Kristi Noem frequently likes to tell the media that ICE is apprehending “the worst of the worst.” The website for the Department of Homeland Security states, “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, DHS removed more than 670,000 illegal aliens including murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists from American communities and another…
Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has implicitly announced a revival of the Fairness Doctrine. Introduced in 1949, the Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters to present different viewpoints on controversial subjects. When the doctrine was repealed in 1987, radio stations could air programs by conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh without being forced to…
In Economics in One Lesson, Henry Hazlitt contends good economics requires us to look beyond the immediate benefits of a policy. While the beneficiaries of a policy are easy to see, those bearing the costs are often unseen. Good economic policy decisions require us to look at the seen and the unseen. Both New York…
In my book, The Affordable Housing Crisis: Causes and Cures, I examine the framework that has dominated government housing policies for the past one hundred years. No matter which party is in power, government housing policies have consistently used a combination of carrots and sticks. Carrots are used to incentivize actions desired by the government,…
It is fashionable for Trump’s critics to label him as a fascist. While that label is correct, few realize that many of his critics and political opponents also embrace fascism. Indeed, over the past one hundred years, nearly every President has supported policies consistent with fascism. Contrary to conventional wisdom, fascism is not a right-wing…
For one-hundred forty years, the Statue of Liberty has stood as a beacon for those aspiring for a better life in America. A plaque inside the statue’s pedestal declares: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to…
It is said that a broken (analog) clock is correct twice a day. Similarly, occasionally Trump gets something right, even if by accident. In the case of his recent claim that oil fields in Venezuela were stolen and belong to the United States, he is partially right. When he announced the naval blockade of Venezuela,…
When Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, the White House website stated tariffs do not raise prices. In November, Trump reduced tariffs on beef, coffee, and dozens of other food items to combat rising grocery prices. The Administration didn’t bother to explain why higher tariffs don’t increase prices, but lower tariffs decrease prices….
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently stated that he has seen “a degradation in civility” among air travelers. As a part of what he called his “civility campaign,” he pleaded with Americans to quit wearing pajamas on airplanes. Rather than scold airline passengers for their attire, Duffy should convince his boss to set a better example….
In the wake of last week’s electoral victories by Democrats, the two most prominent Republicans once again showed they are living in a fantasy world. Trump claimed that, along with the government shutdown, Republicans lost because he wasn’t on the ballot. J. D. Vance said that Republicans need to “do better at turning out voters…
In late October, those taking part in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAPs, better known as food stamps, began to panic as the government shutdown threatened their payments. One woman stated on Tik Tok, “It is the taxpayer’s responsibility to take care of my kids. It is the taxpayer’s job to pay for my kids…
The No Kings protests on October 18 drew millions of people to 2,700 different locations to voice their opposition to Trump’s increasingly dictatorial policies. Despite predictions by Sen. Ted Cruz and others, the protests were peaceful and civil. I doubt that Trump’s minions will allow that to continue because dictators don’t play fair. Every dictator…