Are chemical weapons particularly heinous? - CSMonitor.com

Are chemical weapons particularly heinous? - CSMonitor.com: "a common but rarely examined assumption: That among the vast ranks of tools for man to kill man invented down the ages, chemical weapons are particularly heinous.

But is it true?"

"The alleged number of dead from the alleged chemical attack is about 350 people – less than 0.35 percent of the total number deaths in the Syrian war, which is now well over 100,000. In over two years of fighting children have been tortured to death, area fire weapons like mortars and rockets have rained down on crowded civilian neighborhoods (a war crime), suicide bombs from rebels have killed civilians and soldiers alike on the streets of Damascus (ditto), and both sides have executed captives with a liberal hand."

"It is hard to understand what moral good could be accomplished by a few cruise missiles lobbed at Syria by the Obama administration in retaliation for a presumed chemical weapons attack there at this point. The message would seem to be "Kill if you must, but kill by other means." "

The WMD Excuse, Again | Cato Institute

The WMD Excuse, Again | Cato Institute: "Video shared online shows graphic images of dozens of dead people, including women and a large number of young children, including babies in diapers, most of whom were said to have suffocated.” Note that suffocation is not a primary symptom of sarin (which causes convulsions and vomiting) or mustard (which causes blistering). Suffocation instead points to “a weaker agent in a confined space,” such as a toxic industrial chemical or chlorine, perhaps in schools or buses. The conspicuous absence of vomit on the floors or clothing makes sarin or any other nerve gas an extremely unlikely culprit."

"Contact with sarin-contaminated clothing or unwashed skin would have seriously threatened the health of medical personnel. Photos and films from opposition activists, however, show the injured and dead wearing presumably contaminated street clothing and being treated by people without gloves, protective clothing, or gas masks. That would be foolhardy, if not suicidal — which makes the scenes suspect."

Sheldon Richman: Delete the Fed - Campaign for Liberty

Sheldon Richman: Delete the Fed - Campaign for Liberty: "we find the following: (1) The Fed’s full history (1914 to present) has been characterized by more rather than fewer symptoms of monetary and macroeconomic instability than the decades leading to the Fed’s establishment. (2) While the Fed’s performance has undoubtedly improved since World War II, even its postwar performance has not clearly surpassed that of its undoubtedly flawed predecessor, the National Banking system, before World War I."

"On inflation: “Far from achieving long-run price stability, [the Fed] has allowed the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar, which was hardly different on the eve of the Fed‘s creation from what it had been at the time of the dollar’s establishment as the official U.S. monetary unit, to fall dramatically” — by 95 percent."

Deputy's gun goes off at Deerfield Township Sheriff's Offices | Warren County - WLWT Home

Deputy's gun goes off at Deerfield Township Sheriff's Offices | Warren County - WLWT Home: "Investigators said the deputy was alone at the office Monday morning and cleaning his gun when it went off"

It doesn't sound like the gun should be blamed...

Police History: Was U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves the real Lone Ranger?

Police History: Was U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves the real Lone Ranger?: "The first black lawman west of the Mississippi, Reeves cut a striking figure on his large gray (almost white) horse, while wearing his trademark black hat and twin .45 Colt Peacemakers cross-draw style.

He gave out silver dollars as a calling card.

The “Indomitable Marshal”
Reeves became famous among criminals for his skills and relentless pursuit. Although shot at many times, he remained untouched by a single bullet, and because of this he was called “The Indomitable Marshal,” so tough he could “spit on a brick and bust it.”"

Middle of the Road in Healthcare Leads to Socialism - Campaign for Liberty

Middle of the Road in Healthcare Leads to Socialism - Campaign for Liberty: "Contrary to the claims of some of its opponents, Obamacare is not socialized medicine. It is corporatized medicine. After all, the central feature of Obamacare is the mandate that all Americans buy health insurance from private health insurance companies. And, as with previous government interventions in the marketplace, Obamacare is not only failing to correct the problems caused by prior federal laws, it is creating new problems."

"I fully expect the implosion of Obamacare to continue, and the supporters of nationalized health care to use Obamacare’s failures to push for a Canadian-style “single payer” health care system. Unfortunately, some Obamacare opponents fail to see that the problem is not just Obamacare, but all government interference with health care. These Obamacare opponents advocate replacing Obamacare with “Obamacare lite.” But economic law teaches us that “Obamacare lite” will be no more successful than Obamacare."

Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy | Video on TED.com

Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy | Video on TED.com: "Dave Meslin talks about how societies are falling apart because people are failing to act and participate in community activities. This is because of many reasons, such as the fact that communities are not clear enough in what they really want you to do"

Saving Consumers from Lower Prices | Cato Institute

Saving Consumers from Lower Prices | Cato Institute: "Why does the Obama administration claim it wants you to pay less for your airline ticket, but more for the shrimp you buy?"

"When I took my first course in antitrust economics, the concern at the time was that GM would monopolize the automobile market, that IBM would monopolize the computer market, and that U.S. Steel would monopolize the steel industry. The antitrust whizzes at Justice missed the possibility that Japanese, South Korean and many other automobile producers would grab a major share of both the U.S. and global markets, and that GM would end up in bankruptcy with a government bailout. After decades of trying to break up IBM, even the folks at Justice finally realized that because of the rapidity of technological change, no computer company was likely to remain on top for very long. Many millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted because too many in government had a static view of the world. Finally, U.S. Steel has been losing money and market share for years."

"Many Americans eat shrimp, but very few Americans catch shrimp, so the Obama administration would prefer that most consumers have their real incomes reduced by higher shrimp prices in order to benefit a relatively few producers. If you want to buy American shrimp and pay more, it should be your choice."

North Korea's Latest American Hostage | Cato Institute

North Korea's Latest American Hostage | Cato Institute: " the more the U.S. invests in releasing prisoners in foreign lands, the more valuable they will come to be seen — thus creating a greater incentive to grab Americans in the future."

The Man Who Was Treated for $17,000 Less | Cato Institute

The Man Who Was Treated for $17,000 Less | Cato Institute: "The insurance policy, the clerk said, would pay up to $2,500 for the surgeon—more than enough—and up to $2,500 for the hospital’s charges for the operating room, nursing, recovery room, etc. The estimated hospital charge was $23,000. She asked him to pay roughly $20,000 upfront to cover the estimated balance."

"We contacted a different hospital and they quoted him a reasonable upfront cash price for the outpatient surgical/nursing services. He underwent his operation the very next day, with a total bill of just a little over $3,000, including doctor and hospital fees. He ended up saving $17,000 by not using insurance"

Cash price was 88% cheaper than the normal price!