viable — so they fought for her.

Only when she was safely on a ventilator did doctors discover the scissors had been accidentally left on the scales, and that 8-inch Maddalena in fact weighed only .84 pounds, or about 13 ounces.

The lucky baby has now been discharged from the Royal Sussex Hospital and is expected to grow into a healthy child."

The Real Problem with a Secretary of State Susan Rice | Benjamin H. Friedman | Cato Institute

The Real Problem with a Secretary of State Susan Rice | Benjamin H. Friedman | Cato Institute: "Those suggesting that there’s a cover-up have not explained how hiding terrorism would have benefited the White House, given that terrorism typically helps incumbent presidents, especially ones that benefit from talking about dead terrorists rather than unemployed Americans."

Israel's Hamas Policy Threatens Permanent War | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute

Israel's Hamas Policy Threatens Permanent War | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: "Justified as denying Hamas construction materials and the like, the blockade enriches the movement, which taxes goods smuggled in. Wrecking the civilian economy weakens the private business community, which has the greatest interest in peaceful accommodation with Israel."

"Israel’s attacks are disproportionate. Israel has a long history of attacking civilians as a matter of policy."
I thought rockets from P.A. were aimed at civilian areas? :-/

"What popular support Hamas has lost from misgovernment it has regained by seeming to defend Palestinians. Hamas forced Israel to negotiate: the cease-fire requires talks on increasing the freedom of movement for people and goods and ending targeted assassinations."

In Defense of 'Vulture Funds' | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute

In Defense of 'Vulture Funds' | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: "Argentina issued U.S. dollar-denominated bonds subject to U.S. law because most international bond buyers would not have been willing to buy Argentine currency bonds subject to the Argentine courts."

"Here is where the “vulture funds” come in. They are run by entrepreneurs who are willing to take very high risks by buying the defaulted debt of the corrupt or mismanaged country at deep discounts (usually after the original bondholders have fled) and, at times, use the court systems around the world to seize assets of the deadbeat countries as a way of pressuring them to pay their debts. Last month, one of the Argentine creditors managed to legally hold an Argentine naval training vessel (a large, beautiful, classic, four-masted sailing ship) that had docked in Ghana.

Those who buy the discounted bonds of countries in default in the secondary market do so to make a profit, but they often need to hold the debt for many years and engage in long and expensive court battles with an uncertain outcome."

"Several of the often disparaged vulture funds have track records of helping to bring corrupt government leaders to heel by insisting that governments pay what they promised. By creating precedents, they have reduced risk and borrowing costs for all."

The Financial Crisis and the Bank Deregulation Myth | John A. Allison | Cato Institute

The Financial Crisis and the Bank Deregulation Myth | John A. Allison | Cato Institute: "We do not live in a free market. We live in a mixed economy. The technology industry is largely unregulated and as a result has performed well through various economic cycles. Financial services is the most regulated industry in the world, and since it is, it’s not surprising that the industry has been so troubled."

Concealed Carry Hero at Portland Mall - The Full Story

Concealed Carry Hero at Portland Mall - The Full Story: "Knowing he had an armed person in the mall and that this was no longer his gun-free zone, the gunman avoided the Macy's Home Store and ended his rampage by fleeing to a service corridor and into the stairwell to the lower level."

Neighbor describes taking 6 young Sandy Hook survivors into his home | Fox News

Neighbor describes taking 6 young Sandy Hook survivors into his home | Fox News: "He took the children in, gave them juice and stuffed animals, called their parents and listened to them describe the ordeal.

They said the shooter had a big gun and a little gun. Another boy provided a moment of levity when he said: "Just saying, your house is very small.""

Obama's Economic War on Women - Gregory Cummings - Mises Daily

Obama's Economic War on Women - Gregory Cummings - Mises Daily: "if women receive equal direct wages and increased indirect benefits (such as maternity-leave supplements, for example) it will also be more cost effective to hire men instead of women. The net effect is increased female unemployment."

"In the presence of equal-pay-for-equal-work legislation, the employer in our example would be wise to hire another male employee."

"while equal-pay-for-equal-work legislation is proposed in the United States in order to protect women workers, it has been used in South Africa as a means of protecting white unionists from the competition of lower-paid black workers. It cannot simultaneously achieve both goals."

"The mythical "sexist pig" employer would soon go the way of the dodo, courtesy of market forces. If he were stupid enough to hire a male when he could have employed an equally productive female for less money (because of the pay "gap"), his gender-blind competitors would hire her, and price him out of the business."

(1997) MS School Principal Captures Mass Murderer With His .45 | Guns Save Lives

(1997) MS School Principal Captures Mass Murderer With His .45 | Guns Save Lives: "There is simply no telling how many lives were saved by this educator who took steps to make sure that he was prepared for any situation and to use a weapon when it was necessary to save the lives of others."

Big 10 Expansion Has Unseemly Side | Neal McCluskey | Cato Institute

Big 10 Expansion Has Unseemly Side | Neal McCluskey | Cato Institute: "Funding has dipped on a per-pupil basis, but largely because we have seen huge enrollment increases. And for roughly every dollar cut, schools have raised prices about two dollars."

Massad Ayoob » Blog Archive » AGAINST MONSTERS

Massad Ayoob » Blog Archive » AGAINST MONSTERS: "if we simply prepared teachers to handle this type of crisis the way we teach them to handle fires and medical emergencies, the death toll would drop dramatically.  We don’t hear of mass deaths of children in school fires these days: fire drills have long since been commonplace, led by trained school staff, not to mention sprinkler systems and smoke alarms and strategically placed fire extinguishers that can nip a blaze in the bud while firefighters are en route.  In the past, if someone “dropped dead,” people would cry and wring their hands and wail, “When will the ambulance get here?” Today, almost every responsible adult knows CPR; most schools have easily-operated Automatic Electronic Defibrillators readily accessible; and a heart attack victim’s chance of surviving until the paramedics arrive to take over is now far greater.

The same principle works for defending against mass murders"

"After the Ma’alot massacre in 1974, Israel instituted a policy in which volunteer school personnel, parents, and grandparents received special training from the civil guard, and were seeded throughout the schools armed with discreetly concealed 9mm semiautomatic pistols.  Since that time, there has been no successful mass murder at an Israeli school, and every attempt at such has been quickly shortstopped by the good guys’ gunfire, with minimal casualties among the innocent.  Similar programs are in place in Peru and the Phillippines, with similarly successful results."

Texas School District Will Let Teachers Carry Guns | Fox News

Texas School District Will Let Teachers Carry Guns | Fox News: "We have had employees assaulted before by people in the last several years,"

"The Texas superintendent linked gun-free zones with the uprising of school shootings in recent years.
"When you make schools gun-free zones, it's like inviting people to come in and take advantage,""

"the small community is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without protection. He said the district's lone campus sits 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target."

"In Utah, the law allows anyone with a permit to carry a gun in public schools and state institutions of higher education."

Misreading the Fiscal Cliff | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

Misreading the Fiscal Cliff | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In fact, the president's proposed tax hike doesn't even cover the $2.6 trillion in spending increases that he has called for over the next ten years."

"Great Britain hiked its top tax rate from 40 to 50 percent in 2010 as part of a deficit-reduction package. The tax hike was supposed to raise an additional £2.4 billion in 2010–11, but actually brought in £5 billion less than was expected without the rate rise (Britain cut tax rates again in the 2012 budget)."

"President Obama claims that his plan includes spending cuts — in fact, $3 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax hikes. But he hasn't actually offered any details beyond smoke and mirrors. The president's plan, for example, includes $1 trillion in spending cuts that were already agreed to as part of the 2011 debt-ceiling deal, a neat exercise in double-counting. He also includes savings from not fighting a war in Iraq or Afghanistan after 2014, money that was never going to be spent in the first place. And, finally, he includes $634 billion in savings from not having to pay interest on the phantom spending he's cut. More realistic estimates suggest that the president is actually proposing almost $3 in tax hikes for every $1 in spending cuts.

Even those spending cuts are not real cuts, in the sense of less money being spent, but simply reductions in the baseline rate of increase. And while the president's proposed tax hikes would go into effect immediately, the spending cuts are pushed off into the dim and distant future. In fact, according to recent reports, the president actually wants new stimulus spending in the short term, to be followed by spending cuts once the economy has bounced back."

"But once again, not only did the spending cuts fail to materialize, spending actually increased"

"the 2011 deal to increase the debt limit promised $1 trillion in spending cuts, even before the upcoming sequester. Instead, spending since then has increased by $132 billion"

Opinion: Deterring the nuclear option - Sen. Rand Paul - POLITICO.com

Opinion: Deterring the nuclear option - Sen. Rand Paul - POLITICO.com: "I want the Senate to consider a new rule stripping the majority leader of the power to prevent amendments to bills. This is a “filibuster reform” that all should support, because on the vast majority of bills, Sen. Reid forbids amendments. By forbidding amendments, he is essentially filibustering himself."

Speed camera gives ticket to stationary car | Technically Incorrect - CNET News

Speed camera gives ticket to stationary car | Technically Incorrect - CNET News: "one of those reviews involves an actual police officer who must swear that this car was going at least 12 mph over the limit.
Oh, and he or she must swear it "based on inspection of the recorded images.""

Numbers and wording can make so-so news sound so outrageous - Chicago Tribune

Numbers and wording can make so-so news sound so outrageous - Chicago Tribune: "With regard to income inequality, virtually all headlines and stories focus on gross income rather than income after taxes (on average, paid by the rich) and government transfers (on average, received by the poor). And they are not adjusted for the number of members of a household (there are more people in upper-income households), age and other variables. Raw comparisons — in every sense of the word."

Why Some Conservatives Oppose Vouchers | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary

Why Some Conservatives Oppose Vouchers | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Medical researchers go to a lot of trouble to test a new drug. They record exactly what they're administering, how often, and in what quantity. They solicit volunteers and randomly give the drug to some but not others. Thanks to decades of these randomized experiments, "House," "Doc Martin," and even your local GP have at least a clue as to what works and what doesn't.

As I've just argued elsewhere, most education policy advocacy is quackery by comparison."

"When we review natural experiments in education policy fromthe 5th century BC to the present, and in dozens of countries in the modern world, clear patterns emerge. It turns out that education is generally most effective, efficient, harmonious, and responsive to families when educators are freed from government regulations, families choose from among a variety of schools, schools vie with one another to attract and serve children, and parents pick up at least some of the cost directly themselves—in essence, a free education marketplace.

But the historical and international evidence also indicates that government funding of private schools tends to bring with it a pall of regulation that grows over time; and schools hamstrung with this red tape underperform those that give educators and families more freedom."

No Internet deal reached at United Nations summit | Politics and Law - CNET News

No Internet deal reached at United Nations summit | Politics and Law - CNET News: "an alliance of western democracies including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada today rejected a proposed treaty over concerns it hands repressive governments too much authority over the Internet.
"This conference was never meant to focus on Internet issues," said ambassador Terry Kramer, head of the U.S. delegation to the Dubai summit. "The Internet has given the world unimaginable economic and social benefit during these past 24 years -- all without U.N. regulation." "

"the House of Representatives unanimously approved a resolution last week aimed at sending a strong message to the ITU. It said, in part, that "the consistent and unequivocal policy of the United States [is] to promote a global Internet free from government control." "

Let's Hear It for Scandal! | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary

Let's Hear It for Scandal! | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The scandal-packed Watergate period ... helped spur reforms like the War Powers Resolution, the Privacy Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which, while imperfect, at least began to address the problem of unchecked executive power."

Liberal Leaders Flunk Math | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary

Liberal Leaders Flunk Math | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Most economists refer to themselves as Keynesian, monetarist, classical or Austrian — at least in part. None of these theories advocates increasing tax rates, particularly on labor and capital, during periods of economic stagnation, such as the United States is now experiencing."

"If you tax something you will get less of it, and if you subsidize something you will get more of it. If you increase the tax on labor and capital, you will get less — and economic growth requires more labor and capital, not less."

The Bottom Line on Sequestration | Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary

The Bottom Line on Sequestration | Christopher Preble | Cato Institute: Commentary: "But the cuts are modest: over the next decade, the federal government will spend about $44 trillion with sequestration, $45 trillion without."

"The Pentagon cuts currently under consideration are small relative to its gargantuan budget, and consistent with those of past post-war draw downs."

Right to Work in Michigan?! | Campaign for Liberty

Right to Work in Michigan?! | Campaign for Liberty: "Michigan Campaign for Liberty has led the charge for this bill"

Why is a liberty group trying to interfere with agreements between private individuals? If a company owner wants to require union membership for employees then why should the government prevent that?

Competing Currencies: Freedom from the Dollar Monopoly | Campaign for Liberty

Competing Currencies: Freedom from the Dollar Monopoly | Campaign for Liberty: "it is morally wrong to use inflation to fund the Government, because it disproportionately affects the poor and middle class, while the rich and powerful are largely exempt"

Throwing Promises Off The Cliff | Campaign for Liberty

Throwing Promises Off The Cliff | Campaign for Liberty: "Contrary to what many may believe, the pledge is not an oath to Norquist or to Americans For Tax Reform – it is a promise to the constituents of the lawmaker’s district. "

Ownership of the Product by Capitalists - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Daily

Ownership of the Product by Capitalists - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Daily: "The capitalists, therefore, made an essential contribution to production. They relieved the owners of the original factors from the necessity of sacrificing present goods and waiting for future goods. Instead, the capitalists have supplied present goods from their own savings (i.e., money with which to buy present goods) to the owners of the original factors. In return for this supply of present goods, the latter contribute their productive services to the capitalists, who become the owners of the product. More precisely, the capitalists become the owners of the capital structure, of the whole structure of capital goods as they are produced. "

Can We Become Americans Again? | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary

Can We Become Americans Again? | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: Commentary: "On Sept. 12, 2001, President George W. Bush assured us: "We will not allow this enemy to win the war by changing our way of life or restricting our freedoms."

The enemy has certainly tried, but it was President Bush, following the advice of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, who began the extensive attack on our individual liberties through the Patriot Act, which passed on Oct. 26, 2001.

Then, President Barack Obama went far beyond his predecessor's administration to become the most destructive uprooter of our Constitution in our nation's history."

"But never did I even imagine that an American president, without insuring due process in a court of law, would — as Obama does — use a kill list to target suspected terrorists for assassination. So far this list has also included three American citizens."

"throughout the long, fiercely divisive presidential and Congressional campaigns, there were hardly any references to Obama's persistent contempt for the Constitution. This was the case among loyal Obama Democrats, of course, but also among Republicans and independents."

Texas burglary suspect calls 911 on homeowner with gun | Fox News

Texas burglary suspect calls 911 on homeowner with gun | Fox News: "the suspect, later identified as 41-year-old Christopher Lance Moore, also called for help while sitting in his pickup truck.

"I'm out in the country somewhere and some guy's got a gun on me," he said on the call.

When deputies arrived they arrested Moore for burglary of habitation, a second-degree felony."

Four Easy Ways for Republicans to Attract Immigrant Voters | Jim Powell | Cato Institute: Commentary

Four Easy Ways for Republicans to Attract Immigrant Voters | Jim Powell | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Consider that in the decade between 1900 and 1909, a near record 8.2 million immigrants arrived at our shores. About the only immigrants denied entry into the United States were those believed to have a disease or a criminal record."

What happened "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"?

Why don't we freely open our doors to those looking for freedom?

Federal food law has some Oregon school cooks steaming | Fox News

Federal food law has some Oregon school cooks steaming | Fox News: "Cooks are spending more time on the paperwork that reports the nutritional content of their meals and less time at the stove.

The Eugene Register-Guard reports that at the McKenzie Elementary School in rural Lane County, the cook is offering fewer options in entrees and is probably going to use more heat-and-serve meals rather than those cooked from scratch."

Can you say "unintended consequences"?

Misdiagnosing the Stagnation | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary

Misdiagnosing the Stagnation | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "he is ignoring the fact that much, if not most, of government spending does not meet the test of the highest and best use for the money. It does not even meet a much lower standard of spending benefits exceeding their costs."

"There is an enormous body of empirical evidence from around the globe showing that a country or a state cannot tax itself to prosperity, but many continue to be deaf to these lessons."

"mortgage rates have been driven down to the point where a 15-year mortgage can be acquired for an interest rate almost identical to the rate of inflation. In other words, the money is, in effect, free to the borrower, who also gets to deduct the interest cost from his taxes.

On the other side of the equation, those who are responsible and save are receiving virtually nothing on their savings accounts, money market funds, etc. The 10-year government bond is now providing a return of only 1.6 percent, well under the rate of inflation. Artificially low interest rates for savers engineered by the Fed have the same destructive effect as a high tax rate on savings. Homebuyers are being subsidized at the expense of those whose savings ought to be more productively invested in new technologies and new jobs."

Obama's Soak-the-'Rich' Tax Hikes are Worse than the Fiscal Cliff | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute: Commentary

Obama's Soak-the-'Rich' Tax Hikes are Worse than the Fiscal Cliff | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The good fiscal cliff is the so-called sequester, which is the inside-the-beltway term for automatic spending cuts. These aren't really spending cuts, just reductions in the growth of spending. If the sequester takes place, total federal spending will climb by $2 trillion over the next 10 years instead of $2.1 trillion."

Cops to Congress: We need logs of Americans' text messages | Politics and Law - CNET News

Cops to Congress: We need logs of Americans' text messages | Politics and Law - CNET News: "State and local law enforcement want wireless providers to store detailed information about your SMS messages for at least two years -- in case they're needed for future criminal investigations."

"In one 2009 case in Michigan, wireless provider SkyTel turned over the contents of 626,638 SMS messages, a figure described by a federal judge as "staggering." "

"Some providers, like Verizon, retain the contents of SMS messages for a brief period of time, while others like T-Mobile do not store them at all."

"as of 2010, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint did not store the contents of text messages. Verizon did for up to five days, a change from its earlier no-logs-at-all position, and Virgin Mobile kept them for 90 days. The carriers generally kept metadata such as the phone numbers associated with the text for 90 days to 18 months; AT&T was an outlier, keeping it for as long as seven years, according to the chart."

The Privatization of Space - Timothy D. Terrell - Mises Daily

The Privatization of Space - Timothy D. Terrell - Mises Daily: "jobs are not the goal of the economy. We want the output from jobs, not the jobs themselves. This distinction is important, because any policy that subsidizes an industry in the effort to make sure that the industry hires workers is inevitably promoting a misallocation of those workers' skills. Superseding market prices for labor means that the other industries that had a more productive use for those workers (maybe in space flight, maybe not) must forego those workers. This reduces economic growth."