Archives 3

"The global HIV industry is too big and out of control. We have created a monster with too many vested interests and reputations at stake, ... too many relatively well paid HIV staff in affected countries, and too many rock stars with AIDS support as a fashion accessory," he wrote in the British Medical Journal in May.

In a 2006 report, Rwandan officials noted a "gross misallocation of resources" in health: $47 million went to HIV, $18 million went to malaria, the country's biggest killer, and $1 million went to childhood illnesses.

This story is of interest because it offers an inside look of how politics, at least in Illinois, works:

* Also on October 6, Blagojevich told Individual A that he expected Highway Contractor 1 to raise $500,000 in contributions and that he was willing to commit additional state money to a Tollway project – beyond $1.8 billion that Blagojevich announced on October15 – but was waiting to see how much money the contractor raised for Friends of Blagojevich; and

* On October 8, Blagojevich told Individual A that he wanted to obtain a $50,000 contribution from Hospital Executive 1, the chief executive officer of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, which had recently received a commitment of $8 million in state funds. When the contribution was not forthcoming, Blagojevich discussed with Deputy Governor A the feasibility of rescinding the funding.

Intercepted calls allegedly show that Blagojevich directed Harris to inform Tribune Owner and an associate, identified as Tribune Financial Advisor, that state financial assistance would be withheld unless members of the Chicago Tribune's editorial board were fired, primarily because Blagojevich viewed them as driving discussion of his possible impeachment.

The above bullets support the belief that government should be limited, because the power that government derives can easily be used by those who control it for political gain.

The shortage is the result of the collapse of Agriprocessors Inc., formerly the largest kosher meatpacking company in the nation. In May, nearly 400 workers were arrested in an immigration raid at the company's Postville, Iowa, slaughterhouse.

Since then, the company has struggled, and the plant has closed. It stopped shipping beef about three weeks ago and chicken in the last week, customers said. Since there are only a handful of processors nationwide who slaughter animals according to Jewish law and under the supervision of rabbis, the shutdown has cut the kosher meat supply to the bone.

You are needed in this tumultuous time. There is suffering, tragedy, and despair all around you, but you must see past it all. When you do, you will realize that we are winning.

Do not think that there is not enough time, that there simply aren't enough of us, or that "they" are just too powerful. This is all rubbish. The rulers control the banking system, but their "money" is printed on cotton and created out of thin air; it means nothing. They control the media, but once you have learned the truth, you become immune to falsehoods, distortions, and propaganda. There really is no going back to a life of ignorance. Every bit of information you have assimilated has changed you forever.

You know the path is difficult and fraught with danger. You should never underestimate the power of the Dark Side, especially in times like these. The practitioners of black magic are working tirelessly to push you toward fear, hatred, jealousy, anger, aggression and any emotion that brings you into lower states of being, away from the love of the universe. Be not attached to the material world around you, as it all falls to dust in the end. If you desire nothing and love all, then you cannot be corrupted by the Dark Side.

There is no reason to be afraid. The "powerful" people of this world have no power over you. You are a sovereign being shining brightly, illuminating the darkness that tries to creep in around you. "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." You cede your power to others when you fear death, which drives all other fears. However, it is completely illogical and counterintuitive as death is the only certainty there is in life. "Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not."

Part of your power is your infectiousness. Every word you utter and every action you take affects the world around you. Even though there are many closed minds, there are still many open souls receptive to the waves of truth that emanate forth from your very presence. You can never be fully conscious of the full impact of the light you absorb, transform, and create, but you should know that your ripples extend in all directions into the waters of time further than you can possibly imagine.

Please understand that you are the only you. There has never been, and will never be, another you. The entire world and all that you consider "reality" exists within you just as you exist within the world. You are connected with everything that exists and are one in the same. Your power and extent are limited only by your ego. Take from this what you will, but take only what you need.

Amazingly, there are others like you. Although it might seem like it sometimes, you are not alone in this world. There are currently more enlightened, spiritually evolved people on this planet than there have been for quite some time, if ever. And the numbers are continuously increasing despite the rampant materialism and consumerism of our culture, the poisoning of our food and water, and an educational system and media that discourage real critical thinking. It is also hard to see the reality because the awakened ones are spread out across the globe in a thin layer. This distribution is in direct opposition to the centralization of power that is occurring with the Dark Side of the Force. So whenever you start feel pessimistic, realize that you have allies all over, the most powerful of which is the Force itself.

You know there is hope. But this hope lies not within any man, group, or ideology. It lies within you. This is the turning of the tide and humanity needs you. "Always in motion is the future." Go and create your reality.

I apologize for the disruptions in postings, my main computer has crashed and thus it took some technical doing to transfer everything to a laptop. Also, a busy interview schedule has played a role. :)

Speaking of interviews, I did want to add to the record a brief analysis of a recurring observation.

At nearly all the hospitals and large medical centers across the country at which I have interviewed, I have noticed large sections, if not the whole buildings, have been named after area industries and the leaders of those industries.

In Michigan, Henry Ford Hospital is a massive hospital in downtown Detroit with associated affiliated spread throughout the area. In Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, North Carolina, the JR Reynolds name is liberally plaqued throughout hospital wings. In Christiana Care Medical Center in Delaware, the DuPont name sits atop a few buildings and the AI DuPont children's hospital bears its name. These are just a few examples, but it raises the question of how all this money was donated/transfered from such diverse industries (automobile, tobacco, and chemical) to their respective healthcare communities.

Was this money tax money? Did government take this money and invest it in healthcare? No, this money was given voluntarily; it was donated from the private fortunes of the founders of these industries or from the corporations themselves. It was spent locally, where we might assume the donators were able to supervise the money in order that it be spent in accordance with their wishes in an efficient and practical way.

This pattern is reflective of the innate goodness in people, the idea that people are naturally good and caring, that wealth creators give back to their communities voluntarily. In my opinion, it adds credence to the libertarian philosophy. After all, if government had taxed these wealth creators even less, regulated their industries less, and accordingly spent less on public 'services', surely the charitable and community investments of the wealth creators would have been even greater.

Now, as regulators commit far more money while refusing to disclose loan recipients or reveal the collateral they are taking in return, some Congress members are calling for the Fed to be reined in.

There are plenty of negatives regarding this bailout without this surprising, or should it be surprising?, disclosure that taxpayers won't even know who we are funding and how much institutions are getting. The main negative, in my mind, is that the banking industry will effectively cease to function as a viable and efficient sector of the economy. Government subjective bailouts will destroy competition amongst banking business models, reward risky and suboptimal loaning patterns (also encouraged by government regulations), and excessive executive bonuses, and punish the prudent banks, who would otherwise survive and buy up and improve the assets of the bankrupt banks at reduced price. 'Creative destruction' would seem a worthwhile alternative.

Then, of course, there is always the sheer cost. Given the great debate and fallout, much of it negative, over the recent $700 billion 'stimulus bill' passed by our elected officials, we now learn that the government, the unelected fed, has spent over 10 times that amount without any public debate at all. This kind of spending, in addition to the health and retirement spending and guarantees already in place, is simply not sustainable and, if continued, will eventually bankrupt the country. With every industry now clamoring for bailouts, and especially the big spending high taxing cities and states like New York, the last domino to fall will be the Federal Government, which will only be able to bail itself out by printing money.

Paulson told the House Financial Services Committee Nov. 18 that the $250 billion already allocated to banks through the TARP is an investment, not an expenditure“. I think it would be extraordinarily unusual if the government did not get that money back and more,” Paulson said.

If such an outcome was really ensured wouldn't the private market ante up the same loan for a tidy profit?

The money that’s been pledged is equivalent to $24,000 for every man, woman and child in the country. It’s nine times what the U.S. has spent so far on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Congressional Budget Office figures. It could pay off more than half the country’s mortgages.

So, it would appear there is a great deal of overhead somewhere. This reminds me of a Katrina story, aspects of which were previously posted:

Perhaps all this money should’ve been directly deposited in the bank accounts of the 300,000 people living in New Orleans. All divvied up, that $127 billion would come to $425,000 per person! After thanking Uncle Sam for their sudden windfall, residents could head to Southern California and buy homes that are now on sale thanks to the sub-prime mortgage crisis and bid up the sagging house prices in the state.

So why does government spend so much on these crises? Why do they not just give the enormous amounts of money spent strait to the affected people as a stimulus check? One possible reason is that it is simply too easy of a solution. Why do we need the 'qualified' folks at the Fed or FEMA if the people themselves could more efficiently spend the money being spent on their behalf? There is, perhaps, a sort of subconscious arrogance on behalf of officials in government fueling a belief that their tailored spending designs generate the most common good. After all, this is the explicit purpose of their positions and the accumulation of years of experience and training. This is reflective more of human nature than any sort of malevolent process, no different from the surgeon who over-operates or the doctor who over-prescribes. The doctors see a patient who is ailing and they want to help, they want to have confidence in their abilities, confidence in modern medicine, and confidence in their years of training. So, in a sense, harm which is occasionally caused patients due to over-medical management stems from a combination of misplaced over-empathy and aggressive self esteem. There is no reason to suspect government officials are immune from the same malady.

Another consideration, more insidious, is the benefit government accrues from such massive accumulation of power. $7.7 trillion is such an egregious sum, the potential for corruption in the fight for these dollars will be unprecedented and thus the quo quid quo benefits for politicians and unelected officials will be equally enticing.

In fact, the worst aspect of these bailouts may be the immorality injected into society and economy by the aforementioned corruption, perceived or otherwise, and the subjective nature by which the banking and financial industry are maligned. Imagine if you are the CEO of a successful baking or investment firm. You have spent your whole life invested in the growth and success of your company and then to see rivals receive billions of dollars in free government money? Would this not take the passion, the work ethic, out of your job, shaking your very spirit? Would these frustrations at such unfairness percolate through the ranks and home into the families.

This damage that government unleashes on the psyche, the zeitgeist, of the American people, is proportionate to the degree of involvement in the economy and something which cannot be assigned an quantitative monetary value.

The city's latest move to close the budget gap is annoying New Yorkers to no end. Soon, you may not be able to avoid the police no matter what you do. Approximately 100 of the agents will be in Manhattan; the other 100 will be spread out across the other boroughs.

'Revenue raising' again appears to trump 'public safety', the ostensible true purpose of a police force.

One the surface, these appear to be pretty dramatic findings which could lead to large increases in Statin prescription and CRP (C-Reactive Protein) blood tests.

To look at the positives, the fact that the son of a Kenyan goat herder and a member of a minority population can become President of the United States is positive, in a sense. As Calvin Coolidge said:

The government of the United States is a device for maintaining in perpetuity the rights of the people, with the ultimate extinction of all privileged classes.

In Europe people are drawn to class, lineage, and family and their paths are largely set from birth, in America people are drawn to power and success, and background matters not at all and the future is what an individual makes of it.

If only Obama was ideologically more of a Reagan than an FDR... Then we would have real reason to celebrate.

But today there is a categorical difference between what Republicans stand for and the principles of individual freedom.

If only more Republicans had stood firm when their own leadership pushed policies that violated their principles, the party might be enjoying its eighth consecutive electoral victory instead of its second consecutive shellacking.

After reading my friend Vin's piece here in LVRJ I thought the unthinkable would happen; I had reached a mental tipping point; I was scared enough of Obama to actually consider voting for McCain. I would vote for big government over biggest government. I wrestled with this all day today and even as I went into the poll booth. As I stood facing the screen I was absolutely certain about all my votes, except that for President. I clicked the McCain/Palin button, then unclicked it. I clicked on Bob Barr/ Wayne Root, then unclicked it. McCain/Palin just didn't look right. It didn't feel right. Heck, if I could have tasted it, it darn sure wouldn't have tasted right. Even when I tried to think about Obama and his big government healthcare plans, taxing the small business owners, the job and wealth creators, his recent utterance to the effect that 'Exxon-mobile's record profit was 'taking your money'', even when I tried to think about Sarah Palin, the truly conservative stances she had taken on some (although not all) issues. I clicked Barr/Root and didn't unclick.

I think what it was, because this is the thought that jumped in my mind throughout the day and even while in the voting booth, was the fact that McCain had allowed every other Republican candidate a speaking slot at the Republican convention except Ron Paul. This brazen snub was what did it in, not even a passing recognition of the hours spent on Ron Paul's campaign, the flyers, the handouts, the three story signs, the campaigning in front of Hillary rallies and gun shows (not at the same time of course :)), nor the good Paul's campaign did to advance liberty in this country.

Another thing, and most importantly, I realized that voting is really about oneself. Regardless of what we like to believe about our humanitarian efforts for country and ideals, voting is ultimately a selfish act, of sorts. We vote based on what will ease our own consciences, we vote to be right, we vote for winners, we vote for our friends and family, we vote for what we want to write about on our blogs and brag about to our social circles. We vote because we like the excitement of emotional involvement in a cause. We worry and fret and generate anxiety over our vote, some of us anyway. And the effect of our vote on ourselves, how it permeates and percolates within our own psych, is of much greater importance than our effect on election outcome.

However, as Winston Churchill might have said, as imperfect a process as it is, it is surely better than any alternative. Somehow a collective group of citizens mismashes and stumbles into the booths and through a skewed 'wisdom of the crowds' process we determine our representatives in a truly wonderful way, allowing us to 'throw the bums out', providing for the dissolution of the permanence of power, consolidation and perpetuation of which have plagued human societies for thousands of years.

My final excuse for voting for Bob Barr and Wayne Root, is one of retrospective discovery, and, strangely, the most satisfying argument I can provide at present. I leave for New Hampshire tomorrow, libertarian bastion and home of the free state project. Live Free or Die!

I just returned from a month in Detroit Michigan. Apologies that I was unable to keep this site operational from there. I was there exploring various residency programs, very excellent programs actually.

However, while there, I was struck by a number of observations, observations made possible by being an acute political observer :), and coming from the state (Nevada) which has been the fastest growing states in the United States for the past 10 years, over taken just this year by Arizona. Nevada grew by 3.5% last year. Michigan, on the other hand, has been hemorrhaging people, Detroit in particular has lost half of it's population in the past 30 years. It is said that 80% of people in Michigan were born in Michigan, and although my sampling might be skewed, I thought I saw fewer young people than normal in my traveling around the city and state.

In Detroit, I was stuck by a sight I will never forget, huge 20 story building stretching for blocks, with every window broken. Gazing around a stoplight surrounded by abandon buildings, with broken windows, covered in graffiti.

What is the difference between Michigan and Nevada? Why do people flock to one state and abandon another? The answers, from my perspective, are entirely political and apparent from my time spent in the state.

The first thing I noticed was that there are no Wal-Marts in Detroit. The second thing I noticed, and I am not the first one to notice such things, was that there were not many chains of any kind in Detroit. Here in Nevada you can find any national chain on every other street corner, Wal-Mart, Target, Office Max, Office Depot, Staples, and every sort of restaurant chain, all locked in intense competition. Detroit, at least the parts not abandon, do have a bunch of local stores, for example, Meijers, is a food retailer based in Michigan, and numerous other 'mom and pop' stories sprinkled the city.

Do the people of Michigan prefer these local stores to the national chains? Is there simply not a market for these chains in Detroit? Or, has the government of Detroit and the state of Michigan prevented the market from working, employing protectionist policies, to protect local industry? Surely the latter is the case, resulting in higher prices, sub par services, in effect, another 'tax' on the already over taxed people of Michigan.

We can also be assured that Michigan has higher taxes in other areas, franchise, exercise, inheritance, gift, and less favorable property taxes as well as numerous fees and more onerous regulations.

What does the government of Michigan do with all their extra loot? Well, I can tell you I have never heard so many 'public announcements' on both TV and radio as I have heard in Michigan. A plethora of public agencies were constantly advertising themselves and offering 'job training', 'obesity awareness' and other 'public safety messages'.

They also surely spend it on welfare, as evidenced by the extensive public housing projects and 'ghettos' of Detroit. In other words, they create poverty, preventing people from escaping poverty. Thus, Detroit has one of the largest inequality gaps, with large divides between the haves and havenots. This phenomena holds true in other large liberal cities, such as Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, cities which are also hemorrhaging people.

This extra tax money is also spent on healthcare, through public entities such as University of Michigan, Michigan State, and the Michigan Department of Community Health, and others. Although private hospitals exist in Michigan, from what I saw, state healthcare centers and publicly owned hospitals dominated. For example, in the city of Wyandotte, the largest employer is Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, a public hospital. In contrast in Nevada all the hospitals are private with the exception of UMC, which is operated by the county.

The teachers Unions were also on strike while I was in Detroit, reflective of the strong unions presence and sorry state of Detroit education. In fact, readers may recall this previously posted story:

Speaking of unions, I found it common to hear Michigan's economic woes dismissed as 'trouble in the auto industry', as if there had not been trouble in the auto industry, Detroit would not be hemorrhaging citizens and suffering some of the highest unemployment in the nation. Firstly, I think that if liberating economic policies had been in place the state would be growing in other areas, offsetting the trouble US automakers have had. Secondly, liberating economic policies would surely help the US automakers, for example, limiting their corporate taxes and those of their supplies. Finally, as previously documented on this site, the powerful unions in Michigan are primarily to blame for the automakers declines; in effect they killed the goose that laid the golden egg.

The last question is the toughest. Are the people of Michigan getting their just desserts? After all, they have elected people who pursue the same policies so harmful to the state. For example, the people of Detroit have repeatedly elected disgraced Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Obama stickers and yard signs were prominent throughout the city. Indeed, surely the people of Michigan do deserve some blame, and sadly, many of those who think differently have left for greener pastures.

But what was done can be undone, and Michigan can still save itself and return to its former glory. So too, other states can learn lessons from Detroit's mistakes and even more importantly, we can avoid these same pitfalls as a nation at the national level.

"This is not about a bailout," the Ford chief executive told AFP in an interview at the Paris auto show.

$25 billion in taxpayer money to private companies is not a bailout? Perhaps so, maybe 'theft' would be a better term...

6/2002 Remarks by the President on Homeownership Department of Housing and Urban Development Washington, D.C.

We are here in Washington, D.C. to address problems. So I've set this goal for the country. We want 5.5 million more homeowners by 2010 -- million more minority homeowners by 2010. (Applause.) Five-and-a-half million families by 2010 will own a home. That is our goal. It is a realistic goal. But it's going to mean we're going to have to work hard to achieve the goal, all of us. And by all of us, I mean not only the federal government, but the private sector, as well.

I'm going to do my part by setting the goal, by reminding people of the goal, by heralding the goal, and by calling people into action, both the federal level, state level, local level, and in the private sector. (Applause.)

And so what are the barriers that we can deal with here in Washington? Well, probably the single barrier to first-time homeownership is high down payments. People take a look at the down payment, they say that's too high, I'm not buying. They may have the desire to buy, but they don't have the wherewithal to handle the down payment. We can deal with that. And so I've asked Congress to fully fund an American Dream down payment fund which will help a low-income family to qualify to buy, to buy. (Applause.)

We believe when this fund is fully funded and properly administered, which it will be under the Bush administration, that over 40,000 families a year -- 40,000 families a year -- will be able to realize the dream we want them to be able to realize, and that's owning their own home. (Applause.)

The second barrier to ownership is the lack of affordable housing. There are neighborhoods in America where you just can't find a house that's affordable to purchase, and we need to deal with that problem. The best way to do so, I think, is to set up a single family affordable housing tax credit to the tune of $2.4 billion over the next five years to encourage affordable single family housing in inner-city America. (Applause.)

The third problem is the fact that the rules are too complex. People get discouraged by the fine print on the contracts. They take a look and say, well, I'm not so sure I want to sign this. There's too many words. (Laughter.) There's too many pitfalls. So one of the things that the Secretary is going to do is he's going to simplify the closing documents and all the documents that have to deal with homeownership.

And it seems like to us that it makes sense to have a outreach program, an education program that explains the whys and wherefores of buying a house, to make it easier for people to not only understand the legal implications and ramifications, but to make it easier to understand how to get a good loan.

Finally, we want to make sure the Section 8 homeownership program is fully implemented. This is a program that provides vouchers for first-time home buyers which they can use for down payments and/or mortgage payments. (Applause.)

And so, therefore, I've called -- yesterday, I called upon the private sector to help us and help the home buyers. We need more capital in the private markets for first-time, low-income buyers. And I'm proud to report that Fannie Mae has heard the call and, as I understand, it's about $440 billion over a period of time. They've used their influence to create that much capital available for the type of home buyer we're talking about here. It's in their charter; it now needs to be implemented. Freddie Mac is interested in helping. I appreciate both of those agencies providing the underpinnings of good capital.

There is not really anyway to avoid saying it, this, my friends, is nothing less than pure unadulterated socialism spewing from a Republican President. It is a socialist agenda, driven by an idea that government can solve a perceived problem (lack of homeownship). All of these plans, all of this government action proposed by President Bush could only stem from a world view that truly believed that a proactive government was capable of helping the weak and less fortunate, that redistribution programs work, that government is the solution not the problem to so-called 'woes'.

Like all proposed government programs and solutions (and we can find a near infinite number of new such promises stemming from the current campaign of Senator Obama), these failed miserably, were counterproductive, and surely hurt those they claimed to help, whilst contributing towards our present economic crisis. These effects are not new, they are part of a pattern, and to some extent predictable.

However, as previously posted, President Bush is merely continuing (perhaps to a lesser extent) the policies of President Clinton and, in fact, the general directives of bipartisan congress over the past two decades.

So, the solution? Instead of abolishing Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, or at least the government control and regulation of them, and getting rid of all these 'initiatives' by President Bush and Clinton and the rest of the congress's never-ending meddlings in the mortgage and financial markets, we do the opposite. We fight the problems of government with more government, we patch up failed socialism with even greater socialism. As Ronald Reagan once said:

And now the planners have a new plan, some $700 Billion plus untold porkbarrel projects, which, we might add, John 'porkbuster' McCain seemed happy to vote for.

I have been accused of a lot of things, but secret Satanic worshiping with Ron Paul hasn't been one of them.... until now. LOL! I'm not sure where this person got the picture of me with Ron Paul. Thanks to the person who sent this to me. :)

On a side note, (I cannot help but be tempted to further play into the delusional conspiracies of whoever made this video should they happen to read this), there is a branch of yoga, a path (of which I forget the name), which is dedicated to God hate, where God is attempted to be hated in a juxtapositional attempt to realize Him. The idea is that in order to truly hate God, one must know what it is one hates, one must know God to hate Him, and as one meditates on God and realizes God, then the beauty awe and love of such realization, when the object that is hated is known, enlightenment occurs. And such hate is discarded at the end as the practitioner realizes that hatred of what they now know as true God, is impossible.

It is recommended not to follow this path, as it is quite treacherous, as one can imagine. :) But in certain places in India it is practiced, and in theory could be effective with the right teachers and proper predisposition.

However, a form of this can be practiced as a meditation by anyone, with good effect. The idea is to think of God as someone you have wronged or think of harming God due to your vices. For example, if you lust, try to meditate on lusting for God. If done properly, perverse feelings of sacrilege and blasphemy may arise, which then can be channeled to help one control one's vice. Replacing a 'victim' with God, can help with controlling any vice. It is similar to the phenomena described in 'Pain and Suffering' and 'Healing the Soul in the Age of the Brain', where unwarranted kind actions in the face of maliciousness aid the offending person in seeing the faults in themselves, as if looking through a mirror.

The Fed did not yet exist, and for two decades, Morgan had been acting as the country's unofficial lender of last resort, quietly working to amass reserves and supply capital to the markets in periods of crisis.

Morgan had a strong sense of financial public duty, but he wasn't acting as proto-Fed out of pure altruism: The people he represented had billions of dollars invested in the emerging U.S. economy. Critics who thought he had engineered the panic for his own profit would have been surprised to learn that his U.S. firms lost $21 million in 1907.

Capitalists saved the country from financial crisis in 1907, while government created or enhanced the great depression in 1930. Looks like we haven't studied our history and are now again looking for government to 'save us'.

Bernake on his knees before Speaker Pelosi is a perfect symbol of how upside-down things have gotten here in America. For the early part of our founding, it was the government that knelt to the people, it was presidents and government officials that knelt to capitalists like J. P. Morgan.

On a side note, J. P. Morgan's Wikipedia biography was an interesting read. Amazing what people will do with their money and fortunes when they are allowed to freely produce. Readers may especially appreciate this blurb:

Carnegie agreed to sell the business [US Steel] to Morgan for $480 million.[6] The deal was closed without lawyers and without a written contract.

This alluring title is slightly misleading, but it is an interesting interview with Elon Musk, whom I am a big fan of from 'the Paypal Wars', a book on how a bunch of libertarians made a killing taking on big government, trial lawyers, and corporate financial giants.

However, one has to ask the question: what is the purpose of NASA? How has NASA benefited the county?

One perspective is that the accomplishments of NASA are primarily political. National pride over a moonlanding? Bush's 'trip to Mars'? Why go to Mars? The never ending search for 'life'? These are high cost with a bloated budget of $20 billion a year. If people are truly interested in these esoteric goals, then why not let them pony up this money voluntarily, rather than have it forcibly conscripted from them?

As seen from some of the questions in this article, Musk and his folks are doing things cheaper and better than NASA. Especially interesting is the emerging market for things 'space related'.

What he doesn't emphasize is that private industry could probably take over the useful tasks of NASA exponentially cheaper and more efficiently. In fact, NASA's state subsidies are likely undercutting private innovation and hurting American space programs in the only place that matters: the private market. Ironic isn't it?

Authorities have now said that residents who remained on the island during the storm, known as 'holdouts' there will be required to leave in the next few days so crews could begin the recovery effort.

Police have said they are prepared to impose martial law if needed to empty the barrier island.

The Texas attorney general's office is trying to work out how legally to force the holdouts to leave, Mr Yarbrough said.

Local authorities are prepared to do whatever it takes to get residents to a safer place.

The peninsula is too damaged for residents to stay, and with no gas, no power and no running water, there is also concern about the spread of disease, officials said.

Private property and individual freedom is thrown aside in times of crisis in Texas, of all places. Who better to 'clean up' and 'repair' the damage then people themselves, who are owners of the land, not the government.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

In July, the Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed that by the year 2001, 50 percent of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's portfolio be made up of loans to low and moderate-income borrowers. Last year, 44 percent of the loans Fannie Mae purchased were from these groups.

The change in policy also comes at the same time that HUD is investigating allegations of racial discrimination in the automated underwriting systems used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to determine the credit-worthiness of credit applicants.

So, this idea that 'free market capitalism' is to blame for the recent financial turmoil is misfounded. Certainly free markets give rise to bust and boom cycles, but this is better than the stagnation when severe limits are placed on human freedoms, aka socialism. In fact, the free market folk called this one rather succinctly:

''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''

PALIN: I was for infrastructure being built in the state. And it's not inappropriate for a mayor or for a governor to request and to work with their Congress and their congressmen, their congresswomen, to plug into the federal budget along with every other state a share of the federal budget for infrastructure.

This idea that Sarah Palin is some kind of liberty crusading reformer, is, IMHO, a bit of a rush to judgment. Although she has a much better record than Senators Obama and Biden, and, more generally, than McCain himself, she still does not appear to believe that the problem of corruption of earnmarks, the waste, the excess, the campaign contributions, the quid pro quo, stems from the very power of congress to grant earnmarks. The process cannot be 'cleaned up' or made more transparent, at least not in a way that does lasting good. The problem is that the Federal government should not have the power to earnmark. There is no reason for the Federal government to build roads, or bridges, or museums anywhere. This kind of rhetoric we do not hear from McCain or Palin, and it is, unfortunately, reflective of their underlying ideology.

A lesson not to rely on the Federal Government for anything, and it also raises the question of why the Fed should be involved with roads and bridges in the first place. Let the states pay for them if the 'public' is going to own then at all. It would be best to abolish this 'highway trust fund' and the gas tax with it. No doubt it has been a slush fund for pork barrel politics.

Why there was some initial pause for optimism in the McCain pick of Sara Palin for VP, such as her comments on Ron Paul:

"He's a good guy," she said of Paul. "He's so independent. He's independent of the party machine. I'm like, ‘Right on, so am I.'"

Paul supporters were delighted. In fact, they even began promoting Palin as a possible veep choice for the Texas congressman.

There was little in the media about how she actually governed in Alaska, where she stood on policies etc... Personal stories are nice, but they are also very superficial.

Additionally, I have to admit I am a bit tired of all this mudslinging back and forth over who has the most 'experience'. I cannot help but wonder at the world view at the root of these accusations. In fact, if I knew nothing about two candidates besides their 'experience' I would probably lean towards voting for the one who was in public office the least, who was the most uninvolved in politics and foreign policy. One of my favorite quotes is from William Buckley who said:

I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.

Which is funny on a side note because he went to Yale. But his point isn't just that the faculty of Harvard are, generally speaking, very liberal, and they are, but that the average every day person can often make better decisions then so called 'experts'. As Thomas Jefferson said:

State a moral case to a plowman and a professor. The former will decide it as well, and often better than the latter, because he has not been led astray by artificial rules.

So certainly faith in the common man negates all this talk of 'experience'. But returning to the posted story, here is some actual policy stuff:

Palin's views on the issue began to take form in the late 1990s, when Jeff Kinion, the chief executive of Alaska Open Imaging Center, sought to open a facility to provide MRI scans and other diagnostic imaging services in Wasilla, where Palin was mayor. Palin was sympathetic to the problem that Kinion confronted in Wasilla and elsewhere: He was unable to open clinics before getting a "certificate of need" from the state, a process that gives Alaska's government the power to determine whether the service is necessary.

As Kinion's business and others like it started to spread, they became entangled in a tense political and legal battle with the state and hospitals over whether they should be allowed to obtain the certificates. "The hospitals didn't want to share their pie," Kinion said. "They started organizing against us politically."

So, it is nice to hear this, she was trying to help increase competition in healthcare. These 'certificates of need' are another example of the many ways government interferes in the healthcare market. But was she 'expert' enough?

Palin's political opponents say the battle was evidence of a simplistic approach to a complex issue. "It didn't matter what you asked her about health care," said Tony Knowles, the Democratic governor who lost to Palin in 2006. "Getting rid of certificates of need was her only answer."

On a Clayton street corner is where 11-year-old Katie and 3-year- old Sabrina Lewis had been selling their families surplus fruits and veggies - stuff like: "Zucchini, melons, tomatoes, radishes," said Sabrina Lewis.

The mayor himself is getting involved in this issue; he says the produce stand, operated by two young sisters, had to be shut down because of public safety and a zoning ordinance.

High Duel at Noon for the White House / The phoney war is over as the US presidential candidates square up for the most compelling contest in a generation

I don't share Sullivan's enthusiasm for this race, however I can certainly admire his writing style in this piece. Especially of interest is the following:

This is not like most British elections, where party loyalties and messages have been honed for years and their leaders are well established. McCain has led the Republicans for just three months (and was the equivalent of a cranky back-bencher and failed leadership challenger before that). Obama has been the Democratic leader for a mere two months and was elected to the Senate only four years ago.

A positive outlook, despite the fact we have two more or less statists in the race. At least we, as in the American people, are rocking the political establishment. Newness and boldness has always been an American attribute.

If ordinary people, with no medical training, could perform surgery in their kitchens with steak knives, and get results that were better than those of surgeons in hospital operating rooms, the whole medical profession would be discredited.

But how would we know if it were possible? It is illegal for anyone besides physicians who have gone through 4 years of medical school and at least 3 years of residency (surgery is actually a 4-5 year residency) to perform surgeries.

What if someone off the streets could be trained in just a few weeks to perform non complicated routine surgeries? Perhaps it would discredit the medical profession...

Following the start of hostilities on August 8, Russia experienced a massive outflow of capital -- Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said capital flight due to the conflict had equalled seven billion dollars (4.7 billion euros).

Foreign currency reserves plunged at least partly due to the conflict, analysts said, falling a massive 16.4 billion dollars in the week after the start of fighting.

This is why freedom, limited government, and free trade, the latter a product of the two former, work to increase peace. War will end not because of benevolent or wise peace loving individuals, but because of political systems which make war unacceptable to the increased number of stakeholders. Milton Friedman deserves not only a Nobel Prize in economics, but more than a few peace prizes. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not end until socialism in the Palestinian territories is reduced, regardless of who is the leader of the Palestinians or the Israelis (sort of like the ending here: 'God Save us From Great Presidents'). China will not attack Twain, despite it's so-called 'communist' government, because the Chinese people now expect a certain standard of living which will be violently disrupted, pardon the pun, in the event of such hostilities.

What they witnessed was a punch from the right in the Nevada Republican primary that knocked out several incumbents and almost took down one of the state’s most powerful legislators for the past quarter-century.

Veteran Republican Assemblyman John Marvel, seeking his 16th term, was defeated, largely on the back of a campaign highlighting his 2003 vote to raise taxes.

Republican incumbent Assembly members Francis Allen and Bob Beers fell to opponents who attacked them for being too cozy with Democrats. Don Chairez, a former District Court judge and conservative, came within a couple of thousand votes of taking a spot on November’s runoff for the state Supreme Court.

Each race, of course, had its own dynamic. But it became clear that the party’s most conservative members asserted themselves in a combination of Ron Paul fever, President Bush fatigue and malaise in the moderate wing.

While the Ron Paul Republicans, including personal friends, lost many elections in the recent NV primaries we did make gains. The highlight of this primary election was the near election of Don Chairez to the NV supreme court and the near victory of Andrew Bronson to the Nevada Assembly.

Since this was the first time in the political arena for many of the Ron Paul Republicans, bumps were certainly expected. We can expect future improvement in getting out the message of liberty, targeting of the races and allocation of volunteers and resources. It is important to remember that winning elections is not the focus of the revolution. The focus is on educating the people to make informed decisions, to make sure people have had exposure to the positives which stem from the message of liberty.

To this extent, this election primary season here in NV was a success. I have the utmost respect and admiration for our candidates and I hope all those who ran for office stick it out for the long run and continue their efforts on behalf of liberty. Additionally, I think an increased local focus is prudent, concentration on assembly seats provides both opportunity to establish personal relationships with voters and experience for our courageous and excellent candidates.

If the Supreme Court of Missouri also signs off, drunk-driver Davis will be a millionaire. Just another case of trial lawyers putting profits ahead of people–and ordinary Missouri citizens will be paying a lot more for insurance when the drunk driving of an insured holding a $50,000 policy can make the insurer liable for $16 million.

One sovereign fund, said to have earmarked $29 billion to purchase foreclosed residential real estate, recently hired a West Coast mortgage broker and is starting to search for bargains, The Post has learned.

The New York Post seems to think this is a bad thing. In reality, the actions of private individuals to stabilize the market can only be beneficial, a counterweight to the government action which contributed to the sub-prime mess, and a solution infinitely better than the newest faddish counterproductive government 'plans' or 'fixes' being proposed. The country which receives the most foreign investment will generally be the strongest economic country and the country with the most freedom.

It is a mystery to me why... it is regarded as a sign of Japanese strength and American weakness that the Japanese find it more attractive to invest in the U.S. than Japan. Surely it is precisely the reverse - a sign of U.S. strength and Japanese weakness.

After a discussion I was recently pointed towards this article, which turned out to be quite an interesting read. The definition:

Jury nullification means making a law void by jury decision, in other words "the process whereby a jury in a criminal case effectively nullifies a law by acquitting a defendant regardless of the weight of evidence against him or her."

Before we begin discussing the radical nature of such concept, bear in mind it found itself quite at home with the libertarian minded founders:

I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.

The jury has the right to judge both the law as well as the fact in controversy.

In fact, this took place relatively recently. The example given on Wikipedia is:

During Prohibition, juries often nullified alcohol control laws,^[10] possibly as often as 60% of the time.^[11]

In other words, even though the jury realized the person was guilty of alcohol possession, consumption, or distribution, whatever the charge happened to be, they didn't believe the law itself was valid.

As might be expected, those of us with a belief in human freedom and liberty are mighty warmed by the concept of jury nullification. This attraction is natural, as libertarian minded folk generally believe people are inherently good (hence why I liked the ferry scene in the recent batman movie; pardon the digression :) ), generally do the right thing, and have a positive outlook on human nature and the world in general.

Trusting the people is something politicians these days have a great deal of trouble with. The people, we the people, can figure out a way out of the 'energy crisis' if government would only get off our back. We the people would find solutions to improving healthcare and on and on.

In fact, starting this post with a Wikipedia entry is, retrospectively, symbolic. An online encyclopedia created by 'the people', which is, more often than not, factual and up to date and which was created without rules or 'governance' (founded by a libertarian actually), shows that these foundations of ideology are not just pie in the sky theories, but accurately represent existence.

Perhaps if we are lucky, some informed juries might start applying this (above) concept of Jury Nullification from prohibition to the war on drugs:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If the trends of the past three decades continue, it's possible that every American adult could be overweight 40 years from now, a government-funded study projects.

It was previously noted, here on neoperspectives, that the recent genetic discrimination bill passed the house with only one representative, Rep Ron Paul, voting against it. This article communicates some arguments in opposition to this bill.

Prof Peter Littlejohns, Nice's clinical and public health director, said: "Although these treatments are clinically effective, regrettably the cost to the NHS is such that they are not cost-effective use of NHS resources." He added that the organisation had to make some of the "hardest" decisions in public life.

"This decision will mean that the UK will have the poorest survival figures [for the cancer] in Europe."

The demonstrators said a blacklist of opposition candidates and a series of socialist decrees are destroying what's left of their democracy.

Chavez opponents also are outraged by 26 laws the president just decreed, some of them mirroring the socialist measures voters rejected in a December referendum.

One decree establishes a civilian militia that critics warn could emulate the citizen groups that control many aspects of community life in Cuba. Another gives Chavez the ability to designate regional authorities who critics say could undermine the power of locally elected officials.

Other decrees empower Chavez to expropriate goods from private businesses and increase state control over food, punishing business owners who fail to comply with price controls with fines, closure and even 10-year prison terms.

Interesting study of instant messengers and emails reinforce theories of human connectivity.

Wal-Mart may be walking a fine legal line by holding meetings with its store department heads that link politics with a strong antiunion message. Federal election rules permit companies to advocate for specific political candidates to its executives, stockholders and salaried managers, but not to hourly employees. While store managers are on salary, department supervisors are hourly workers.

Why can a private company not advocate to it's own workers? Unions certainly make no bones about who they support, yet businesses cannot?

Currently, companies can demand a secret-ballot election to determine union representation. Those elections often are preceded by months of strident employer and union campaigns.

Under the proposed legislation, companies could no longer have the right to insist on one secret ballot. Instead, the Free Choice, or "card check," legislation would let unions form if more than 50% of workers simply sign a card saying they want to join. It is far easier for unions to get workers to sign cards because the organizers can approach workers repeatedly, over a period of weeks or months, until the union garners enough support.

Employers argue that the card system could lead to workers being pressured to sign by pro-union colleagues and organizers. Unions counter that it shields workers from pressure from their employers.

Both of these proposals are smoke and mirrors, IMO. If private property is truly respected, a business can decide not to accept any workers as unionized and fire any and all that partake in any union activity. But if they fired them all, who would run their business? This is not to say that Unions can't form, there are many cases where unions are beneficial, such as major league sports. The market will decide what industries unions are beneficial in and which they are not. Government should get out of the business of deciding how and when Unions and businesses should interact. Freely choosing individuals, both employees and their employers will interact to determine the best setup for each. Perhaps then we will see a halt to the bankruptcies the unions are inflicting on businesses across the country.

Now it's spending $3,15 Trillion and taking in $2.65 Trillion. He won't veto housing bailout for $300 Billion. The fact the Iraq War is at $650 Billion and should have been managed a lot better from 2004-2006 and not cost nearly this much.

President Bush did this with 6 years of Republican Congress and did nothing to control spending. Damaging the Republican brand.

With the Senate's passage of the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac bailout last Saturday (July 26), the United States of America has now become the world's first full-service kleptocracy, a form of government described earlier in this space as a government of, by, and for the robbers.

Attorney General Jerry Brown on Tuesday said he will sue to block a proposed water-bottling operation in Northern California unless its effects on global warming are evaluated.

The Swiss-based company scaled back its plans in May after years of opposition from environmentalists and a group of McCloud residents. It originally sought to pump more than double the amount of water.

David Palais, Nestle's Northern California natural resource manager, said the company already was planning studies on air and water quality, hazardous materials, traffic conditions and climate change for a new environmental review of the bottling plant.

He said it failed to include an examination of whether the operation will contribute to global warming through the production of plastic bottles, the operation's electrical demands and the diesel soot and greenhouse gas emissions produced by trucks traveling to and from the plant.

"It takes massive quantities of oil to produce plastic water bottles and to ship them in diesel trucks across the United States," Brown said in a statement. "Nestle will face swift legal challenge if it does not fully evaluate the environmental impact of diverting millions of gallons of spring water from the McCloud River into billions of plastic water bottles."

Honestly, the first time I read this I thought it was satire. It appears some of our friends on the left are bent on returning human kind to the stone age.

California is so hostile to industry and private enterprise, it will likely only continue to hemorrhage citizens and businesses.

It could be available to patients within four years although, in the wake of the NHS ban on the £2.50-a-day drug Aricept, there are concerns over whether it would be funded on the Health Service. <.>

The trial was a Phase 2 study, which checks the safety and efficacy of the drug, but if a large-scale Phase 3 trial due next year repeats the findings, the drug could be available for prescribing

The theory has held up in lab and animal testing. The next step is human trials.

This was not posted to suggest the optimism suggested in these stories is close to reality. In fact, history is filled with discarded opulent news stories reporting great new cures or treatments that never pan out. The point is that a willing human being suffering from either Alzheimers or HIV cannot voluntarily receive any of these treatments, no matter how much they desire or how much they pay. It will cost millions, probably hundreds of millions to undertake costly clinical trials and many years before these drugs can be available to patients willing to try them.

Coburn has drawn a powerful and clever enemy in Reid, who has obliquely denounced him — never by name — as a senator “intent on blocking virtually everything.”

As most of Washington met last week to fret over the economy, Harry Reid was attending a less-noticed summit. The Senate majority leader had summoned the titans of more than a dozen industry trade groups to a Capitol Hill meeting, where he delivered a crisp message: Get with our program, or get demolished.

Anyone remember the "K Street Project"? Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and conservative activist Grover Norquist designed it to pressure the business community into hiring GOP lobbyists, supporting GOP causes, and giving money to GOP candidates. The press was shocked, shocked, to discover such behavior, and ran endless coverage of this nefarious GOP operation. Democrats were shocked, shocked, too, and charged that the project was the root of Washington's corruption: "If we're ever going to have real change here, we must kill the K Street Project," thundered Nancy Pelosi.

But it was not even remotely shocking to discover that the party in power strong-arms the business community. Democrats spent 40 years in the majority demanding that industry hire former staffers and write checks as a price of access. The K Street Project was created in the mid-'90s by Republicans following suit. Now the left is at it again. Call it the K Street Project, Part Blue.

Sirius Satellite Radio host Howard Stern supports the merger of his network with XM Satelitte Radio and is fuming at Democratic opposition on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) panel.

Stern ranted about Democrats’ ‘gangsterism’ and ‘communism’ and the obstacles to the merger.

Doesn't sound like Ron Paul is a supporter at all, so it puzzles me when (a minority) of Ron Paul supporters end up supporting Obama and other fringe candidates on the left.

HARTFORD -- The House speaker, Senate president and Gov. M. Jodi Rell gave themselves $6 million in the 2008 budget to spend as they saw fit -- and they spent nearly all of it.

The two Democratic leaders and the Republican governor spread the money around the state. They also brought some money back home and supported favorite causes.

Interesting way to budget money, not too different from Iraq (previously posted). The bipartisan conspiracy is also notable.

A new phenomena, the criminalization of economic downturn. The crime of being an executive of a failing business. With accounting and 'insider trading' laws so complex, probably every other executive at major institutions could be charged with something.

Perhaps a whole new workup of laws regarding financial institutions is in order. Start with abolishing the 'crime' of insider trading.

It is a politician's dream: Handing out cold, hard cash to people on the street as they plead for help. Iraq's prime minister has been doing just that in recent weeks, doling out Iraqi dinars as an aide trails behind, keeping a tally.

The handouts by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and a handful of other top officials are authorized _ as long as each goes no higher than about $8,000, and the same people don't get them twice. Aides say they are meant merely to ease the pain a bit, and are motivated by a belief that better conditions will lead to more security.

The airlines blame much of the high fuel costs on "excessive" speculation in the market.

This is a surprising story as one would expect corporate America to be versed in basic economic sense. It either shows the sorry state of airline leadership, or else pandering to customers explanations which the CEOs must know are not true. It is government, not speculators, which is directly to blame for higher oil prices, more specifically it is government control over oil companies and reserves, private oil companies only hold 10% of the world's reserves. And, there are the mentioned taxes, miles and miles of regulations etc... To blame speculators is beyond foolish.

Never think medical journals and 'science' is above politics. They just use different jargon and presentation, but sometimes people believe them based on a, perhaps, deserved reputation for objective accuracy in other areas. Look no further than subjects like 'global warming', 'welfare', and 'health policy', both of which use 'scientific' journals as cover to advance political beliefs.

In fact, there is also a potentially interesting, yet unresearched phenomena, involving the lucrative business of personal injury lawsuits. You have prominent experts, physicians, often in academia who are paid very, very well to testify in many personal injury cases, and also publish extensively on the subject (which, along with demeanor and how far they are willing to stretch, is how they are chosen by plaintiff attorneys to testify). Therefore, one might imagine selective publication, perhaps due to unconscious bias, which emphasizes the harm of a particular substance, condition, or injury, while minimizing the more prominent neutral effects. If this effect is multiplied across an entire field by many of these 'experts', you have a shift in what is considered to be 'objective', away from the accurate.

After all, how can a defense attorney argue that literature purporting to show effects in medical journals is 'inaccurate' and/or biased, due to the fact that the people publishing it make their living testifying for legal cases on the very subject?

According to Rasmussen Reports, the Big Government Democrat Congress has charted the lowest approval ratings ever in U.S. history. Only 9 percent—that’s right, just 9 people out of every 100 Americans—approve of the job that the House of Representatives and the Senate are doing.

Which, of course, is not surprising. Congress has proven itself completely inadequate to address the massive problems Americans are facing everyday at the gas pump, at the grocery store, and in their own homes. In fact, Congress’ only “solution” seems to be to find a way to make things worse.

An interesting graph showing the inverse relationship between spending and test scores. If one considers tests scores to be an indication of academic success, a dubious assumption, but a premise embraced by establishment educators and politicians, then should we not cut funding from public schools to raise those tests scores? :)

National service mandated by the state is what Europe had for centuries. It was called serfdom. For example, in France, citizens were required to perform public service building and repairing roads and other public projects for hundreds and thousands of hours a year. Serfdom wasn't eliminated in France until the French revolution, one of the "liberty" parts of that revolution. It was largely the American revolution which inspired this escape from serfdom. Indeed, the American revolution was all about escaping from the European model of servitude, with the American's insisting that even very moderate taxation without representation was a form of oppressive servitude. Incredibly, Barack Obama somehow believes that advocacy of a return to European style serfdom is a good way to celebrate the American Declaration of Independence from the oppression of English tyranny.

when I'm President, I will set a goal for all American middle and high school students to perform 50 hours of service a year, and for all college students to perform 100 hours of service a year. This means that by the time you graduate college, you'll have done 17 weeks of service. We'll reach this goal in several ways. At the middle and high school level, we'll make federal assistance conditional on school districts developing service programs, and give schools resources to offer new service opportunities.

Your children will be made serfs. But not well. The children of the rich and privileged like those of Barack and Michelle Obama who attend elite private schools will be exempt from the system of servitude Obama and the Lear Jet Left will construct for your children.

And yet this Independence Day, six years, nine months, and three weeks have elapsed since September 11, and Ground Zero remains an 80-foot-deep international embarrassment for the United States.

The government functionaries who fathered this fiasco should yield immediately and assign private developer Larry Silverstein to arrange what already should have occurred: the Twin Towers’ return to America’s skyline.

Overall construction costs and schedules cannot be determined due to 15 pending “essential decisions.” Until then, “we are not going to set new dates until we know exactly where this project stands,” said the report’s author, executive director Chris Ward of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the public agency that controls the site.

Signature elements such as the Freedom Tower and September 11 memorial will be incomplete ten years after the 9/11 attacks.

Reported cost overruns are at least $1.23 billion, and rising rapidly.

Right across Vesey Street from this shambles, veteran real-estate magnate Larry Silverstein produced 7 World Trade Center, an elegant, 52-story high-rise that glistens by day and glows by night. Opened just four years and eight months after 9/11, and now 75 percent full, it is this lugubrious spot’s only sign of hope. Silverstein’s skyscraper never hints that it stands where twisted debris smoldered for months.

The difference? Silverstein manages this project with limited government interference. Conversely, 19 bureaucracies — from Manhattan to Albany to Trenton to Washington — wrestle him at Ground Zero.

“For years, every public official yelled and screamed that no private developer should or could build on ‘sacred ground’ — that the Port Authority could do it more quickly and cheaply. Well, look how that turned out,” a Manhattan real-estate executive close to the Ground Zero saga told me.

An interesting story showing the difference between public and private ownership and initiative.

Of 47 drugs that had earned revenues of $500 million or more, NIH support had figured significantly in only four, two of which were actually the same drug.

Mr. Zycher and his colleagues concluded that scientific contributions of the private sector were essential for the discovery and/or development of virtually all the 35 drugs and drug classes researched, and that, therefore, few if any of the drugs and drug classes investigated would have been developed (or, at least, their development would have been delayed significantly) without the contributions and participation of the pharmaceutical firms.

Government funding of any research is counterproductive and counterintuitive. History has shown publicly funded research has a dismal track record. Recall gene sequencing:

Celera sequenced the human genome at a fraction of the cost of the public project (approximately $3 billion of taxpayer dollars versus about $300 million of private funding).

At one local fireworks vendor, you can spend $189.99 for two nine-packs of "King's Ransom" airborne fireworks, but using them in Madison this Fourth of July weekend could cost you even more.

The current fine for violating the city ordinance against illegal use of fireworks is $300, plus court costs, bringing the total up to $424 per violation, which could include a fine for each firework set off.

Barack Obama aligned himself with welfare reform on Monday, launching a television ad which touts the way the overhaul "slashed the rolls by 80 percent." Obama leaves out, however, that he was against the 1996 federal legislation which precipitated the caseload reduction.

By the time Obama emerged as the Democratic frontrunner in the spring of 2008, he began leaving the impression that he was for it all along.

Earnings now pace him ahead of the annual salaries for network news anchors: Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer — combined!

“Do you know what bought me all this?” he asked, waving his hand in the general direction of his prosperity. “Not my political ideas. Conservatism didn’t buy this house. First and foremost I’m a businessman. My first goal is to attract the largest possible audience so I can charge confiscatory ad rates. I happen to have great entertainment skills, but that enables me to sell airtime.”

By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.

Perhaps Rush has done more for the cause of liberty and conservative ideology than if he started off intending to promote it? Or, to twist it even further, perhaps he knew a market based approach would promote such a positive outcome.

Before ending with Rush's transcript, here are two stories, previously posted here at neoperspectives.com:

Many observers who say that they cannot understand how anyone can be worth $100 million a year do not realize that it is not necessary that they understand it, since it is not their money.

RUSH: (laughter) Am I worth it? Here's Michael Wolff, the guy you thought was Lex Luthor. He's beside himself He's just beside himself! It's a monster error.

WOLFF: I think it's a monster error. I'm sitting here saying, "What are these people smoking?" You know, the truth is that Rush Limbaugh has been, um, uh... He's ridden the rise of conservatism for 25 years, and I -- I don't... Maybe nobody quite -- quite has been following the news, but that's coming to an end. It's going to be over, and Rush Limbaugh, in a relatively short period of time, is going to look like a kind of really out-of-it oddity. And I cannot, for the life of me, imagine how someone could have made this deal.

RUSH: CNBC, if you keep this up; if you keep putting inane, ignorant people who have no understanding of how media works -- if you keep putting them on to discuss me -- I am going to buy your network and start doing things right or else shut it down.

Doctors at Selly Oak Hospital then told the family that all food, fluids and hydration were to be stopped and that Mrs. Westwood would be given morphine "because she is dying".

Ellen's daughter, Kathleen Westwood, told the BBC that the decision had been taken because it was "a capacity ruling" and that under current UK law, the family's wishes do not enter into the equation.

"If you deem somebody to have lost capacity, then the doctors can act in the best interests," she said.

The family had an interview with doctors on a Friday afternoon, in which they were told that Mrs. Westwood was going to die.

The family, however, brought the woman food and water. Hospital officials responded by threatening to report the family to social services for feeding Mrs. Westwood.

"We said we don't want this to happen and they said 'it's happening, sorry'. I had to fight very, very hard to get it stopped."

Eventually the family obtained a second opinion and Mrs. Westwood was able to go home, where she is recovering well and is celebrating her 89th birthday today.

Under the UK's Mental Capacity Act, passed in 2005, patients deemed to be incapable of making decisions in their own "best interests" can have all fluids withheld until they die. The family can do little to stop this process once doctors have made their decision.

While active euthanasia officially remains illegal in Britain, some are saying that the NHS standard procedure of issuing elderly and vulnerable patients with an "end of life plan" that includes dehydration, is simply euthanasia under a different name. And it is becoming common. A packed meeting this week in Stafford organised by a group called Cure the NHS, heard the stories of families who had been forced to bring in priests and lawyers to stop similar orders from killing their loved ones, even though the patients sometimes are not terminally ill.

This historic ruling reaffirms what the second amendment clearly states. The so called 'coma debate' never held water and both the intention and meaning was always clear.

This sort of 'negative power', as power goes upwards from township, city, county, state, federal, whether judicial or legislative is in dire need of expansion. In other words, the next level up can tell the lower levels what they may not do (negative power), not what they must do (positive power). For example, knocking down this tyrannical law in the district of Colombia, is an example of negative power being utilized. National New Deal type legislation at the Federal level is 'positive power', mandating what states must do, regulations they must comply with, socialisms they must conform with, pyramid schemes they must partake in, and are inherently antithetical to liberty and good governance.

Interestingly, isn't it ironic that the highest crime rate in the nation is the district of Colombia. In fact, the District at one point had a higher murder rate than Baghdad, a fact mentioned by Secretary Rumsfeld. How can it be, that the city with the highest crime rate in the United States has amongst the strictest gun control laws? Likely for the same reason that the District of Colombia has the lowest test scores and highest funding per student out of all the 50 states.

Also interestingly, Obama appears to agree with the ruling as do many Democrats. Perhaps freedom is indeed on the march!

Jeff Miners said he extracted his own molar tooth about four weeks ago, after he had languished on a series of public dental waiting lists since 2001.

Palacios, the nation's largest public maternity hospital and once the nation's beacon of neonatal care, has fallen on hard times. Half of the anesthesiologists and pediatricians on staff two years ago have quit. Basic equipment such as respirators, ultrasound monitors, and incubators are either broken or scarce. Six of 12 birth rooms have been shut.

On one day in March, five newborns were crowded into one incubator, said Dr. Jesús Méndez Quijada, a psychiatrist and Palacios staff member who is a past president of the Venezuelan Medical Federation

The deaths of the six infants "were not a case of bad luck, but the consequence of an accumulation of circumstances that have created this alarming situation," Quijada said.

The problems at Concepción Palacios are symptoms of a variety of ills plaguing the public healthcare system under leftist firebrand President Hugo Chávez, Quijada and others say.

Cases of malaria nearly doubled between 1998, the year before Chávez took office, and 2007. Incidents of dengue fever more than doubled over the same period.

Poorly paid doctors regularly demonstrate at hospitals from Puerto La Cruz in the northeast to Maracay in the industrial heartland, demanding back pay and protesting the lack of equipment and supplies. Others are leaving in droves for Spain, Australia, or the Middle East, where they can make 10 times the $600 monthly average salary they earn in public hospitals.

A lack of openness has affected other facets of public health too. After the medical establishment blamed him for an outbreak of dengue fever last summer, Chávez halted weekly publication of an epidemiology report that for 50 years had tallied occurrences of infectious diseases nationwide.

DiHydroMonoxide Ban! :) The tendency towards this sort of mindless advocacy is indicative of a lot of problems in society.

Which reminds me, it is often said that it is one's duty to vote. As in, every good citizen should vote. I sort of disagree with this. I think every good citizen should be informed, opinionated, and educated about the issues. Only then is voting (or signing petitions) appropriate. An uninformed, uneducated, unaware citizen should find it their duty not to vote. If not, we get a bunch of these water bans thrown into our public policies, as is currently the case.

Two weekends ago I attended a fundraiser and volunteer event for Ron Paul republicans here in NV, which I have been meaning to write about. The amazing energy and work of the Ron Paul Republicans (especially our Meetup [over 700 members]) generated a strong second place showing for Ron Paul here in NV, brought hundreds of new, and mostly young, faces into the political arena, shut down the GOP convention in Reno, and heavily influenced the NV GOP party platform, has now translated into candidates running for office. As the saying goes, all politics is local, and indeed, local change will predate national change and lead to lasting political involvement, while national advocacy is more emotionally satisfying, initially, it will not bear as heavy long term fruit like local advocacy.

So, I am proud to announce that Ron Paul candidates are on the march in NV; we are challenging all three congressional seats, and at least 5 state assembly seats (so I've been told). Plus, from appearances of things, we may have a number of other candidates not directly involved in the meetup who at least sympathize with the ideals of human liberty. The 3 Ron Paul candidates who were the beneficiaries of this this particular fundraiser are:

Chris Dyer running for Congressional district 1
Carl Bunce running for Congress, district 3 (running in the primary in my district against pork barreling, big government spending Jon Porter, who last time I checked was on TV was spinning his wheels discussing Darfur instead of battling American socialism.)

I know all three of them quite well and can personally vouch that they are truly in favor of limiting the size and scope of government. Plus, David Isabell has an awesome license plate! :)

Also, we had two judges present, one current Judge, Cynthia Steel for Family Court, and one judge seeking election, Suzan Baucum for district court judge. I'm not sure if either of them are Ron Paul supporters, but it was certainly nice of them to stop by; I was pleased to have some good discussions with Judge Steel and as an added bonus on her website she has listed the endorsement of Weldon ‘Don’ Havins, M.D., Esq, who taught our class and whose opinion I respect.

Of course, there are other NV Ron Paul candidates who were not at this particular fundraiser, those with websites are:

As political forces grow, this phenomena of politicians recognizing and showing up at events will surely increase. Once it is known that 'liberty' is a popular concept, that Ron Paul candidates are being elected to office, that Ron Paul voters are voting with their ballots, we will attract the attention of 'mainstream' politicians who, flighty with the wind, as they are prone, will soon begin to co-opt our rhetoric and vote and rule respectively. Not to mention, attend out events and give us access to these elected officials. Let us welcome them.

In conclusion, I have the utmost respect for all our candidates, they are taking the necessary steps, fighting our battles for us, putting in the hours, doing the dirty work, while we remain bashfully on the sidelines and cheer. I congratulate them all and wish them the best of luck, they will certainly have my vote and support this November and beyond.

As is said, 'what men can dream, men can achieve', and if this phenomena continues to replicate in states across the country, and from what we hear this is happening; we will truly have a revolution on our hands.

The United States is poised to receive a massive—perhaps unprecedented—inflow of large- and medium-size European investors. Everything from corporate behemoths to family-owned companies are about to come to America on a corporate buying spree. Call it the Euroinvasion. Not only will many U.S. companies now have European owners, but the American marketplace will witness an infusion of new foreign competitors that will manufacture their products in the United States.

European companies are not just being pulled to America by a cheaper dollar. They are also being pushed away from Europe by a business environment that is not as attractive as that in the United States. For many companies, moving across the Atlantic is the fastest and cheapest way to cut costs and become more competitive. The average hourly manufacturing wage in Europe is 16 percent higher than in the United States. Social insurance and payroll taxes are far steeper in Europe. As are energy costs: the average price of a kilowatt-hour for industrial usage in Europe is roughly 60 percent more than in the United States. Transportation costs are higher, too. And the cost advantages of operating in the United States don’t stop there. Land is still far cheaper in the United States. An acre of rural land in the United States will cost you an average of $1,900. The same plot of land will cost you $5,700 in Germany, $6,650 in Spain, and $14,600 in Denmark.

Of course, you will see protectionist American and European politicians hollering and fighting this change, as is their wont. But, they would be wise to remember the words of Milton Friedman from the 1980s when the same thing was happening with the US and Japan:

This second article illustrates that freedom of speech accompanies the, relative, economic freedom described above:

"As the only dynamic volume CT system in the world, the Aquilion ONE's ability to image an entire organ and show function means faster, more accurate diagnosis, better patient outcomes and ultimately lower healthcare costs," explained Dr. William W. Orrison, chief of Neuroradiology, Nevada Imaging Centers. "Nevada Imaging Centers is committed to best-in-class solutions for its thousands of patients and is thrilled to be the first site in the Western U.S. to offer this truly revolutionary technology."

Dr Orrison (and the rest of the folks at NIC) is an amazing person, kind, generous, incredibly knowledgeable (understatment), and a very hard worker who has built up an incredible privately owned and operated imaging center here with top rate cutting edge technology. He has also helped provide great research opportunities for the students of Touro University (and elsewhere); including this recently published paper, the first ever modern study of contortionists, which I was privileged to be involved with.

Death by a thousand cuts. This an example of the sort of private property infringements that are putting small businesses out of business, putting a lot of lawyers in business and amount to legalized racketeering.

Having grown a bit weary of this space and time, I decided to take a journey. I have studied the past, but this time I decided to look into the future. What I saw there surprised me. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World became clear right before my eyes:

The Great Pyramid - More than just a manifestation in Giza, this was the structure through which the whole world was ruled. It stood for centuries as the model for maintaining control over people and exploiting their labour. It remained until the free radicals were numerous enough to bring the whole system crumbling to the ground, destroying the power of the All-Seeing Eye. The civilizations that grew from the rubble had no such set structure, but most closely resembled the wiring of the human and the roots and branches of the tree.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon - Oh Babylon, the once great city, doomed to fall. A city of great buildings and powerful men, it was the center of trade for the world. But its confidence was shaken by the collapse of its sacred buildings. After that, many were able to foresee its imminent fall from grace. After the oceans rose up, the city streets were reclaimed through the sewers. Windows and walls became broken and eroded, but the strength of men's industry remained for many years in the steel frames. Nature reclaimed her materials and put them to her uses, cultivating a magnificent wild garden high above the sea. No one could gaze upon the Hanging Gardens of Babylon without a great sense of awe. A city taken by time.

Statue of Zeus - There he sat just as he stood, a giant among men. Deified by his country, he was erroneously credited with freeing a good many from bondage. The people who followed this demi-god killed their brethren only to be sold into slavery by the same system they helped to save. He was the model by which leaders were judged, leading to catastrophic consequences. After a short while, people had lost most records of this man and would wonder at the small pieces of copper-plated zinc they came across from time to time. Eventually, his temple fell to the ground, but he remained seated for a while longer, staring out across the shores. Only the birds were left to honor the memory of my brutal relative.

Temple of Artemis - Artemis, the goddess of forests and hills, had her temple built in a land of incredible natural beauty. A domed center with its two wings, it soared grandly above the rest of the world for a short period of history. The temple was magnificent, but the facade only served to hide the foul deeds that were occurring within. It was brought to the ground by flame, serving as its own crucible. Young Herostratus, seeking fame, claimed credit for the destruction.

Mausoleum of Maussollos - Used by those who honor death over life, the mausoleum housed their shameful past. This order of men sought to rule over the people of this earth through deception, but their greed, arrogance, and lack of faith in humanity were their ultimate downfall. The secrets were revealed and their power destroyed. This structure did not take long to fall.

Colossus of Rhodes - Often misunderstood and mistranslated through the years, the colossus of roads was the method by which men physically conquered this planet. These routes and roads brought them to faraway lands full of unimaginable treasures to plunder. One of the most successful practitioners of this philosophy was Cecil. His company was able continue his legacy and convince the deluded people of the world (especially Babylon) that rocks symbolized love. Through their roads to the mind, they told many that these rocks were important because they lasted far longer than the human being, despite all of the evidence to the contrary. A lie soon became "tradition," while many men lost their lives fighting over rocks. The roads of the land, the roads to the minds, and the scholars of Rhodes all became unnecessary. Travel was revolutionized, people thought for themselves, and morally bereft leaders were thrown from office. The Colossus splashed into the ocean piece by piece.

Lighthouse of Alexandria - What a noble pursuit, to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Alexandria was the home of inventors far ahead of their time, like Heron (Hero), but their works were relegated to triviality, as ground-breaking developments were unneeded with slave labor so readily available. The lighthouse was built to attract everyone safely to Alexandria, but also to gain the highest perspective and see for miles around. With so much collected information, the All-Seeing Eye eventually assumed control of the tower. Together, their power seemed limitless, but this was only an illusion.

Is the future I saw the end of humanity? No, it is only the beginning! It is truly the Kingdom of God, a land of men and women living in peace with themselves, each other, and their surroundings. Humans will evolve to amazing heights with no systems of domination and exploitation there to hold them back. It will be the Golden Age of man. When it will happen is only a matter of Chronos.

As you know, Barack Obama clinched the Democratic Party Nomination last week. I was meaning to write a short piece on this but Rush gives a great monologue on it, which mostly represents my personal opinion. First, it places the measure of 'racism' on the private sector, not the government.

However, not mentioned is the fact that there will always be racists, just like there will always be people who dislike fat people and dislike red heads and have biases and predjudices and whatnot against every quality imaginable. It is human nature to judge and criticize and sublimate innate negative emotions. It is a battle we all face in our own ways and collectively each 'group' deals with the negative connotations coming at them from somewhere. But no one is exempt! All of us are targeted by negative subtle emotions stemming from some individuals or subclass group; we are all discriminated against in some way and have our own discriminations, for such is life. But it would be a mistake to express even the slightest outrage about any such sentiment directed at ourselves. Even pity is condescending. Fighting fire with fire only gives credence and reinforcement to fallacious thought processes.

So race and race relations is an unimportant thing to dwell on, discrimination is an unimportant thing to worry about, and most certainly an unimportant things to legislate for, IMHO. Now, here is Rush:

All these Drive-By Media stories, there was one Washington Post story mentioning Obama is black four or five times. There were three or four other Drive-By Media publications focusing on Obama's race and how what a great step this is for the United States of America, we've passed a major milestone. It just is so wonderful and so forth.

After a while you can see all the liberal white guilt throughout the Drive-By Media because they won't let the subject of Obama's race go. I mean they're making a huge fuss about this, being black, being African-American, biracial or whatever. But I have news for those of you in the Drive-Bys. If Obama wins the election, he would not be the first black president. And I'm not talking about Bill Clinton and the phony baloney first black president bit.

Thirteen years ago in 1995, Time Warner, Incorporated, inaugurated a black president, Dick Parsons. Eleven years ago, 1997, American Express inaugurated a black president, Ken Chenault. Seven years ago, Merrill Lynch inaugurated a black president, Stanley O'Neal. Now, three of our greatest corporations, what the left calls greedy corporations, formally ended racism by elevating an African-American to the presidency. Now, you may know this and you may not know it. But these were incredible events, too. They didn't get that much news coverage, it didn't fit the media template or the action line or the talking points of the left because the Drive-By Media is so hell-bent on trashing America, on dwelling in the past, on inflaming racial confrontations, on elevating racial entrepreneurs that they underreported the real state of race in America. My point here -- and I realize it might have offended you to say, hey, he's not the first black president. I did that to get your attention. The point is that the real state of race in this country continues to be underreported. We continue to hear that we are no different now than we were in 1965 and in prior years. There's just as much discrimination, there's just as much racism, and incidentally, there's just as much sexism and we're not making any progress whatsoever, and that's why Obama's nomination is being hailed as some great point that has never been reached, and in fact it has.

    Now, I understand the difference in a board of directors and a committee hiring somebody to be the CEO of a corporation and the votes of American citizens of a political party electing or nominating someone. I fully understand the difference. My primary point is that we have made so much progress in race relations in this country that people who are responsible for underreporting it or not reporting it, and the people who are responsible for continuing to try to keep this country roiled with racial strife are the very people who are now celebrating this wondrous event in the nomination of Obama, as though its only meaning is that he's black, and it's not its only meaning. He stands for things that are pretty bad. He's got some associations with people that are pretty questionable. All that's swept aside, all of that is ignored because of the momentous racial achievement.

    I don't think we have, at least as it has been defined in the past, racism in this country. We have underclassism. We have broken-familism. We have single-momism. We have you're-a-victimism. We have the failure of the Great Society-ism. We have a bunch of isms that are genuine and real, but racism, said to be the root of all these, is not. If we were as racist as the left wants to portray us, there wouldn't be the phenomenon known as Oprah Winfrey; there wouldn't have been Bill Cosby. I could go on down the list. There wouldn't be Obama. There wouldn't have been Ken Chenault and American Express. There wouldn't have been Dick Parsons at Time Warner. There wouldn't have been Stanley O'Neal at Merrill Lynch, and there are countless other examples of this in smaller corporations. Herman Cain is one. And all of the truly achievement-oriented black leaders who don't fit the liberal mold are ignored or they are impugned. You've heard the names, don't need to mention them. Clarence Thomas is one, Dr. Sowell himself, Walter Williams.

    So while the media is trying to catch up with old news, first black president, and signals they're ready to acknowledge America's fairness, ask yourself, why do the Drive-Bys say they're in the news business when they're actually in the old news business? That's what they thrive on is the past, narratives, action lines, and templates from the past. Congratulations are due to Obama, there's no question, but not for being black, what an insult. Hey, congratulations, Obama, welcome to politics, the first black presidential nominee. What an insult. The reason you congratulate Barack Obama, he's a guy who took on and beat the pantsuit off the Clinton machine, even if he did crawl across the finish line.

A great story, which serves as a microcosm illustrating the difference between state and private control of institutions and industries. Why doesn't Senator Feinstein carry this lesson over to healthcare?.

Year after year, decade upon decade, the U.S. Senate's network of restaurants has lost staggering amounts of money -- more than $18 million since 1993, according to one report, and an estimated $2 million this year alone, according to another.

In a letter to colleagues, Feinstein said that the Government Accountability Office found that "financially breaking even has not been the objective of the current management due to an expectation that the restaurants will operate at a deficit annually."

In a masterful bit of understatement, Feinstein blamed "noticeably subpar" food and service. Foot traffic bears that out. Come lunchtime, many Senate staffers trudge across the Capitol and down into the basement cafeteria on the House side. On Wednesdays, the lines can be 30 or 40 people long.

House staffers almost never cross the Capitol to eat in the Senate cafeterias.

Operation of the House cafeterias was privatized in the 1980s by a Democratic-controlled Congress. Restaurant Associates of New York, the current House contractor, would take over the Senate facilities this fall. The company wins high praise from most staffers and lawmakers, who say they are pleased with the wide variety of new items offered every few months.

Most important to Feinstein, Restaurant Associates turns a substantial profit -- paying $1.2 million in commissions to the House since 2003.

    Democrats and Republicans, Progressives and Neoconservatives, Socialists and Statists. All have been growing increasingly concerned over the popularity of the libertarian philosophy.
    Although increasing in numbers due to Ron Paul's success, libertarians are still only a small percentage of the population. The Libertarian Party candidate, Bob Barr, will not win the general election. He is more mainstream and less radical than Ron Paul, which could gain him a significant amount of votes, but he will not inspire a great many people to action like Ron Paul did for this very same reason.
    So who will be voting for Bob Barr? He recently stated that he does not believe he will be taking anyone away from the McCain camp. McCain has the Neoconservative vote locked up, especially with Clinton out of the race.

    Will disillusioned Democrats decide to turn their backs on Obama and vote for the man who led the impeachment of their last president? Probably not too many. He will likely be getting votes from LP regulars, Independents, and those who do not usually affiliate with political parties.
So if libertarians are not going to be taking over the country any time soon and will not play a significant part in this upcoming election, then why are so many people worried?
    I believe it is because the libertarian philosophy is attractive. The philosophy transcends party politics. With a country facing imminent collapse, such a radical idea becomes an intriguing option. Have not both parties been responsible for bringing us to the brink of destruction? Why should government increase in size and scope every year? Why must our civil liberties be destroyed? Why not obey the Constitution? Cannot change be affected at the local level most effectively? Does the United States really need to police the world? Would people not be more prosperous if their labor was not taxed by the federal government to pay for boondoggles? Why is our money backed by nothing? Why does the Federal Reserve debase our currency?
    These are hard questions to answer. This had led many people to put their faith in themselves, friends, families, free markets, God, and their fellow man. Often misunderstood, libertarians are not simply greedy or lacking compassion. They see the problems that arise from unrestrained government in collusion with big business and honestly consider their philosophy as being the most efficient and intelligent way for restore peace and prosperity for all.
Libertarians understand that the state has made many obligations to its citizens. The only way these obligations could actually be met would be by dramatically decreasing spending, withdrawing troops from around the world, and by living within our means. Eventually it would be great to see these programs phased out at the federal level as people can best be cared for by their communities, but this is not an immediate goal or a pressing concern. Do not be mistaken by propaganda and lies, libertarians do not want to put people out on the streets.
    Let us not fear each other. I suggest we all try to put aside our differences, learn from one another, and cooperate to achieve our similar goals. We want to see Neoconservatives (Democrat and Republican alike) thrown out of power, our country returned to prosperity, and our international reputation restored.
    By working together, we can return our country to greatness.

Neoperspectives.com has accepted its first ever advertisement on this site. Previously we have had an informal policy of not accepting or placing advertisement in order not to clutter the site. However, the growth of our traffic has now made it lucrative enough to accept a small advertisement on one of our research articles, 'A Charter School Tale', which effectively pays for the year maintenance cost of running this site. Additionally, this ad was accepted because we are also supporting a good cause; the company which placed the ad reviews online schools. Certainly we are supportive of this effort.

Shadow ministers claim that the figures provide the first hard evidence that prisons are now so "cushy" that people would rather stay in prison than be free.

The latest figures show that 37,000 inmates eligible to be released early declined to apply for the perk between 1999 and 2006.

Between 2003 and 2008, 42 individuals were detected attempting to break into prisons.

"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible."

Charles Grassley (R., Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, requested that the Government Accountability Office launch an inquiry into whether the FDA behaved appropriately in granting the "accelerated approval" of Avastin, a drug for treating women with metastatic breast cancer. Mr. Grassley's action will have a catastrophic effect on America's ability to develop new drugs.

On May 15th, there was an interesting vote in the House of Representatives. While many Democrats voted to send an additional chunk of taxpayer money to the Iraq boondoggle, almost all Republicans chose to abstain. Being wary of politicians' motives, there is much discussion as to what might be behind this odd turn of events.

I argue that these are elephants of a dying breed facing extinction, hell-bent on staying alive. Governor Schwarzenegger and Representative Tim Davis have both recently commented on the dying Republican Party, but I think that there is something more subtle going on here. Politicians will do anything to keep their positions of comfort, even if it means voting (or cowardly abstaining) in line with their original party ideals.

Why won't they 'stay the course'? Because the new Republican Party will never allow it. The new Republican Party is made up of energized people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds who believe in the Constitution, non-interventionism, limited government, and a sound financial system not supported through the theft of taxpayer money. It is, in truth, the old Republican Party, which was stolen from us piece by piece by many shysters along the way. And worried about running up against this new and uncompromising crowd of conservatives, these politicians have chosen to go turn-coat.

If you think I am just full of hot air, look at what has already been accomplished by this group's efforts for Ron Paul's campaign. Despite being fought every step of the way by the media and GOP establishment, they were able to twice break fund-raising records, get a Ron Paul blimp up in the air, and turn The Manifesto into a bestseller, all while getting over a million primary voters to turn out for a candidate who was laughed at in every debate and pronounced to have "no shot of winning." Because of their efforts, Ron Paul has been picking up a significant number of delegates to bring to St. Paul, where John McCain will be facing a legitimate Republican revolt. It appears there are some elephants who never forgot.
And all of this was orchestrated by a small band of people loyal not simply to a man, but to an ideal.

I write to my friends, the hardworking Donkeys, to ask that you consider working with this group of individuals to achieve amazing results, collectively. Just as 'liberal' is not a dirty word, neither is 'conservative.' This is a bridge that desperately needs to be built. Despite our many differences in regards to particular policies and use of governmental power, we all desire a better future for our country and the world. This is a future purged of the Neoconservatives (both Republicans and Democrats) who got us into this terrible mess, and it can only be attained through diligence and cooperation.
Imagine the possibilities. Congressional elections would become about much more than whether or not candidates have Ds or Rs next to their names, allowing us to get true fighters into seats of power, even if they come from a *gasp* third-party! Forget the kind of people that renege on every promise made before taking power and who take impeachment 'off the table.' They are done. We shall show the world that if our president is going to act as a tyrant, it will be without the support of Congress, the American peoples' proxy.

We should also be constantly rethinking the way we show our discontent. Protests and demonstrations have been effective in the past, but I am unsure if they are worth the effort now. With a media that turns a blind eye to things that matter and free speech allowed only in 'zones', the message being conveyed will likely never reach its intend targets. Additionally, the badged terrorists are always looking to incite violence at such events and spy on these groups through the use of moles. This article from Minneapolis mentions how church groups, theater troupes, and vegans are some of the most watched groups. Armed goons are watching people who would likely never imagine holding a weapon. (Who is the terrorist threat, again?) I do not suggest that anyone should back down to the powers that be because of their criminal behavior, but I think there may be a better way.

Working together, we could lay siege to the bastards. Hit them where it hurts by boycotting things that stand against your principles. If you don't like the idea of cloned meat, beaten cows, or chickens that cannot walk after a year of life, then stop eating these sorry animals because you most certainly are what you eat. If you are against the media's monopoly of information, then cancel your cable. Google's privacy practices got you worried? There are always alternatives. Make even the slightest change in the way you consume, tell your friends about it, and sit back and watch the results. I have a feeling you will be astounded. For every action..

There is an equal and opposite reaction. There are fundamental laws at play in this universe. Once we begin to understand the rules of the game, then we can finally begin to play consciously. It seems the odds are stacked against us, but who doesn't love an underdog? David beat Goliath, the Americans beat the British (twice!), and the Giants beat the Patriots. Anyone who concedes defeat at this crucial point in the contest does not understand history and most certainly does not belong on this team. Everyone else, let us take this country back.

Two great healthcare stories focusing on market orientated solutions to reforming healthcare:

"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against - then you'll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens' What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of law-breakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."

Touro University Nevada will hold its spring 2008 commencement on May 18, starting at 3 p.m., at Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall on the campus of UNLV.

The ceremony will include the non-profit university's first-ever class of medical school graduates, as well as masters degree graduates in education, nursing, occupational therapy and physician assistant studies. Nevada Senator Joseph J. Heck, D.O., will deliver a special keynote address.

The 76 students graduating with Doctor of Osteopathy degrees from the College of Osteopathic Medicine began their studies when Touro University Nevada was established in 2004. They make up the largest medical school graduating class ever in Nevada.

"I like my job. I like my work. I like it here in Iowa," said Escobedo, 38, an illegal immigrant from Yescas, Mexico, who has raised his three children for 11 years in Postville. "Are they mad because I'm working?"

..the sudden incarceration of more than 10 percent of the town's population of 2,300 "is like a natural disaster -- only this one is manmade.

Rounding up of families, mass deportations, separations of children from their parents is a step on the road to a police state and should abhor, rather than excite conservatives.

Texas will immunize FLDS children
The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 09 May 2008 | Brooke Adams
"The truth is [FLDS parents] don't kow what to do," said Polly R. O'Toole, who represents one child. "They would prefer to make that decision. But they are afraid to exercise any options out of fear they will be perceived as uncooperative by CPS."

Willie Jessop, an FLDS member and spokesman, said some parents have immunized their children and some have not. "It's an individual decision," he said. But the parents "oppose forced mandates of things happening to their children they don't even know don't even know about."

Last week, with little attention or fanfare, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 414 to 1 to outlaw genetic discrimination. The only dissenter was the irascible libertarian Ron Paul.

Freedom to discriminate is amongst our most precious and precarious freedoms. Where in the constitution is congress authorized to pass legislation like this? Surely much unintended harm will result.

This was my third time in Washington DC for 'DO Day on the Hill', where osteopathic medical students 'lobby for changes affecting their profession and their patients'. That's what they call it, but what we really do is go ask government for taxpayer money, one way or the other, just like any other special interest. There have been exceptions, such as a national malpractice bill from three years ago. But even that bill I received somewhat lukewarmly due to my natural federalist tendencies.

So, this year we again lobbied for perpetuating the failed and failing Medicare program by increasing payments to doctors. This was done to 'increase patients care and access', because doctors may increasingly opt out of Medicare if the fees are not raised; as if this would be a bad thing. If more docs absconded Medicare then perhaps we would in due time be liberated from the socialism of healthcare, which particularly plagues this industry. 'Wither on the vine', as Newt Gingrich so eloquently plotted Social Security, is actually an apt policy position. My opinion on Medicare can be summed up in the following brief, yet succinct, article:

The other subject, given as a lobbying concept more than an actual bill, was 'obesity', which provides excellent segway into two topics which I've been mulling over of late: prevention and the role of the family practice physician in the healthcare system.

Prevention is quite a fadish term in medicine these days and you can look up any number of studies purporting to save money and lives from 'prevention'. Yet, how do we 'prevent' disease? Are we talking about advanced treatment options or the fascinating genetic investigations? No, when people use the term 'prevention' they are invariably talking about lifestyle changes (diet, exercise etc..) to combat diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, some cancers, and a wide range of other chronic type conditions/diseases. However, with this approach the doctors role has changed, from someone the patient consults because of his/her expert medical knowledge, to a nanny, to an encourager, to a motivator, to a cheerleader. In the same vein we engage in 'prevention' by badgering the patients not to drink, abstain from risky sexual contacts, and now risk being sued if we don't follow the appropriate guidelines in advising patients not to smoke.

A common theme heard during this weekend in DC was the idea that doctors aren't paid to spend time with patients, that the government and private insurance pays out much much more to 'do things' to patients, procedures etc... and that this should change, with some emphasis on prevention.

Obviously, I'm in favor of letting the market set the price for procedures and office visits, something the government is surely mucking up and distorting merely by being involved. Yet, if my opinion or input was warranted, I'd disagree with both sides. Most procedures don't really require expert knowledge; anyone with enough experience can become an 'expert' at most procedures. And expert knowledge is not required to sit down and be 'friendly' with a patient and chat up about their social lives, enforce screening guidelines, or encourage patients to do things they already know they should be doing but aren't.

However, expert knowledge is required in making a diagnosis, in assessing symptoms, illness management, in determining when and if a patient should undergo a procedure, a surgery for instance, in explaining cost/benefit analysis, manipulation, and to some extent in medication management.

Physicians today, mostly in the subspecialties, sometimes end up doing things to patients (procedures) that don't require expert knowledge, but pay quite well because of legal monopolies, monopoly coverage which extends even into the specific subspecialty. On the other hand, family physicians may undertake tasks which don't pay well and don't require expert knowledge, but which they are legally obligated to perform. One might say family physicians are bitten by the hand which feeds their kin. :)

The family practice doc is increasingly under siege from the upcoming PA and nursing professions, and rightly so, some of what he or she does can be performed by others more than adequately, especially issues dealing with 'prevention'. Thus, even if the emphasis in the Osteopathic profession on 'Family Practice' is understandable, from a historical point of view, as is our friends on the left's preoccupations with 'prevention', I don't believe either fits the objective template for optimal medical practice and resource allocation (as a free market might see fit), nor do I believe they represent current medical trends.

Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward towards talking about obesity (there is nothing the government can do to influence social trends), nor Medicare, and luckily those in our group didn't seem overly enthused about either either :), so we talked mostly about our school, its rapid growth, and positive financial and medical contribution to the state of NV (plus not costing NV taxpayers over $500,00 per non licensed MD as the state school in Reno does). We also discussed graduate medical education and residency programs in NV, where government rules and regulations have mucked things up. Of course, practice conditions in a state must be the central plank for any strategy to increase physician supply or address physician shortages in a state.

We were again wowed by Michelle Spence, the health policy aide to Senator Ensign, whose encyclopedic knowledge of healthcare issues is always impressive to behold.

I also stepped down from my position as National SOMA director of Political Affairs; it was a great ride and I was privileged to have met some great folks in SOMA, the AOA, and elsewhere.

This cyclone caused so much damage because of the poverty of the country, which was caused by the socialism and freedom limiting laws of the government. This overarching fact isn't mentioned much in the media, although a symptom of this oppressiveness, the blocking of aid etc... merits occasional mention.

The junta will likely cash in on the opportunities flowing from the massive western (and eastern) aid that will be flowing into the country.

An update to the story a few days ago, it turns out the bureaucrats who reported the sea lions were shot were wrong.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is saying dehydration, heat exhaustion or panic could have been factors.

Probably they forgot to check the traps. So, what we may have is a government agency killing a 'protected' species to 'protect' another 'protected' species.

An excellent macroscopic, strong worldview, big picture analysis of where the world is heading. It is optimistic, noting that American success and excellence resulting from our political system fueled these changes around the world, but he ends with the question of whether we can keep our republic.

The first legalised home computers have gone on sale in Cuba, but a ban remains on internet access.

This is the latest in a series of restrictions on daily life which President Raul Castro has lifted in recent weeks.

Crowds formed at the Carlos III shopping centre in Havana, though most had come just to look.

The desktop computers cost almost $800 (£400), in a country where the average wage is under $20 (£10) a month.

But some Cubans do have access to extra income, much of it from money sent by relatives living abroad.

Political debate in this country has been relegated to the realms of irrelevance and inanity. While the "Right-wingers" engage with the "Bleeding heart liberals" in some eternal battle of ignorance, the country is left decaying, her people suffering immensely. And yet neither side seems willing to see the error in its ways, instead blaming all of this country's problems on the other. The fact of the matter is that Conservatives have conserved nothing of value, destroying the principles upon which the Republican Party was founded, while the Liberals seem concerned with liberating only the baser qualities of man, waging war against societies they believe can be fixed only through their wise guidance. All of the while, our Constitution, and the very notion of individual freedom, has been thrown to the wayside, neglected in favor of political expediency and some ill-conceived notion of the Greater Good.

In this environment, the simple truths becomes ever more apparent. If you support an interventionist foreign policy, increased governmental spending, limitless executive power, private ownership of government, fiat currency and the Federal Reserve, then you are an enemy of liberty and peace, whether you are aware of it or not. If you are supporting John McCain, Hillary Clinton, or even Barack Obama for president, then you are neglecting the Constitution and fating the country to more depression and bloodshed. The Democrats might pay lip service to helping the poor and getting us out of Iraq, but they will do nothing about the system which has caused our problems. They will continue debasing our currency, allowing for an ever-expanding empire doomed to collapse, and waging a war of terror upon the world. I do not apologize if I have offended anyone. In fact, I hope I have.

Do it yourself. Ask nothing of the government but to stop stealing our money, controlling our lives, and getting in the way of progress. Their interventions into our educational system, health care structure, foreign relations, economy, and personal lives have been disastrous to say the least, and yet we throw even more money into such boondoggles. This is not the proper role of government. It is tyranny!

Become learned. Read, think, and discuss. Be unafraid of debate and dissent. Keep an open mind and try to think about things from many different perspectives. These ideas seem simple enough, but somehow open discussion of politics has become a taboo subject in America. The internet has certainly been changing that, but the more we bring this discussion to the real world, the more informed the debate, and therefore the populace, becomes. It is not our right to govern and lead the masses because we are better educated than them, but rather our responsibility to share our knowledge with them, providing them with the proper faculties to make informed choices on their own.

Stop compromising and conceding. Have a set of principles and stick to them. If a "major" candidate does not fit squarely within what you consider to be right and true, then do not vote for him or her! Find an underdog you can support. You may not have taken as many standardized tests as I, but you should still know that "none of the above" is often the correct answer.

Read The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul. You do not need to support the man or his policies, but it would be foolish not to read this book. The Congressman received more than twice the amount of money than John McCain in the fourth quarter of 2007, caused the Republican Party to walk out of the Nevada convention, and has a book that is #1 on Amazon and number #7 at the New York Times. This is the free market and it is speaking, if you care to listen. The ideas espoused by this real Republican maverick are going to be what shape this country in the coming years. How do I know? Because they are the ideas that formed this magnificent land in the first place.

I do not know when the Revolution will succeed again, but I know that it will. I can see the world rejoicing as The United States of America once again becomes a shining beacon of hope. It is inevitable. Just like everything else, it is only a matter of time.

After a super-majority of Ron Paul supporters captured control of the Republican state convention Saturday, state party officials abruptly canceled the event without electing delegates to the national convention.

But Paul's 10-minute speech drove the crowd of 1,200 delegates into frenzied applause. They interrupted him repeatedly with standing ovations.

This took place last weekend here in NV and from conversations I've had with people in attendance it was an amazing experience. Ron Paul's revolution will continue across the country at the local levels. For example, here in Nevada a group has formed 'the Nevada liberty alliance', dedicated to supporting candidates espousing Ron Paul's message of freedom and liberty.

It will be interesting to see what transpires in Montana in June, Paul is also speaking at this event.

Another example, check out this beaut, the Nevada Republican state party platform, largely influenced by Ron Paul supporters. In fact, it is probably the most liberty advancing state party platform in the entire country:

Nevada State Republican Platform 2008 - 2010

Preamble:

We believe that government is instituted solely to secure the life, liberty and property of the citizens of the country, that the Declaration of Independence defines the philosophical foundation of the country, that the Constitution of the United States is the basic law governing the existence and operation of the U.S. Federal Government and the first ten amendments describe its limits, and, as Thomas Jefferson said, that the government that governs least governs best.

Federalism & Limited Government

1. We support less government, less taxes, less regulation and more self determination.

2. All legislation, Federal Agencies, and public servants must adhere to a literal interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and as instructed by the Tenth Amendment, in conjunction with Article I, Section 8.

Patriotism

3. We recognize the importance of the national values expressed by our flag, anthem, Pledge of Allegiance and other patriotic symbols that define us as a nation and we believe that the words, "in GOD we trust," should remain on our currency and the words 'under God' should remain in our Pledge of Allegiance.

Taxes and Government Spending

4. We support reform of Social Security, including establishment of private retirement accounts and prohibiting use of its funds for any other purpose. All citizens shall have the right to opt out of the system, but the government must honor its commitments to those who have paid, are legally in the U.S., and remain in the system. We propose the abolishment of the Windfall Elimination Tax when computing Social Security Benefits. We oppose Nationalization of Healthcare.

5. We urge the Nevada Legislature to cut spending and avoid new taxes to encourage strong economic growth. We support the Nevada Constitutional Requirement of a 2/3 majority legislative vote to raise state taxes. We support balanced state, local and federal budgets. We oppose unfunded mandates, Riders, Ear-marks and Set-asides at both the state and national level. We support the permanent elimination of the Federal Death Tax.

The Economy

6. We support a strong private minerals industry. We support the Nevada Mining Association endorsed reform of the 1872 mining law and strongly oppose any laws, regulations, ordinances or any other legally binding actions that diminish the ability of the minerals industry to discover and or access minerals and mine them.

7. Fires are increasing because of the lack of livestock grazing. Therefore, livestock grazing shall be increased immediately on Federal Lands.

Education

8. We support a parent's right to choice in education including vouchers, charter schools, and home schooling. We also support the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education. We further oppose requiring licensure for parents who choose to home school. We support the elimination of the No Child Left Behind law and require the State of Nevada to replace the No Child Left Behind concept.

Family Values

9. We affirm the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of each human being from conception to death and oppose cloning complete human beings. We support the private development of adult stem cell research and we support all efforts to stop human trafficking. We support the definition of marriage as only between one man and one woman.

The Environment

10. We support initiatives to maximize the development of America's domestic oil, gas, coal, solar, wind, geothermal, and nuclear resources, and the development of alternative sources of energy to reduce the nations's dependence on foreign oil. We support granting local government more authority in decision-making regarding water rights within their jurisdiction.

Legislation

11. We demand the repeal of McCain-Feingold and reaffirm the right of free political speech. We support legislation to require full disclosure of all donations made to political candidates.

12. We support the repeal of the Federal Reserve Act and the return of the power of minting and coining money to the Congress of the United States as so stated in the Constitution. In addition we demand a return to a gold and/or silver backed currency as provided for the U.S. Constitution.

13. We demand that electronic voting only be allowed when uniquely numbered receipts are provided to the voter and results are made publicly available showing simultaneously all votes comprising the total by receipt number.

The Litigation Crisis

14. We believe in informing juries that it is their power and duty to decide on both the law and the facts as they apply to each case so that justice is the main priority. We support the election of judges.

Immigration

15. We welcome legal immigrants from all nations, cultures and races. We demand strict enforcement of all immigration laws by all levels of government. We demand that the federal government secure our borders. We do not support amnesty, government benefits or other special treatment for aliens who have or will enter the United States illegally. We support English as the official language of the untied States and the printing of government materials in English only.

National Defense and Veteran's Affairs

16. We support all of our men and women in the military who are serving both in the United States and around the world and the missions of all U.S. troops around the world. Be they active duty, National Guard, or reservist, they have our highest admiration and respect. We support honoring veterans with education benefits and we support a strong Veterans Administration subject to strong oversight and audit, to assure veterans and families receive the care and support as promised.

Constitution, Bill of Rights and Protection of Rights

17. We believe that the First Amendment to the Constitution was intended to prevent a state-sponsored religion rather than a separation of God from public life. We affirm that the Second Amendment protects an individual right which should be enforced as strictly as the rights protected by the First Amendment.

18. We support repealing the Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act. We support repeal of the federal act requiring a national ID card or other required identity papers providing government with 'big brother' intrusion into constitutional freedoms.

U.S. Sovereignty & Trade

19. We support the withdrawal of the United States from the United Nations. We demand that Nevada join Montana, Idaho, Utah and other states in opposing the North American Union (NAU) in withdrawing from the Security & Prosperity Partnership (SPP), withdrawing from North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and that Congress resume their duty of regulating Commerce with Foreign Nations.

Eminent Domain

20. We oppose Federal legislation regarding public lands including wilderness in Nevada counties unless approved by the county.