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 When the doctrine was repealed in 1987, radio stations could air programs by conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh without being forced to…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…
Last week, I wrote about the government’s use of carrots and sticks to manipulate the behavior of home buyers. Now, in response to Trump’s new health care plan, a physician is calling for more sticks and fewer carrots regarding health care insurance. Trump has proposed sending money directly to Americans rather than to insurance companies….
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,…
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…
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…
In July, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz added his voice to the calls for censorship when he introduced the Stop Financial Underwriting of Nefarious Demonstrations and Extremist Riots (Stop FUNDERs) Act. The bill, he told Fox News, would allow the Department of Justice to prosecute those who fund protests “which may well turn into riots.” Interestingly,…
Since January, Americans have been subjected to a constant stream of erratic policies from the Trump Administration. Most commentators focus on the latest outrage and point out the contradictions, evasions, or misrepresentations in those policies. Rather than try to understand the rationale, or lack thereof, behind these policies, we should ask what erratic policies accomplish….