If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough
Mario Andretti
Marriage vs. Unconstitutional Judicial Activism
A Streetcar Named 'Corruption'
Francis Is a Product of His Leftist Populist Argentinian Experience
The Moral Outrage of Higher Energy Prices on the Poor
Facebook Corner
(Mises Institute). The position that a tax exemption is a subsidy has always been wrong. In no way is a person being subsidized when the state simply refrains from seizing a portion of that person's private property. The idea that it is a subsidy relies on the assumption that all wealth is the government's wealth first, and that any wealth held in private hands is somehow being withheld from the proper owners (i.e., the government).
The same line about subsidies is now being paraded around in an effort to massively increase taxes and government revenues by cutting off tax exemptions for religious organizations.
Wrong. Tax gimmicks are morally corrupt crony special-interest violations of the rule of law. Does that mean that the government is funding churches, etc.? No. The refund goes to the taxpayer, not the church.
(Cato Institute). "Social issues can be a political minefield, especially given rapidly evolving American attitudes. In the last few elections, Republicans have not shown the political dexterity needed to navigate this changing electoral terrain. Whether they can do so this time around may make the difference between victory and defeat in 2016."
Yet another preposterous opinion that the statistically insignificant number of rainbow-colored certificates issued at the order of corrupt judges is what people will base their 2016 votes on. What Republicans need to point is that centralized courts and government result in unsustainable, divisive, failed government, trillions of dollars to unsuccessfully wage wars on poverty, drugs and a neverending series of international evildoers. They need to point out we've had the same old same old policies of unpaid for, ineffectual domestic and foreign interventionists, anemic economic and job/wage growth. Entitlement spending is growing out of control, we have by some accounts over $100T in debt and unfunded liabilities, which would take over 20 years to pay off even if we didn't spend a penny more over the next generation. You could combine the total assets of the top 10 richest Americans and barely make a dent in this year's budget deficit.
Do I think the economic illiteracy of anti-immigrant attitudes of so-called "conservatives" hurts the GOP? Of course. I think the GOP should point out how government impedes charitable giving, how Big Government impedes economic/job/wage growth which genuinely lifts people out of poverty like it has for millions of Chinese, Indians, and others.
(Cato Institute). "Marriage policy is really, really complicated...A good deal of the confusion...could...be remedied by admitting that there are in fact two kinds of marriage in the United States, private and civil. They usually happen at the same time, but they are quite distinct, legally. Private marriages can and should be recognized (or not) by individuals, churches, and families, freely and on a case-by-case basis. This is a matter of religious and associational liberty, and as such it should remain fully protected by the First Amendment. 'Marriage' in this sense is not a government matter at all....Civil marriage, meanwhile, is a civil right, like the right to vote, or the right to a trial by jury."
No. There is no such thing as a "right to marry". For example, I've been a lifelong bachelor. There is no compelling obligation for the State to guarantee me some unfortunate bride. It is true in our social context there is a norm, an expectation for a socially acceptable context of marriage and family for procreation, hence the social pejorative "bastard". This is not a matter of government but of the private sector. The same type of scenario plays on the scarlet letter, or the exclusivity expectation of marital intimacy. In general, the virtues are applicable in the social context; the State cannot compel virtuous behavior. To the extent the law mirrors/reflects the social context, it may facilitate social norms. That is what is implicit under the Tenth Amendment responsibilities of the state, e.g., the regulation of pornography, etc. It's just a reflection of the principle of Subsidiarity. But arguing that marriage is a State-based construct is sheer hubris. To impose socially experimental policy on traditional communities is judicial fascist delusion.
Political Cartoon
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| Courtesy of Steve Breen via Townhall |
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists
Dionne Warwick, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again". One of her signature tunes, and the last solo Top 10 hit for a decade. She would only crack top 40 3 more times until 1979, including a joint artist collaboration.
