Absurdity on the Trade Balance
I'm told to worry about the trade deficit. Commentators and populist politicians are wringing their hands. The trade deficit is a "malignant tumor in the intestines of the U.S. economy," says Pat...
View ArticleFuture by Formulary
The Democrats who now control Congress want to change President Bush's Medicare drug benefit to require government officials to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies. Under the...
View ArticleThe Fear Industrial Complex
For the past two weeks I've written about how the press part of the Fear Industrial Complex profit by scaring us to death about things that rarely happen, like terrorism, child abductions, and...
View ArticleThe Edifice Complex
Why do we let politicians name buildings after each other? I understand building monuments to honor leaders like Washington and Jefferson. But monuments to current members of Congress? Haven't we...
View ArticleCelebrating Wrong Day
Last Sunday was marked by an orgy of celebrations of Earth Day, the worldwide annual event intended "to spark a revolution against environmental abuse." Even the Bush administration had an Earth Day...
View ArticleSchool Choice Besieged
I've been on the road lately, giving speeches at universities, think tanks, and community groups to let people know about the release of the paperback edition of "Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity."...
View ArticleOne Versus Five
Bill Clinton once declared, "The era of big government is over." Both Republicans and Democrats applauded. What a joke. Government grew under Mr. Clinton, and grew even faster under his successor....
View ArticleHarnessing Jeffersonian Spirit
"Reviving the Hamilton Agenda." That's the headline the New York Times gave David Brooks's recent column honoring the Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, perhaps least interested in limiting political...
View ArticleThere's Profit in Prosperity
In political life today, you are considered compassionate if you demand that government impose your preferences on others. But what's compassionate about that? Compassionate is "live and let live."...
View ArticleWisconsin's Medical Experiment
"On, Wisconsin ... run the ball clear down the field!" It's time to amend the Wisconsin football song so we can cheer on the Badger State's politicians as they move toward health-care socialism. The...
View ArticleHealthier Than You Think
The New York Times recently declared "the disturbing truth that the United States is a laggard not a leader in providing good medical care." As usual, the Times editors get it wrong. They find...
View ArticleThe Michael Moore Challenge
Cuba has great socialized medic ine much better than the half-socialized system America has, according to Michael Moore and his documentary "Sicko." "They believe in preventative medicine," Mr. Moore...
View ArticleBad Medicine
Almost daily we're bombarded with apocalyptic warnings about the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance. Senator Hillary Clinton wants to require everyone to have it, to require big...
View ArticleA Move in The Wrong Direction
Almost daily, we're bombarded with apocalyptic warnings about the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance. Senator Clinton wants to require everyone to have it, big companies to pay for it...
View ArticleA Lexus Of Health Care
Candidates for president have plans to get more people health insurance. Some would compel us to buy it; others would use the tax code to encourage that. Regardless, insurance is the magic that will...
View ArticleAfter SCHIP: ...That Needs Resetting
Health-care costs overall have been rising faster than inflation, but not all medical costs are skyrocketing. In a few pockets of medicine, costs are down while quality is up. Dr. Brian Bonanni has an...
View ArticleYoung Sex Offenders
Imagine how DeMarcus Blackwell felt when he was told that his son Chris had engaged in "sexual contact and/or sexual harassment" at school. School officials in Waco, Texas, said Chris rubbed his face...
View ArticleDebating Global Warming
First he won the Oscar then the Nobel Peace Prize. He's being called a "prophet." Impressive, considering that one of former Vice President Al Gore's chief contributions has been to call the debate...
View ArticleVouchers With Strings
I apologize. Last week, I wrote enthusiastically about Utah's chance to have school vouchers. By now, we know whether voters said yes or no. Either way, while a voucher experiment is a good thing, and...
View ArticleThe Tragedy of the Commons
Every year around this time, schoolchildren are taught about that wonderful day when Pilgrims and Native Americans shared the fruits of the harvest. "Isn't sharing wonderful?" say the teachers. They...
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