When you speak publicly, you’re representing the people who agree with you. The responsible thing to do is to take care that you fulfill this function well. For instance, it is certainly the case that one person’s right to speak… Continue Reading
Dave Schuler, as so often, hits the nail right on the head — even if we had universal health care, we’d still be paying an astronomical amount of money for health care because health care providers will not accept pay… Continue Reading
You turn into a skid. You put out a fire in your mouth by putting it deeper in your mouth. These things are counter-intuitive. But they work. On the other hand, you slow down when you’re speeding at a concrete… Continue Reading
Before you get all paranoid about the prospect of a global reserve currency, which is an idea recently proposed by China and seconded by Russia, take a step back and ask yourself this: what was the gold standard, if not… Continue Reading
In a surprising move today, Governor Schwarzenegger has announced that California’s budget crisis has been solved. There are three parts to this solution, which surprisingly enjoys strong bipartisan support, in part because it permits room to reduce the sales tax… Continue Reading
On the one hand, it’s pretty clear that there needs to be a profound shakeup at General Motors. Rick Waggoner has run the company into the ground — perhaps he was overtaken by forces much larger than the company, but… Continue Reading
Barack Obama not only says he’s against marijuana decriminalization, he dismisses the idea as unserious and unworthy of discussion. He is wrong and worse, his tone likely set the idea back years. Hope and change, people. Hope and change. Congressional… Continue Reading
First, some Constitutional vocabulary. A “bill of attainder” is a law that punishes specific individuals without benefit of trial. A “taking” is when the government takes something from you without “due process of law,” which usually means either giving you… Continue Reading
That’s right. You’ll see it on the news tomorrow. But you read it here first. Tomorrow, the Congressional Budget Office will forecast that the 2009-2010 federal budget will run at a staggering, unbelievable, mind-blowing, and scarcely comprehensible two trillion dollar… Continue Reading
Or so says President Obama. I seem to recall President Bush saying similar things about his FEMA director immediately after Katrina, his Secretary of Defense and other Iraq policy architects, and his Attorneys General. But the thing is, the shitstorm… Continue Reading