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How Dictators Come to Power in a Democracy | Jim Powell | Cato Institute: "Why, then, did the highly educated Germans embrace a lunatic like Adolf Hitler? The short answer is that bad policies caused economic, military and political crises — chow time for tyrants. German circumstances changed for the worse, and when people become angry enough or desperate enough, sometimes they’ll support crazies who would never attract a crowd in normal circumstances."
"By itself, reparations would have been daunting, but Germany also had a financially stressed-out welfare state. Almost 90 percent of German government spending went for a big bureaucracy, social programs, money-losing nationalized businesses and other subsidies - a portfolio of obligations uncomfortably familiar to us. The German government subsidized municipalities, much as U.S. states are begging the federal government for bailouts now. Germany had a troubled government-run pension system like our Social Security. The German government provided health insurance for millions of people. There were German government programs for 1.5 million disabled veterans. The government lavished subsidies on the arts. There were government-run theaters and opera houses. Government-owned railroads lost money. The German government even operated factories producing margarine and sausages, which lost money."
"Politicians commonly demand arbitrary power to deal with a national emergency and restore order, even though underlying problems are commonly caused by bad government policies."
"A political system with a separation of powers and checks & balances — like the U.S. Constitution — does make it more difficult for one branch of government to dominate the others.
Ultimately, liberty can be protected only if people care enough to fight for it, because everywhere governments push for more power, and they never give it up willingly."
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Rand Paul's Foreign Policy Speech - Campaign for Liberty
Rand Paul's Foreign Policy Speech - Campaign for Liberty: "For Americans to grasp the mindset of Radical Islam we need to understand that they are still hopping mad about the massacre at Karbala several hundred years ago."
"Over 50% of Americans still believe Iraq attacked us on 9/11. Until we understand the world around us, until we understand at least a modicum of what animates our enemies, we cannot defend ourselves and we cannot contain our enemies."
"Perhaps, we might want to ask: will the Syrian rebels respect the rights of Christians, women, and other ethnic minorities?
In the 1980’s the war caucus in Congress armed bin Laden and the mujaheddin in their fight with the Soviet Union. In fact, it was the official position of the State Department to support radical jihad against the Soviets. We all know how well that worked out."
"The cold war ended because the engine of capitalism defeated the engine of socialism. Reagan aided and abetted this end not by “liberation” of captive people but by a combination of don’t mess with us language and diplomacy, not inconsistent with Kennan’s approach."
"If you enumerate your policy, if you telegraph to the Soviets that the Strategic Defense Initiative is a ploy to get the Soviets to the bargaining table, the ploy is then made impotent."
"Not one Democrat voted to support candidate Obama’s words and only ten Republican senators voted to support the notion that Congressional authority is needed to begin war."
"What would a foreign policy look like that tried to strike a balance? first, it would have less soldiers stationed overseas and less bases. Instead of large, limitless land wars in multiple theaters, we would target our enemy; strike with lethal force.
We would not presume that we build nations nor would we presume that we have the resources to build nations. Many of the countries formed after WWI are collections of tribal regions that have never been governed by a central government and may, in fact, be ungovernable.
When we must intervene with force, we should attempt to intervene in cooperation with the host government.
Intervention against the will of another nation such as Afghanistan or Libya would require Declaration of War by Congress. Such Constitutional obstacles purposefully make it more difficult to go to war. That was the Founders’ intention: To make war less likely."
"Over 50% of Americans still believe Iraq attacked us on 9/11. Until we understand the world around us, until we understand at least a modicum of what animates our enemies, we cannot defend ourselves and we cannot contain our enemies."
"Perhaps, we might want to ask: will the Syrian rebels respect the rights of Christians, women, and other ethnic minorities?
In the 1980’s the war caucus in Congress armed bin Laden and the mujaheddin in their fight with the Soviet Union. In fact, it was the official position of the State Department to support radical jihad against the Soviets. We all know how well that worked out."
"The cold war ended because the engine of capitalism defeated the engine of socialism. Reagan aided and abetted this end not by “liberation” of captive people but by a combination of don’t mess with us language and diplomacy, not inconsistent with Kennan’s approach."
"If you enumerate your policy, if you telegraph to the Soviets that the Strategic Defense Initiative is a ploy to get the Soviets to the bargaining table, the ploy is then made impotent."
"Not one Democrat voted to support candidate Obama’s words and only ten Republican senators voted to support the notion that Congressional authority is needed to begin war."
"What would a foreign policy look like that tried to strike a balance? first, it would have less soldiers stationed overseas and less bases. Instead of large, limitless land wars in multiple theaters, we would target our enemy; strike with lethal force.
We would not presume that we build nations nor would we presume that we have the resources to build nations. Many of the countries formed after WWI are collections of tribal regions that have never been governed by a central government and may, in fact, be ungovernable.
When we must intervene with force, we should attempt to intervene in cooperation with the host government.
Intervention against the will of another nation such as Afghanistan or Libya would require Declaration of War by Congress. Such Constitutional obstacles purposefully make it more difficult to go to war. That was the Founders’ intention: To make war less likely."
Tomatoes, Furniture, and Shrimp: Is Extortion the Main Purpose of the Antidumping Law? | Daniel J. Ikenson | Cato Institute
Tomatoes, Furniture, and Shrimp: Is Extortion the Main Purpose of the Antidumping Law? | Daniel J. Ikenson | Cato Institute: "Imagine your local supermarket operating on the same principles. Imagine ringing up your basket-full of groceries, paying $122.45, and then waiting a year to find out whether you get a rebate or have to issue a supplemental check. Gamblers might enjoy the thrill, but this kind of uncertainty is anathema to business. Most grocery shoppers would buy their groceries somewhere else, where the prices are final. "
"Every other major country that has an antidumping law has a “prospective” system, where under the duties assessed upon importation are final."
"U.S. producers of wooden bedroom furniture have been extorting cash from their Chinese competition in exchange for dropping pursuit of even higher antidumping duty rates at the Commerce Department.
The Journal reported that about $13 million was paid to a group of 20 U.S. furniture makers between 2006 through 2009, and that a much larger, but unspecified, amount of money went to pay the U.S. firms’ lawyers."
"Every other major country that has an antidumping law has a “prospective” system, where under the duties assessed upon importation are final."
"U.S. producers of wooden bedroom furniture have been extorting cash from their Chinese competition in exchange for dropping pursuit of even higher antidumping duty rates at the Commerce Department.
The Journal reported that about $13 million was paid to a group of 20 U.S. furniture makers between 2006 through 2009, and that a much larger, but unspecified, amount of money went to pay the U.S. firms’ lawyers."
The Unhappy, Big-Government Feeding 100th Birthday of America's Income Tax | Cato Institute
The Unhappy, Big-Government Feeding 100th Birthday of America's Income Tax | Cato Institute: "Yesteryear’s income tax advocates would not recognize their handiwork today. The tax code is mind-numbingly complex, as dedicated to manipulating individual behavior as to raising government funds. By raising nearly a trillion dollars annually it has become the chief fiscal engine of government growth. Today policymakers assume there is no program, no matter how ill-considered or ineffective, for which money is not available. Even the latest budget contretemps has had only a minor impact on Congress’ spending behavior."
"The first income tax ran from 1% to 7%, though few Americans earned enough to owe anything."
"Judges across the land proclaimed that the Constitution prohibited diminishing their salaries (and those of the president and state employees) through taxation. They emphasized the point by issuing court rulings in their own favor, excusing themselves from the tax."
"During World War II half of the population was subject to the tax. Today 70 percent of the population nominally is liable, though about 60 million (out of 144 million) returns result in no tax due."
"According to the Congressional Budget Office, the total share of income tax liabilities paid by the top one percent of households has risen from 17.4 percent in 1980 to 39.5 percent in 2007 (the CBO’s latest figures). The corresponding increase for all federal taxes, including payroll levies, is 14.2 percent to 28.1 percent.
The top five percent of the population paid 61.0 percent of all income taxes, up from 34.9 percent in 1980. The same group paid 44.3 percent of all taxes, an increase from 28.7 percent. The highest earning ten percent has gone from 47.6 percent to 72.7 percent of income tax collections. The share of all taxes paid by the latter has risen from 40.0 percent to 55.0 percent."
"Governments need revenue. But the income tax makes it far too easy for politicians to spend more. Moreover, the levy creates a direct disincentive to work and investment. Perhaps even worse, the system invites legislators to manipulate people’s behavior by creating a bizarrely complex system of special interest deductions and credits, which act as the equivalent of cash subsidies, only carefully disguised as obscure provisions in the impenetrable tax code."
"The first income tax ran from 1% to 7%, though few Americans earned enough to owe anything."
"Judges across the land proclaimed that the Constitution prohibited diminishing their salaries (and those of the president and state employees) through taxation. They emphasized the point by issuing court rulings in their own favor, excusing themselves from the tax."
"During World War II half of the population was subject to the tax. Today 70 percent of the population nominally is liable, though about 60 million (out of 144 million) returns result in no tax due."
"According to the Congressional Budget Office, the total share of income tax liabilities paid by the top one percent of households has risen from 17.4 percent in 1980 to 39.5 percent in 2007 (the CBO’s latest figures). The corresponding increase for all federal taxes, including payroll levies, is 14.2 percent to 28.1 percent.
The top five percent of the population paid 61.0 percent of all income taxes, up from 34.9 percent in 1980. The same group paid 44.3 percent of all taxes, an increase from 28.7 percent. The highest earning ten percent has gone from 47.6 percent to 72.7 percent of income tax collections. The share of all taxes paid by the latter has risen from 40.0 percent to 55.0 percent."
"Governments need revenue. But the income tax makes it far too easy for politicians to spend more. Moreover, the levy creates a direct disincentive to work and investment. Perhaps even worse, the system invites legislators to manipulate people’s behavior by creating a bizarrely complex system of special interest deductions and credits, which act as the equivalent of cash subsidies, only carefully disguised as obscure provisions in the impenetrable tax code."
Police: Frail Kansas City teen found handcuffed in parents' basement; said he was there months | Fox News
Police: Frail Kansas City teen found handcuffed in parents' basement; said he was there months | Fox News: "Another adult in the home told police that the teen was "locked downstairs because in December they let him upstairs and he ate almost an entire bowl of fruit at one time.""
So sad!!!
So sad!!!
Desperate Keynesians | Cato Institute
Desperate Keynesians | Cato Institute: "Mr. Krugman particularly complains that “harsh spending cuts” have not worked in Ireland or the United Kingdom. After their banking crisis, the Irish increased government spending as a percentage of GDP by almost 30 percent and now have cut that back so government spending is “only” about 16 percent higher than it was in the full employment days of 2007 — not exactly most people’s definition of austerity. The British, despite talking about cutting government spending, have yet to reduce it by even one full percentage point from 2011, and are still spending 11 percent more of their GDP on government than they were in 2007. Where is the “austerity,” Mr. Krugman?"
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