If individual rights (or lack thereof) are the fundamental issue in politics, then one should judge political candidates for President based upon their stated adherence to (or lack of adherence to) the preservation and expansion of individual rights -- that is, to be...
POLITICS
Al Gore’s Money Grab
Whose money is it?In a muddled political contest, where there is no basic disagreement on prescription drugs, education, or even foreign policy, the biggest issue might be: Which candidate, if any, thinks you have a right to your own money?Al Gore's answer is clear:...
Who is Al Gore Championing?
Al Gore claims he is trying to fight for "those who need a champion, those who need to be lifted up so they are never left behind." Exactly who is Al Gore championing, and in what name? Is he championing the ideas of independence and self-responsibility? The idea of...
A Recipe for Economic Collapse in Venezuela: Hugo Chavez’s Anti-Capitalist Philosophy
One of the perennial complaints made of investment analysts is "why didn't you warn me about this before the crash?" While difficult, it is sometimes possible to identify the makings of a country's downfall beforehand, while the news about it is still positive. One...
The Microsoft Saga
In a decision generally hailed as a victory for Microsoft, the Supreme Court rejected the government's plea to hear a direct appeal of the government's Antitrust case against Microsoft. In April, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruled that Microsoft had violated...
Facts, Anyone?
When demands for rent control were made to the city council of the small, middle-class community of Foster City, California, the members of the city council responded in a way that is very unusual. They relied on facts. The facts they relied on were that cities with...
“Free” Drugs Courtesy of Al Gore
Al Gore promises cheap or free prescription drugs for everybody. Wow! What a deal! I'm going to vote for Gore. How nice of him! Where has he been all these years? Wait a minute. There must be a reason why some drugs are so expensive. Could it be that drug companies...
The Great (?) Debate
Too often the first presidential debate looked like an Al Gore monologue, with footnotes by George W. Bush, while moderator Jim Lehrer looked on like an innocent bystander.Perhaps Lehrer was too much of a gentleman to say, "Shut up, already, so the other guy can get a...
Who Should Take Credit for America’s Prosperity: Bill Gates or Bill Clinton?
It seems Bill Clinton is trying to fool us again, this time into believing we owe him our prosperity. In the Democratic convention, he proudly claimed responsibility for the last eight years of unprecedented progress and prosperity in America. The false but widespread...
Pay For Your Own Day Care
In San Diego, they've turned the public schools into full-service baby sitters at a cost of more than $15 million per year. The program is called "6 to 6." Every elementary and middle school student is eligible for sun-up to sundown care. Well, why not? The kids...
Why Clinton Would Win A Third Term: Feelings Above Reason
A comment I heard from a radio disc jockey sums up exactly what's wrong with our country today. "Whatever you think of President Clinton, he sure is a charmer," he said on the air. "Can I vote for him a third time?" The disc jockey is right. It's sad, but true. A...
China’s Gymnastic Gulag
I always enjoy watching the Olympic games. I enjoy the stories of the athletes' determination, the hard work and mental focus they devote to reaching their goals. But this year, that enjoyment has been marred by a disturbing note. During the first week of coverage...
Why “Debt Forgiveness” is a Bad Idea: Punishing Producers and Rewarding Moochers and Looters
Among some government officials and certain members of the financial press, the idea of debt forgiveness is in vogue. Many specious arguments have been made by an assortment of different groups who believe debt forgiveness is the financial panacea that will begin an...
The Olympic Games Celebrate the Mind
Here I stand at the first great climax of my life. I, Dicon of Athens, wait in this grand stadium beside the river Alpheus.I am the proud progeny of my city's dedication to the perfection of mind and body, and gathered around me are athletes from all the Greek world,...
Will A Right To Prescription Drugs Kill Both The Sick And the Healthy?
Al Gore promised to provide prescription drugs "coverage for all" American senior citizens if elected president. Democrats applauded, and Republicans timidly committed to a plan that makes "coverage … available for all seniors." What would follow if such a commitment...
Know Thy Enemy: The Dangers of the IMF’s “World Economic Outlook”
Every two years the IMF publishes its "World Economic Outlook". (I'll call it, aptly, WOE) The most recent advanced copy was released last week on the internet. [link], and I suggest that all global investors take a look at it. I disagree with most of the IMF's...
Why Clinton’s Efforts to Bring Peace to the Middle East Must Fail
One crucial element of Clinton's legacy is his desire to be remembered as the American President finally responsible for ensuring peace in the Middle East. To that end, he has pressured the Israelis and showered favors on a life-long, Palestinian terrorist in an...
The Fourth Mega-Market, Now Through 2011: How Three Earlier Bull Markets Explain the Present and Predict the Future
The year was 1970, and I was part of a scorned breed, scorned at least on Wall Street. People who did what I did -- recommending stocks based on historical price patterns -- were literally laughed at by many of the Street's citizens. I couldn't accept this. I talked...
Australia’s “Original Sin”: Why Prime Minister Howard Should Not Apologize to the Aborigines
The 2000 Olympics opened last Friday (15.Sept.00) in a "splendidly diverse and inclusive" (New York Times, editorial, 17.Sept.00) portrayal of Australia. The symbol of the aboriginal athlete Cathy Freeman carrying the Olympic flame in its final stage "shined a...
My Home-School Experience Demonstrates the Benefit of a Rational Approach to Education
It was painful to watch. Our bright 9-year-old son was rapidly losing his love of learning. Dissatisfied with his private school, the best we could find, I decided to postpone my second career as a writer and home-school him--a choice many Americans are forced to make...
Europe’s High Fuel Taxes: Virtue or Vice?
High oil prices and rising fuel taxes have lit an explosion of fury across the European continent, resulting in protests and blockades of depots and refineries. Following the recent oil price rise, the Europeans have finally realized what a massive burden fuel taxes...
Advice to the GOP: Bush Needs a Republican Agenda
Salsman said that the Republicans’ only real option to win is to adopt a consistent, principled message that resonates with voters: less government and more freedom.
The United Nations Wrestling Federation
Professional wrestling is the soap opera farce of sports. From the official bouts to the backroom posturing, all disputes and relationships are staged and meaningless. One can say almost the same for the United Nations, and particularly its recent Millennial Meeting,...
The “Economic Growth Causes Inflation” Myth
There's a certain economic platitude that outrages me every time I hear it repeated by the financial press and political economists. Put simply, it's the familiar comment that economic growth causes inflation. It has many variations, including "high employment causes...
Subscribe for free.
Latest pro-Capitalism goodness sent weekly to your email box.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.