Thoughts on Security Post Boston Marathon
As the dust settles on the bombing in Boston, and the flurry of misinformation and speculation finally begins to settle down now that the two primary suspects have been killed and apprehended,...
View ArticleSlow Going
There haven’t been many posts here as of late. There are two reasons for that. First, I’ve been very busy. But that’s not the main cause. The primary issue is that I’m updating and moving this site. I...
View ArticleI’m From the Government’s IT Department, and I’m Here to Help
Ronald Reagan said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” For those of us who care about things like sound fiscal stewardship of...
View ArticleDC Council to the Poor: Screw You!
The unemployment rate in Washington DC is 8.5%, a point higher than the national average. Compared to the rest of the nation, the District is poverty and crime-ridden. Given these facts, you’d think...
View ArticleHarry Reid’s Filib(l)uster and the NLRB
The big news yesterday was that Republicans apparently caved on their opposition to several Obama administration appointees, a deal which will stave off Harry Reid’s plan to invoke the so-called...
View ArticleWhen Data Misleads
Data is important in public policy. In many situation, the right piece of information can settle a dispute, though even then it probably won’t. But sometimes data can mislead, especially if the...
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Picture Too “Rah-Rah American” for 9/11 Memorial Director
Should someone so seemingly hostile toward accurately presenting the subject matter of a museum be its creative director? This iconic picture of firefighters raising the stars and stripes in the rubble...
View ArticleBradley Manning is No Hero
Bradley Manning was recently found guilty of 20 charges (and acquitted of “aiding the enemy”) stemming from his decision to release hundreds of thousands of classified documents to Wikileaks. Many,...
View ArticleBono Stumbles On Truth About Poverty
I’ve always liked Bono. Not only does he make good music, but unlike so many in Hollywood he actually seems to care about his chosen causes. Rather than strut and preen for the cameras or play partisan...
View ArticleHolder Rattles the Sabers
Tough talk from the nation’s top legal obstructionist: Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday put Wall Street on notice with a vague threat, saying that the Justice Department may be gearing up for...
View ArticleSyrian Intervention Reveals Central Foreign Policy Divide
When Obama was elected, I noted that his soon-to-be Ambassador to the U.N and now National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, had previously argued for unilateral military action in Darfur and represented a...
View ArticleDC’s Latest Harebrained Idea
Of all the bad ideas to come out of DC, this may yet be the worst: Before you join the cynics and naysayers who airily dismiss the notion that Washington should bid to host the 2024 Olympics, hear the...
View ArticleEnd the Federal Subsidy for Big State Governments
The relationship between federal and state governments – the division of power between the two levels being known as federalism – is an integral part of the American constitutional system. Federalism...
View ArticleSerious Liberal Thinkers™ Compare Accepting 2,000 Page Legislative...
In one of the more bizarre public policy debates in recent memory (and that’s saying something), Serious Liberal Thinkers™ responded to Senator Ted Cruz’s 21+ hours of floor speech against Obamacare...
View ArticleMarauding Band of Government Thugs Harass Seniors at Yellowstone
In the latest incident highlighting the utter contempt and disdain with which the American government holds its citizens, roving bands of government thugs harassed and intimidated visitors at...
View ArticleEnd Times for the Welfare State
A recent letter to the The New York Times: To the Editor: Stephen D. King correctly observes that the United States and many other so-called advanced economies are looking forward to a dismal future...
View ArticleOvergovernment: When Nannies Collide
This episode of Overgovernment brings us Nanny on Nanny action. When anti-Obesity nannies meet “for the children!” nannies in a fight to the death, who shall leave their field of battle victorious?...
View ArticleNotable Quotations
Chris Edwards, “Budget Battles Highlight Importance of Federalism:” Outside of the military, the federal government is mainly just a giant cash transfer machine, vacuuming up taxpayer earnings and...
View ArticleShrinking Dollars
A recent letter to the The New York Times: To the Editor: Richard A. Friedman finds that an hour of psychotherapy ain’t what it used to be (“Shrinking Hours,” October 12). He attributes this, along...
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Political Correctness Run Amok
There’s no doubt that societies change over time. In just the last half century or so we’ve witness a dramatic change in social norms and attitudes on a variety of issues (as documented first instance...
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