Why are we still in Iraq and Afghanistan?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31684118/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

 Are we going to make these countries over to suit us? Are they really a threat to us? It's been a long time since 9/11, and our homeland security has changed. We need to move along.

We are bogged down as a nation by too much government engineering --- our country needs to get on with the business of business -- free trade, peace and voluntarism, not war and statist manipulations.

We've got a lot of catching up to do.

Trade wars of the future

A tip of the hat to Don Boudreaux at Cafe Hayek.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062902307.html

As the US economy weakens, the unemployment rate rises and congress places more tax burdens on US businesses, there will be pressure to protect workers from imported goods. Plus the unions are going to demand protection from Obama, since they helped him get elected -- just saving GM is not near enough.

The rationalization for protection will most likely be an emotional appeal like all the big item changes are -- save the sick and poor, save the American worker who has given his/her greatest efforts to this country, save the planet for our children -- always remember the children!

I can see this emotional appeal being marketed in the media with personal stories of tragedy, of families thrown from their homes because jobs were lost, of individuals with hard hats and sad faces standing next to an empty factory, stories of executives escaping with millions who are now traveling the world and living it up. Nationalism will likely come into play -- the American way of life, traditional jobs victimized by globalization, foreign countries paying pennies for slave labor.

If the government goes this route and starts a trade war, we could be in for a long, hard depression. The present situation begs for economic freedom, lower taxes on business, less strangling regulation and global free trade, not war. I know that hardly anyone anymore believes that a strong economy, unburdened by taxes on businesses, capital gains and income, will create enough economic activity so that government revenue will increase rather than decrease, but it sure beats starting a trade war by circling the wagons. It's the difference of allowing the people of this country to go and make things happen and government trying to enforce safety even if it means stagnation and economic decline -- the difference between dynamic and static.

The real cost of public education might be hidden

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/07/01/finally-an-education-muckraker/

It would be enlightening to check and see what local public education really costs taxpayers, then we can make better decisions. I have a suspicion that costs are hidden across the country.

Thanks to Ron Matus for caring.

At least Obama is sort of saying the right thing about tariffs

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/30/obama-warns-dems-tariff-provision-climate/

But with Obama you have to watch what he does. Obama can easily warn against tariffs and sound all moderate and sensible, but then vote for it and say he had no choice. He says they must carefully analyze to see if tariffs are necessary -- uh, no you don't -- they aren't. But this is his way of talking to both sides out of each side of his mouth and then doing the radical thing he planned on doing all along. I'll be surprised if Obama resists tariffs -- pleasantly surprised..

It's Official -- Franken marks the end of sanity

Perhaps it's also a signal that the world will be ending soon. Minnesota is unique in its total absence of shame or, at least, embarrassment at being a joke. Franken is to senator as Obama is to anarchist.

Of course, in America, Franken as senator is not unusual, seeing as how we have a little of everything -- from Gay parades in San Francisco, Calif. to snake handlers in Ludowici, Ga. We are an open society which, despite hangovers from the Victorian Age, allows the loony amoral with the uptight and righteous. 

However, Franken as senator is a black mark against Democracy and a point for Plato's Republic -- or it could just mean the political realm is meaningless. However, if clowns like Barney "Pork Diddy" Frank can stay in the political realm long term, why not Franken as senator? It's about time this self-important group of blowhards was brought down a notch. And who's more qualified to bring their presitige down than Franken?

As a libertarian, I take this as a positive sign that a limited government can't be far off.