Satisfaction levels of Medicare beneficiaries are pretty high. This surprises Kevin Drum:
There’s a pretty obvious political dynamic that’s responsible for this. Seniors, who actually use Medicare, know perfectly well that it’s a good program. They can see any doctor they want, they get care when they need it, and the quality of […]
From The Liberty Papers
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
So says Fox News Channel Legal Analyst, and former Judge, Andrew Napolitano:
Civil liberties attorney Harvey Silvergate agrees:
Under well-established First Amendment jurisprudence, what Gates said to Crowley–even assuming the worst–is fully constitutionally protected. After all, even “offensive” speech is covered by the First Amendment’s very broad umbrella
(…)
Today, the law recognizes only four exceptions to the First […]
From The Liberty Papers
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
Walter Williams asks a question that, unfortunately, nobody in power bothers to ask anymore:
A president has no power to raise or lower taxes. He can propose tax measures or veto them, but since Congress can ignore presidential proposals and override a presidential veto, it has the ultimate taxing power.
The same principle applies to spending. A […]
From The Liberty Papers
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
Curunir over at The Distributed Republic has a point, related to many politicos obsession prior to the election with 538.com, that resonates with me:
Am I the only one who finds the popularity of horse-race style election coverage negative and bad for society, certainly not something to be subsidized?
To be sure, I don’t care if some […]
From The Liberty Papers
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
After working over fourteen hours today, with perhaps three hours of sleep the night before, my boss on the DC consulting job took me out for dinner at a diner, nearly the only restaurant still open in Bethesda at that hour. After dinner he asked for a Banana Cream Pie, his usual self-treat after this sort of marathon work day. The night chef told us it is no longer available. Montgomery County outlawed Trans-Fats and…
From Samizdata.net
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
We’ve already reported on Venezuelan food shortages, which are going to make the population too weak to fight Chavez. Now it appears they’ll be too tired as well:
Venezuela, a traditional coffee exporter that boasts one of the best cups of java in South America, may have to import coffee for the first time ever […]
From The Liberty Papers
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
Although we have had one of the most savage downturns since the 1930s, an analysis of the crisis would conclude that we have still not met its full political or social effects. Indeed, the whole experience has been dampened by fiscal stimulus and an air of artificial normality. Economists still call for green shoots and implore the broken totem of consumer spending and house prices to merge, giving a new impetus to the economy. Salient…
From Samizdata.net
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
Surely the Second Coming is at hand! The way to absolute power is to dress up empty cruelty as public virtue, and have the organs of propaganda promulgate it for 'carers' to inflict on children. Finally they have an excuse to take Teddy Bears from toddlers….
From Samizdata.net
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
“Legalization [of marijuana] is not in the president’s vocabulary, and it’s not in mine,”
- Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy.
From The Liberty Papers
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
There is a subject that we often return to on Samizdata when discussing things, and that is 'meta-context'. This is the frames of reference, the unspoken assumptions, the underpinning world view if you like, within which people see things and discuss them. Context is usually explicit, whereas meta-context is implicit and very much in the background. This is a useful concept for understanding why discussions get framed in the manner they do. When the meta-context…
From Samizdata.net
Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom
Proudly powered by Wordpress
