Morality and Social Security by Rev. Robert A. Sirico December 1, 1999 It is widely acknowledged by people of all economic and political persuasions that something will have to be to be done about Social Security in the coming years. Some want to shore up the system through higher taxes and other reforms. Others want to convert it to a private-oriented pension system. Even President Clinton has entertained the prospect of ...
Book Review: The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Richard M. Ebeling December 1, 1999 The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell (New York: The Free Press, 1999); 214 pages; $25. On August 18, 1919, during the Russian Civil War that resulted in the triumph of communism and the creation of the Soviet Union, there appeared the following passage in the first issue of The Red Sword, a newspaper published in Kiev by the Bolshevik ...
Should the State Punish Drug Offenders? by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 1999 Republican presidential contender George W. Bush's refusal to deny cocaine use raises some fundamental, moral questions: Why should the state be punishing adults for drug offenses? Why shouldn't people be free to engage in self-destructive behavior as long as their conduct is peaceful? Why should anyone be put in jail, fined, or have his property confiscated for simply engaging ...
Waco: Lies, Deaths, and Cover-Ups by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 1999 Afer the bombing of the Alfred J. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, President Clinton declared, "There's nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country." I wonder whether the president still feels the same way in light of the ...
Imports are Good! by Sheldon Richman November 1, 1999 As champions and opponents of the World Trade Organization (WTO) descended on Seattle, it would have been nice if they at least had their premises correct: Imports are benefits. Exports are costs. That is the opposite of what most people inside and outside the meeting hall believe. They insist on ...
Oh, Go Away Already by Sheldon Richman November 1, 1999 It's unseemly for people who have never created wealth to tell those who have how to spend it. Especially when they do so while sitting around the Villa La Pietra overlooking Florence. The Associated Press described the setting as "a spectacular 14th-century Renaissance palace with frescoed ceilings." Perfect for ...
U.S. Acts of Terrorism by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 1999 "The U.S. government is warning American citizens to beware of "terrorist" attacks all over the world, including the U.S. Our government has attacked and bombed people in Iraq, Serbia, Panama, Haiti, Somalia, and many others. Today, we have embargoes against Cuba and Iraq, which are creating misery and death for innocent ...
CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “The Tragedy of Elian” by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 1999 "Fidel Castro has upped the ante by demanding the return of a 5-year-old Cuban boy to his Cuban father. The boy's mother and stepfather and nine others were drowned when their boat sank after they escaped from Cuba. The U.S. Coast Guard captured the boy as he clung to an inner tube ...
CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “FDA Tyranny” by Andy Falkof November 1, 1999 "The Food and Drug Administration is contemplating whether to allow Cygnus, Inc. to market its new product, GlucoWatch, which can measure a diabetic's glucose level without having to draw blood. Its an innovation that enables more frequent and less painful checking. GlucoWatch is not 100% accurate under certain conditions, and the ...
CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Education Down the Barrel of a Gun” by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 1999 "Detroit parents whose children have been playing hooky from school were summoned to the office of state prosecutors and threatened with 90 days in jail. In Brewton, Pennsylvania, ten parents were indicted for their children's truancy, and one served 60 days in jail. In Brewton, Tennessee, two mothers had to serve ...
CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Campaign Finance Reform” by Andy Falkof November 1, 1999 "Last night's Republican debate included a sparring session between Bush and McCain regarding campaign-finance reform. McCain wants to see a dramatic reduction in soft money contributions, while Bush sees this as a political error that would hurt the Republican Party. McCain rightfully believes that special interests play a large role in ...
CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “ATF Largess” by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 1999 "Washington, DC, officials are ecstatic over plans by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to build a brand new (taxpayer-funded) $120 million building in the district. Officials claim that the new building, which will house 1,000 ATF employees, will attract new development to the neighborhood. Only in Washington, DC, ...