Which are worse governments or markets? The answer to this question might help you understand what political party you agree with, and how to solve the current US debt and debt ceiling problems. 1776 was the year the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the year Adam Smith published his famed “Wealth of Nations” (the … Continue reading
Gun bans- A simple-minded solution to a complex problem
A few days after the unspeakable tragedy at Sandy Hook elementary, Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein announced that she would introduce legislation to ban assault weapons at the start of the 113th session of Congress. “I’m going to introduce in the Senate and the same bill will be introduced in the House, a bill to ban … Continue reading
Is Putin really the most powerful person in the world?
My newsfeed headlines have been dominated by news that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named second most influential man in the world. Although there are many other newsworthy stories to report, I believe that this story deserves a nod. According to Ian Bremmer, President of the Eurasia Group, influential, charismatic leaders still run the … Continue reading
Politicizing Adoptions or Tales of the Magnitsky Act
The Magnitsky Act, a bill that recently passed in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, seeks to punish corrupt Russian officials. The bill, named after Sergei Magnitsky who discovered that Russian officials stole $230 million from the Russian treasury and alerted officials, and was later imprisoned and allegedly beaten and denied medical … Continue reading
Counter Terrorism or Limits on Religious Freedom?
Terrorism and religious extremism have found a home in Central Asia long ago. Ties between Central Asian terrorist cells and this in Afghanistan and Pakistan are deep. As fear of increasing terrorism and insurgency rises, Central Asia is increasing efforts to curb extremist tendencies in society. Either through counter terrorism operations, education of its citizens, or … Continue reading
Handicapping 2016: the Democrats
The 2016 presidential race is wide open, in a sense, but in a sense it’s not. While the Republican side will undoubtedly be a highly competitive horse race, the choice for the Democratic nominee will come down to one question: will Hillary run? Others have been mentioned to have interest in running – Vice-President Biden, … Continue reading
The Current Trend in Long-Term Care Expenses
Long-term care is expensive. It makes sense that it’s expensive, as it cares for individuals who need assistance in daily living activities. But this population makes up 48 percent of the total spending while only 6 percent of the Medicaid population uses long-term care services, according to a 2007 Kaiser Family Foundation study. In this economically … Continue reading
An Update to Medicare
One of the most contentious components of the fiscal cliff discussions is the debate about the Medicare eligibility age. Prominent conservatives argue that raising the Medicare eligibility age to 67 would adjust the most expensive government health program to modern times, while liberals believe it would take away benefits from hardworking seniors, and hurt the … Continue reading
WARNING: the Adverse Effects of Unilateral Sanctions
Last week, Congress overwhelmingly voted to increase sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Although nuclear nonproliferation has become my life work’s purpose, I can’t, in my right mind, agree with our government’s decision to add increased sanctions. On the other Before you stop reading, hear me out. First, let’s examine the general reasons for … Continue reading
On Remembering History and the Nature of Conflict
It was a normal Sunday morning for my grandfather, an officer in the US Army. He was getting ready to play his weekly round of golf, an experience which, while blissful enough on its own, was accented by the warm December sun and calming breeze of the South Pacific. As he prepared to leave, my … Continue reading
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