Commentary
Last week I was taken to task by a reader for classifying WIC (government aid to Women, Infants, and Children) as welfare. He said this was an incorrect categorization of WIC. His rationale centered around the ubiquity of the program, i.e., he claimed that almost any single mother could qualify for it. I?m not sure whether he is right in making such an estimate. However, it wouldn?t matter if everyone in America qualified for it. That?s not the point. The point is that WIC is an unearned government handout, which qualifies it as welfare. It?s not like Social Security or Medicare, programs that people pay into when they are younger and draw benefits from when they are older. WIC, on the other hand, frequently provides benefits to those who pay little or no taxes, while those who pay the most taxes will likely never see a dime from it. It?s just another government redistribution-of-wealth scheme, aka welfare. You can call it whatever you would like. Welfare by any other name is still wel
According to the U.S. Constitution, free speech is one of the rights that we enjoy as Americans. However, I see this right arbitrarily abridged every day, and most people seem to go along with it. In some cases, this violation of the First Amendment is even coded into law. Here are some things that should never be allowed to infringe on free speech rights, although they commonly do:1) A person?s inability or unwillingness to fight back2) Law enforcement3) Judges4) Corporations5) Bullies6) Unions7) Bosses8) Peer pressure9) Government agencies, including the FCC, FBI, CIA, TSA, and Homeland Security10) Military superiors 11) Zealots12) Laws that regulate campaign finance13) Laws that restrict ?hate speech? or apply additional punishment to ?hate crimes? 14) Laws that govern tax-exempt status (especially as they apply to religious organizations)15) Etiquette16) Political correctness17) Lack of social status18) Power brokers19) Political parties20) Social activists
American TV is now dominated by political correctness. That's the primary reason why I watch very little of it these days. However, I have watched enough of it in recent years to learn all of the following "precepts":1) All burglary, drunk driving, theft, and violent crime are committed by white males.2) There is absolutely no downside to going green.3) Education is the answer to all of mankind's ills.4) Born-again, evangelical Christians are all hypocrites. 5) Most, if not all, of the nation's wing nuts and wackos can be found in the conservative Republican ranks.6) One religion is as valid (or invalid) as another.7) Capitalism is bad; pure capitalism is an abomination. 8) Although somewhat essential to the family unit, a father is by far the dumbest member thereof.9) There's no real difference between homophobia and racism. 10) Corporal punishment is tantamount to child abuse. 11) The sure path to heaven is to be philanthropic and fight for social justice, regardless one's personal c
Lehigh03 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:00 EDT
That's primarily a contest between City Councilors Sam Yoon and Michael Flaherty. I gave Yoon the edge. Polite but pointed in his critique of Menino, Yoon returned repeatedly to his contention that a strong-mayor system - a system that gives Menino tremendous power - isn't good for Boston. His performance would have been more persuasive with concrete examples of how the governance changes he advocates would make Boston better. Still, he gave voters a serious matter to mull. As for the incumbent, he never got rattled, not even when developer Kevin McCrea went after him with blunt charges that his administration has exchanged favors for political donations. But neither did Menino give viewers much of an idea of what an unprecedented fifth term would mean, beyond a continuation of the incremental leadership we've seen so far. And he sometimes played into the criticism that he is too powerful by dismissing his rivals' critiques with broad assertions - his administration is working with the
My local newspaper recently began an editorial by quoting a portion of Galatians 3:28 from the King James Version of the Bible as follows: ?There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male or female?.? Interestingly enough, the editors chose to exclude the final and most important phrase of that passage, which states, ?for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.? Even though the editorial had nothing to do with biblical matters, the verse from Paul?s epistle to the Galatians should have been included in its entirety. Without its concluding phrase, the passage loses its meaning and is rendered completely ridiculous. Of course there are Jews, Greeks, males, females, free people, and (unfortunately, even today) slaves ? in the physical world. But as Paul was trying to tell the Galatians, in Jesus Christ (and in Him only), all of these earthly distinctions melt away. Their treatment of this scripture verse is comparable to quoting someone as having made the fo
Going NUMMI Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:39 EDT
Commerce: Toyota last week quietly announced it will shutter its famed NUMMI plant in Fremont, Calif. This should be taken as a warning: The facility had all the features of the green economy the White House wants.
Energy: We balk at importing "dirty" oil from Canada, but others aren't so reluctant. Exempt as a "developing" nation from Kyoto-like agreements, China has decided to help Canada develop its energy-rich oil sands.
Civil Rights: Eric Holder's Justice Department plans to hire more than 50 new civil rights lawyers to ferret out racism in American society. And you thought you were getting a post-racial presidency.
A Tax Too Far Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:34 EDT
Taxes: With so many bad ideas rolling around Washington these days, what's one more? Democrats and their union allies think slapping a tax on investment trades is a good idea. In fact, it's a recipe for a meltdown.
1st Amendment: Mark Lloyd, a disciple of Saul Alinsky and fan of Hugo Chavez, wants to destroy talk radio and says free speech is a distraction. The new FCC diversity "czar" says Venezuela is an example we should follow.
The Law: If there's any doubt Ecuador's $26 billion lawsuit against Chevron is nothing but a scam to shake down Big Oil, check out a new video of Ecuadorean operatives who prove how justice works in that country.
Media Malpractice: Among the many encomiums that the mainstream media showered on the late senator from Massachusetts, something was curiously missing: the link between Sen. Ted Kennedy and the KGB.
Axis Of Evil: North Korean arms bound for the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of U.N. sanctions were intercepted, but Tehran will still be the first nuclear terror regime. No wonder Dick Cheney wanted to attack.
When parents plunk down $20,000, $30,000, $40,000 and maybe $50,000 this fall for a year's worth of college room, board and tuition, it might be relevant to ask: What will their children learn in return?
The Hemisphere: With allies such as Honduras flatly condemned, and Colombia being left to defend itself over its ties with our military, the United States is squandering its influence in Latin America.
Media Bias: Veteran reporter, author and commentator Bernard Goldberg reports that when CBS News did its fake National Guard story on George W. Bush avoiding service in Vietnam, it knew it was a lie.
Missile Defense: The U.S. has abandoned plans to install a missile defense system in Europe, according to a report. If true, this is a major strategic error that will have serious consequences for our allies in Europe and for us.
Public Trust: What did the speaker know, and when did she know it? With CIA documents contradicting Nancy Pelosi's claims on classified briefings, will a death watch begin on her leadership?
The health overhaul debate has generated plenty of heat. Yet no one has offered a solution to one vital and unavoidable dimension: the future.
Junk Science: The EPA may be considering closing the watchdog office that exposed the flimsy evidence of man-caused warming. So much for the administration's promise to "restore science to its rightful place."
Health Care Reform: A study by the British Patients Association tells the true story about socialized medicine in Britain. It's one of willful and woeful neglect of millions, missed diagnoses, and elderly patients left in pain.
The scenario is all too familiar, and plays out daily in my office. After evaluating a patient I recommend a particular course of treatment. More often than not, the first question from the patient is not, "How effective is the treatment?' or "How safe is it?" Rather, the refrain is "Will my insurance cover it?"
Thursday marked the 150th anniversary of a seminal event in history: the birth of the oil industry. On that day in 1859, Edwin Drake struck black gold with the first commercial oil well -- creating an industry that would provide the lifeblood for modern civilization.
Lee Lynch finds a good dyke cut hard to come by. After decades of discomfort in barber shops and beauty parlors, I finally found a lesbian haircutter. She co-owned a little salon on the north end of a hot dry town at the tail end of a series of mountain passes. Both owners were local moms, with a loyal following of housewives, retired ladies and dykes. It was a strange mix that might have made me hopeful that this right wing county would learn that we?re not contagious except that my haircutter, in her forties and a member of the pre-liberation generation, wasn?t out. Didn?t need to be because she could talk about her kids with the straights and whisper coded words with ?family.? Of course I had heard the old stereotype of gay men as hairdressers, but I?d never been lucky enough to find one. When I learned that lesbians did this sort of thing, well, I knew there was a haircut heaven somewhere. Another lesbian cut hair an hour west of us, but that was too far. Once I?d experienced the
Energy: Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal warns that coming economic recovery means tighter oil supplies and higher prices. He's right to be appalled at the White House's inability to see the obvious.
Health Systems: Health care in France is often held up as a model the U.S. might follow. Yet the French have their own problems that show there's no such thing as a free lunch -- or a free doctor's visit.
Health Care: Powerful California Rep. Henry Waxman wants to save Medicare billions by going after drug industry "windfalls." As usual, his "savings" will very quickly turn into higher costs for you-know-who.
Labor: If there's any question as to why union toughs turned up at recent health care town halls and got violent, consider what they were gooning for: a $10 billion bailout for their mismanaged pensions -- at our expense.
Health Care: "First, do no harm" is never the maxim of Washington politicians. With a public uprising killing ObamaCare,
Monetary Policy: The renomination of Fed chief Ben Bernanke to a second term came as no big surprise. The same can't be said for the naming of a union activist as head of the
The fate of the Waxman-Markey climate bill rests upon two myths about so-called "clean coal." The first is that coal, as used today in the U.S., is a dirty fuel. The other is that coal can be made "clean" by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants and storing them underground in geologic repositories.
Energy Policy: A new study shows that Waxman-Markey will increase prices at the pump, deepen our dependence on foreign oil and shred our ability to turn crude into gasoline. Even fuel-efficient cars will still need fuel.
National Security: Appointing a prosecutor to harass CIA interrogators exposes this administration's priorities: The global war on terror takes a back seat to terrorizing some of America's most selfless warriors.
There was never doubt that whenever the economy began turning around the Obama administration, and especially the $787 billion stimulus package, would get the credit.
Medical Overhaul: Whole Foods' CEO weighed in on health care, just as our president urged. But instead of engaging him in civil discussion, angry leftists boycotted his stores. They've succeeded only in chilling debate.
Though common-sense Americans have repeatedly raised the issue of tort reform while discussing health care legislation with members of Congress during town hall meetings this month, too many lawmakers and analysts still stubbornly insist that medical liability lawsuits do not contribute significantly to rising health care costs. These lawmakers and analysts are wrong.
Reform: If Massachusetts is any guide, the passage of ObamaCare is almost certain to increase demand and worsen the shortage of doctors. Access to health care doesn't mean much if there's no doctor to provide it.
War Strategy: The war in Afghanistan is "deteriorating" and a much bigger commitment is needed if we are to win it, says the top U.S. military officer. President Obama has made this his war. Is he ready to fight it?
Security: The ACLU sneakily photographing CIA officers near their homes, then showing the shots to the imprisoned planners of the 9/11 attacks. A fruitcake fantasy? The government is looking into exactly this.
Kennedy Rules Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:05 EDT
Politics: Should the election law in Massachusetts be changed to keep Ted Kennedy's seat filled and get ObamaCare passed? As in Minnesota and Illinois, the voters might lose again.
Drug War: Mexico surprised everyone Thursday by "decriminalizing" drugs for "personal use" to refocus its resources. This may sound good to some, but it's waving a white flag at drug cartels that will now take advantage.
Lockerbie: To Scottish authorities, the release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, serving a life sentence for planning the Pan Am jet bombing that killed 270, is a "humanitarian" act. But to any civilized person, it's an outrage.
Americans are churchgoers, and religion has always played a large role in U.S. politics. Health reform is no different. A new IBD/TIPP Poll shows that, depending on their faith, Americans have differing opinions and differing intensity of opinion when it comes to including a public option in any overhaul plan.
Allies: Tiny Honduras last week handed over a Syrian death merchant to face justice in the U.S. That's right: The same 'coup-government' the Obama administration reviles is one of the very few helping us fight terror.
Health Care: Democrats are right that uncompensated emergency care for the uninsured is driving up costs. What they don't say is it's illegal immigrants who are bankrupting ERs, and the federal government is encouraging them.
The recent uptick in home sales, green shoots of new housing starts and rebounding stock market may suggest that the long-awaited turn in the U.S. economy is here.
Woe, Canada! Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:50 EDT
Medical Care: A leaked report shows that Vancouver's health authority is considering cutting thousands of surgeries to balance the budget. However organized, government-run health care inevitably leads to rationing.
Big Government: Ron Bloom, who heads the government's auto task force, may soon have a new job. As Bloomberg reports, the White House wants him to become a new de facto manufacturing czar. What next?
Global Warming: What's the climate change scare really about? Not what the alarmists want the public to think. Just ask the retiring head of Greenpeace. In an unguarded moment, he might spill the secret again.
War On Terror: The election in Afghanistan serves as a reminder that force is often more important to liberty than votes. That said, why does the U.S. refuse to go all out against al-Qaida?
