The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty: "Interestingly, the very reason the Yugo even became an item was a U.S. government move to keep small Japanese cars out of the United States. The Japanese automakers responded to this protectionism by making mid-sized luxury cars, which created a void for a small, inexpensive vehicle. The Yugo would (at least temporarily) fill that void thanks to the foresight of entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin."

Blame the Wheel | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty

Blame the Wheel | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty: "President Obama says automation accounts for high unemployment today. He really said that. And he said: “You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM, you don’t go to a bank teller, or you go to the airport and you’re using a kiosk instead of checking in at the gate.” So maybe when his administration finances “shovel-ready projects,” they should literally use shovels and not modern equipment. That would put a lot of people to work."

He better give up Air Force one, Marine One, limos, etc and use a chair carried by people. Give up internet and T.V. and pay messengers and heralds!

Taking Marriage Private - New York Times

Taking Marriage Private - New York Times: "For 16 centuries, Christianity also defined the validity of a marriage on the basis of a couple’s wishes. If two people claimed they had exchanged marital vows — even out alone by the haystack — the Catholic Church accepted that they were validly married."

"The American colonies officially required marriages to be registered, but until the mid-19th century, state supreme courts routinely ruled that public cohabitation was sufficient evidence of a valid marriage."

Privatize Marriage Now by Ryan McMaken

Privatize Marriage Now by Ryan McMaken: "Many people get 'married' in courthouses in totally non-religious ceremonies. Such marriage contracts are in essence no different from run-of-the-mill legal contracts. The fact that we call such unions 'marriage' doesn’t make them so. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, marriage is a religious matter. Some government judge can’t make you 'married' any more than can your hair dresser."

Truth about Trade Deficits and Jobs | Daniel Griswold | Cato Institute: Commentary

Truth about Trade Deficits and Jobs | Daniel Griswold | Cato Institute: Commentary: "A trade deficit doesn't mean those dollars flowing abroad just disappear. They quickly return to the United States. If they are not used to buy our goods and services to export, they are used to buy American assets — Treasury bills, corporate stock and bonds, real estate and bank deposits.

In this way, America's trade deficit is always and almost exactly offset by a foreign investment surplus. The net surplus of foreign investment into the U.S. each year keeps long-term interest rates down, prevents the crowding out of private investment by government borrowing and promotes job creation through direct investment in U.S. factories and businesses."

"Since 1980, real U.S. GDP has grown at an annualized rate of 3.6 percent during those periods of rising trade deficits, compared to a sluggish 1.0 percent during periods of shrinking deficits. So much for trade deficits being a drag on growth."

"Despite worries about the U.S. industrial base, manufacturing output during periods of expanding trade deficits rose a healthy 5.2 percent per year. During periods of declining (i.e. 'improving') trade deficits, manufacturing output contracted at an annualized rate of 2.0 percent."

"during periods of rising trade deficits, employment has grown at an annualized average of 1.4 percent, compared to zero growth on average during periods of declining deficits. The unemployment rate dropped by an average of 0.4 percentage points a year during periods of rising deficits, compared to a painful 1.0 point per year when the deficit was declining"

The Real Budget Problem | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

The Real Budget Problem | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In fact, the Congressional Budget Office predicts that as economic growth returns, federal tax revenues will grow by an average of 7.3 percent annually over the next ten years. By the end of the decade, taxes will have pushed back through the 18 percent level, and be headed toward 20 percent — all without any changes in tax policy."

"the real cost of government is the size of government. According to the CBO, the federal government is on track to consume 42 percent of GDP by 2050. (State and local governments will consume another 10 to 15 percent of GDP.)"

Targeting the World's Worst Religious Persecutors | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

Targeting the World's Worst Religious Persecutors | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Although there is great variety among persecuting states, two characteristics stand out: Islamic national or regional majorities and Communist or former Communist ideologies. Of the 25 nations singled out as the worst abusers by the Commission, 11 are majority Muslim and 10 are Communist/former Communist."

The Lying Double Standard | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary

The Lying Double Standard | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "Former Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine said last week that lying is 'unacceptable' and that Mr. Weiner should resign. If lying about sex is unacceptable, shouldn't it also be unacceptable to lie about government financial statements, what is actually permitted by the Constitution and what one is really doing in government? Congress should let it be known that it will not fund agencies whose senior officials lie about important matters until they are removed from office.

People can have real differences of opinion about the effects of any proposed policy without lying. I expect that the administration really believed its rosy unemployment forecast stemming from the stimulus bill — that was not a lie, but a mistake in judgment. But some things clearly are lies — misrepresenting facts on financial statements, attempting to redefine words to avoid complying with the Constitution and commonly understood ethical standards, and making false claims about what one is doing. The rules that the Securities and Exchange Commission imposes on business executives should be imposed equally on officials in government, where the stakes are much higher.

A few high-profile removals for lying about important issues would send a message to all the others that such behavior is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated."

Roles of American dads diverging this Father's Day - FoxNews.com

Roles of American dads diverging this Father's Day - FoxNews.com: "Nearly half of American dads under 45 this Father's Day say they have at least one kid who was born out of wedlock. And the share of fathers living apart from children is more than double what it was not so long ago.

In encouraging news, though, among married fathers, children are said to be getting more attention from both parents at home than ever before."

The Tragedy of Immigration Enforcement - Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. - Mises Daily

The Tragedy of Immigration Enforcement - Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. - Mises Daily: "They could face 80 years in prison. In the raid, 'Homeland Security' stole their computers, their accounting and employment records, and walked out the door"

"To lock anyone away for life is a shocking sentence, so surely the punishment must fit the crime. Psycho sniper murderers have gotten less. What they are alleged to have done is to hire people who don't have the proper bureaucratic forms filled out for them. That's all. Nothing more."

"The workers themselves are untouched by any of this. Their benefactors — and the benefactors of society — are the ones being targeted with police-state tactics."

"to the extent that many people object to illegal immigration, it has nothing to do with those who go to work and make an honest living doing things like working in restaurants. The problem with illegal immigration is related to other issues that drive people crazy, like going on welfare, engaging in actual (not pretend) crime, and demanding tax-funded support services."