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. :-/