The No-Tax-Hike Pledge Is an IQ Test for Republicans | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute

The No-Tax-Hike Pledge Is an IQ Test for Republicans | Daniel J. Mitchell | Cato Institute: "taxation — one of the fundamental responsibilities of government"

Taxation is a responsibility?!?!?!? Silly me -- I always thought it was considered a "necessary evil" to accomplish the real responsibilities of government (like protecting people).

Thinking Big on Trade Policy | Cato Institute

Thinking Big on Trade Policy | Cato Institute: "Negotiating trade agreements with certain countries, but not others, is not really “free” trade. Rather, it is “preferential” or “discriminatory” trade."

"one of the biggest complaints our trading partners have relates to subsidies to U.S. agricultural producers"

An Age of Illusionists | Steve H. Hanke | Cato Institute

An Age of Illusionists | Steve H. Hanke | Cato Institute: "For purposes of evaluating federal projects, the OMB requires that an excess burden of 20% be employed. A wide range of scholarly research indicates that the average excess burden of the federal tax system is actually closer to 35%. Accordingly, the real economic cost of a dollar’s worth of federal spending is $1.35, not $1.00."

Plea from Chinese labor camp found in Halloween decorations | Fox News

Plea from Chinese labor camp found in Halloween decorations | Fox News: "found the letter tucked in between two Stryofoam headstones when she opened it in October, The Oregonian reports.

“If you occasionally buy this product, please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization,” the unsigned letter read. “Thousands people here who are under the persicution [sic] of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever.""

Iowa high court says bosses can fire workers who they consider an 'irresistible attraction' | Fox News

Iowa high court says bosses can fire workers who they consider an 'irresistible attraction' | Fox News: "The Iowa Supreme Court says a dentist did not commit gender discrimination when he fired an attractive female assistant he viewed as a threat to his marriage."

Massad Ayoob » Blog Archive » UNDERSTANDING BOTH SIDES

Massad Ayoob » Blog Archive » UNDERSTANDING BOTH SIDES: "he appointed to lead a supposedly impartial fact-finding commission none other than long-time gun ban advocate Joe Biden, which is rather like appointing the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church as chair of a committee to study gay rights."

"The general consensus of cops and criminologists is that a decade of the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban proved absolutely meaningless as a “crime-stopper.” That law was in full sway when the Columbine High School massacre was perpetrated."

"in 2010 more murders were documentably committed by bare hands and stompings (745) than with rifles (358) of all types"

A Call to Duty | USConcealedCarry.com - USConcealedCarry.com

A Call to Duty | USConcealedCarry.com - USConcealedCarry.com: "We are clearly in an improved state of readiness since Columbine, but every mass murder committed since then has proven that just responding to the shootings has not been enough.  In the vast majority of these cases, it is all over by the time we get there."

"This is the first mass murderer to overcome a target-hardened school, and we knew that it wouldn’t be hard in a teacher-controlled setting."

"instead of volunteering to coach school teams, we should be volunteering to guard school teams"

Libertarians and Right to Work Laws | Cato @ Liberty

Libertarians and Right to Work Laws | Cato @ Liberty: "Rather than prohibiting voluntary union-shop agreements between employers and unions, a state legislature could pass a bill simply declaring that the NLRB had no jurisdiction in that state."

"federal labor law gives unions the power to negotiate for the whole labor force in a plant or a firm. That’s monopoly."

Man with board labeled 'high-powered rifle' arrested at Sandy Hook Elementary in Virginia | Fox News

Man with board labeled 'high-powered rifle' arrested at Sandy Hook Elementary in Virginia | Fox News: "Christopher Gerrit Johnson, 33, walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Strasburg with the board Wednesday afternoon in an apparent attempt to make a statement about school safety."

Marine vet of Iraq war takes up self-imposed duty at Calif. school in wake of Conn. shooting | Fox News

Marine vet of Iraq war takes up self-imposed duty at Calif. school in wake of Conn. shooting | Fox News: "A Marine veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan took up self-imposed duty in front of a central California elementary school in the wake of the Connecticut shooting.

Hughson Elementary School Principal Laura Fong said Sgt. Craig Pusley stood all day Wednesday in fatigues in front of the flag pole at the school just southeast of Modesto. He was not armed."