At the behest of Congress, the Department of Energy (DOE) has “invested” several years and considerable tax dollars in devising restrictions on the amount of electricity it takes to run virtually every household appliance. Alas, a regulator’s work is never done. Having assumed control over the energy we use to cook, clean, light, heat, and […]
Congress has yet to enact health care reform that will successfully reduce costs without threatening the quality of care patients receive. Obamacare attempted to achieve this by moving Medicare from a system that pays for the volume of services to one that pays for value. But in fact, the new health law will simply enable […]
The valor of the Navy SEALs has received much attention in the last few days – as it should. Today, on the anniversary of the first awarded Purple Hearts, we remember not only those who now serve, but all those who have already set this example of tenacity and bravery. The Purple Heart was instituted […]
The desire to achieve victory in any field of endeavor can become so intense that it deforms the character of the participants. That tendency has been on display in the past two weeks as a result of the intimidation offensive the Human Rights Campaign has waged against the law firm of King and Spalding and […]
Moscow recently announced its aspirations to have one of the five best militaries in the world. This ambitious plan will require that Russia replace 70 percent of its military materiel with modern military equipment by 2020. Such optimistic statements are not a rare occurrence, as the Kremlin has made similar statements on numerous occasions in […]
California is teetering on the edge of economic and social collapse. According to an Economist special report, this is largely the result of decisions to implement direct democracy reforms during the Progressive era, such as poplar recall, initiatives, propositions, and referenda — reforms that have “inflamed” the passions of the people — “James Madison’s worst […]
Several U.S. political leaders have recently reiterated their desire to punish countries that undervalue their currencies. News flash: Since June 7, 2010, the value of the U.S. dollar has fallen 17.3 percent. If the United States gives countries a green light to designate low currency rates as an unfair trade practice, which of these trading […]
Milk might do a body good, but if it’s unpasteurized milk sold by an Amish farmer across state lines, it’s a whole other story… or at least according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Washington Times reports: A yearlong sting operation, including aliases, a 5 a.m. surprise inspection and surreptitious purchases from an […]
Today marks the anniversary of the first ever Presidential Inaugural Address under the Constitution. Let’s look at five that stand out. April 30, 1789, George Washington’s First Inaugural: Neither the Constitution nor Congress required Washington to deliver an inaugural. But Washington set the bar high for his successors. The only president to be unanimously elected, […]
It sat on her desk for over a week, but yesterday Governor Jan Brewer (R–AZ) finally signed S.B. 1495 into law. The new law takes an important step and allows the governor to mobilize the Arizona State Defense Force (SDF) “for any reason” she sees fit. Arizona’s constitution has long allowed for the creation of […]
