We're Already Europe | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

We're Already Europe | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Under the best-case scenario, then, [adding the unfunded liabilities] amounts to more than 480 percent of GDP. And, under more realistic projections, we owe an astounding 911 percent of GDP.'

'counting both official debt and unfunded pension and health-care liabilities, the most indebted nation in Europe is Greece, which owes 875 percent of GDP. That’s right, the United States potentially owes more than Greece. France, the second most insolvent nation in Europe, owes just 549 percent of GDP. Even under the most optimistic scenario, we owe more than such fiscal basket cases as Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.'

'Ireland is the only country in Europe with a bigger government than the U.S.’s will be in 2050'

The Transition to Monetary Freedom - Ron Paul - Mises Daily

The Transition to Monetary Freedom - Ron Paul - Mises Daily: 'the Constitution forbids the states to make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debt, nor does it permit the federal government to make anything a legal tender.'

'[federal legal-tender laws], which have the effect of forcing creditors to accept something in payment for the debts due them that they do not wish to accept, are one of the most tyrannical devices of the present monetary authorities.'

Monopoly Dentistry - James E. Miller - Mises Daily

Monopoly Dentistry - James E. Miller - Mises Daily: 'To get a good idea of how state occupational licensing works, consider the following example. Imagine Bill runs a lemonade stand in the middle of a bustling city. Instead of facing competition from other street vendors and surrounding eateries and grocery stores, Bill had the foresight to lobby the local city council to outlaw all sellers of lemonade who don't at first obtain a license from the city. Due to his influence and close ties to select city council members, Bill fast tracked through the application process and was able to secure a license to sell lemonade before anyone else. Little competition stands in his way now. Bill is then able to keep his sale price above the established level of a real free market and reap profits as consumers are still willing to take the extra hit on their wallet for his delicious lemonade. Profits are up, times are good, and Mrs. Bill is happy. But now the city council is beginning to change its tune on lemonade licensing and is considering an increase in licensing allotments. The free ride is coming to an end, so Bill, worried the good life will soon be over, launches a countering lobbying effort on the basis that product quality will decrease if more licenses are given out.'

Ex-judge In Massachusetts Defends Forced Abortion Ruling | Fox News

Ex-judge In Massachusetts Defends Forced Abortion Ruling | Fox News: 'Harms, 58, who retired last month, defended her ruling in a letter she sent Monday to other Massachusetts family court judges, saying she believed the schizophrenic woman would have chosen to have an abortion if she had been mentally competent. The letter was first reported by The Boston Globe.

"I believed then, as I do now, that she would elect to abort the pregnancy to protect her own well-being," Harms said, according to the newspaper. "She would want to be healthy."

The 31-year-old woman, who suffered from delusions, had reportedly described herself as "very Catholic." The woman had expressed opposition to terminating her pregnancy, according to the newspaper, while her parents sought consent for the abortion.'

How the Bishops Undermined Individual Responsibility | Roger Pilon | Cato Institute: Commentary

How the Bishops Undermined Individual Responsibility | Roger Pilon | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'Turn anything over to government and the battle over conflicting values begins — the battle over “our national priorities.” With certain things — protecting our liberties from domestic and foreign threats, providing basic infrastructure and clean air and water — we pretty much all agree, if not at the edges at least in the main. But beyond those, we have vast disagreements about health care, education, retirement, and so much else that government dominates today, all at the expense of individual liberty and responsibility. The bishops are rightly concerned that Catholic employers are being forced to do what their religious beliefs prohibit. But that comes, necessarily, with the collective territory.'

Economic Fairness: President Obama's Most Cynical Tactic | Jim Powell | Cato Institute: Commentary

Economic Fairness: President Obama's Most Cynical Tactic | Jim Powell | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'In one campaign speech after another, he suggests that his soak-the-rich class warfare will stop “millionaires and billionaires” from grabbing more than their fair share of wealth. But the most likely outcome is that he will end up grabbing more than his fair share of power, and everybody else will be poorer.'

'progressives have endlessly attacked the private sector and suggested that there’s no limit to how much good politicians might do if only they had more power'

Santorum Is Severely Wrong | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary

Santorum Is Severely Wrong | Gene Healy | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'A recent Time magazine symposium asked leading thinkers on the Right, "What Is Conservatism?" Anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist offered this answer: "Conservatives ask only one thing of the government. They wish to be left alone."

'"This idea that people should be left alone, be able to do whatever they want to do," Santorum complained to NPR in 2006, "that we shouldn't get involved in the bedroom, we shouldn't get involved in cultural issues... that is not how traditional conservatives view the world."'

So which is correct?

Israeli Attack on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Easier Said than Done | David Isenberg | Cato Institute: Commentary

Israeli Attack on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Easier Said than Done | David Isenberg | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'It is believed that the Israeli missiles can reach Natanz. However, to travel that far the missiles will have a limited warhead weight, and it is doubtful that these warheads will be able to penetrate far enough underground to achieve the desired level of destruction.'

Isreal has a much more advanced military than North Korea but it only has limited capabilities at 1,000 miles.

A Debate about Contraception Or Religious Freedom? No, a Debate about Economic Choice | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

A Debate about Contraception Or Religious Freedom? No, a Debate about Economic Choice | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'This issue never had anything whatsoever to do with women’s health. There is nothing that prevents any woman who wants contraceptives from purchasing them. No one is threatening to take that right away, and no one should.

The debate does not even have anything to do with whether or not women can get insurance that covers contraceptives. Most insurance plans already do so, and when they don’t, women can purchase a rider that provides the additional coverage.

What this debate was really about is who pays for that coverage. And as much as some would like to obscure it, there is a difference between having the freedom to buy something for yourself and forcing someone else to pay for it.'

'From the beginning, the debate over health care reform has been about power and control. On one side, the Obama administration has sought to centralize control over health care in the federal government. The government decides whether a business must provide insurance or whether an individual must purchase it, and what type of insurance that must be. The government decides what treatments should be available. The government decides how much things should cost and who should pay for them.'

'As long as Obamacare puts the government in charge of our health care decisions, our choices will be dictated by politicians.'

Streetcar Claims Are Deceptive | Randal O'Toole | Cato Institute: Commentary

Streetcar Claims Are Deceptive | Randal O'Toole | Cato Institute: Commentary: 'There is a good reason why all but six of the more than 800 American cities that once had streetcars replaced them with buses: Streetcar infrastructure is expensive to build, expensive to maintain and must be rehabilitated at high cost about every 30 years.

The subsidies supporting streetcars are far greater, per rider or per passenger mile, than subsidies to buses.'