http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/cato/ en-us Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:01:44 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414832/posts With the Christmas season and its promise of "Peace on earth, goodwill toward men" upon us, and protectionist sentiment stirring in Washington, it is appropriate to revisit the question of whether free trade promotes world peace. Advocates of free trade have long argued that its benefits are not merely economic. Free trade also encourages people and nations to live in peace with one another. Free trade raises the cost of war by making nations more economically interdependent. Free trade makes it more profitable for people of one nation to produce goods and services for people of another nation than to... CATO http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414832/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:01:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395910/posts Michael F. Cannon from The Cato Institute writes about the trickery involved by Democrats in estimating how much the behemoth known as ObamaCare will cost and what the real cost of the Socialism will be: One gimmick makes the new entitlement spending appear smaller by not opening the spigot until late in the official 10-year budget window (2010–2019). Correcting for that gimmick in the Senate version, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) estimates, “When all this new spending occurs” — i.e., from 2014 through 2023 — “this bill will cost $2.5 trillion over that ten-year period.” Another gimmick pushes much of the... Flopping Aces http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395910/posts#comment Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:01:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2390831/posts Take My Medicare Malcolm A. Kline, November 20, 2009 In the usual manner in which bad ideas become even worse reality, good chunks of what policy wonks here are calling “health care reform” are flowing out of academia. Arguably, the most pernicious of these is the notion that “the federal government can build on the success of Medicare.” Lawmakers from both parties would have winced at such a brain wave ten years ago when both President Clinton and the Republican Congress, albeit using markedly different approaches, attempted to reform Medicare. What a difference a decade makes. That the federal government’s... AIA-FL Blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2390831/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:15:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388332/posts On April 16 in NRO, Daniel T. Griswold, the head of immigration policy for the libertarian Cato Institute attacked National Review complaining that in three "consecutive" issues, "anti-immigrant crusaders," including John O'Sullivan and Mark Krikorian, have "pushed every button to whip up hostility to immigration." Let us ignore the nasty smears....focus on Griswold's substantive position. Near the end of the NRO article Griswold insists that he is not for "open borders," but his record suggests otherwise. A story in the Christian Science Monitor (August 30, 2000) by Scott Baldauf is particularly revealing. Baldauf describes a new project of the Immigration... National Review Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388332/posts#comment Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:54:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2385667/posts Iranian Preconditions Sarah Carlsruh, November 13, 2009 “Can the United States Affect Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions?” was the topic of the Cato Institute’s November 3rd forum. Matthew Duss, National Security Researcher at the Center for American Progress, focused on the diverse and factionalizing environment within Iran, arguing that on June 12th, the date of Iran’s tenth presidential election, “the game changed.” Duss identified a trend where, post-June 12th, “large sections of the clerical establishment [are breaking] away from the regime.” Iran’s green movement, the pro-democracy movement which was triggered by June’s disputed elections, is diverse, claimed Duss: Some want a reform... American Journalism Center http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2385667/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:23:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2383093/posts Atomic Alarmism Sarah Carlsruh, November 10, 2009 Struggling to decide between confrontation and engagement, the Obama administration is engaging in diplomatic talks with Iran, but has not yet ruled out force as an option. If the Obama administration were to believe John Mueller’s book, Atomic Obsession: Nuclear Alarmism from Hiroshima to Al Qaeda, they could abandon diplomatic engagement completely and rest easy. Mueller, who spoke at the Cato Institute on October 29th and is the Woody Hayes Chair of National Security Studies at Ohio State University, called his book a “cure for insomnia,” since it should ease late-night fears of... Accuracy in Academia http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2383093/posts#comment Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:18:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370538/posts REPUBLICAN David Harmer knows the odds. His Democratic challenger in the 10th congressional district special election, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, has more money and name recognition in the heavily Democratic district. <snip> "One of my heroes said, and I am paraphrasing here, that a majority has never been necessary to prevail but what it takes is an irate and tireless minority keen to set fresh fires of freedom in people's minds," Harmer said. "Whether a Republican can carry this seat depends on how badly the voters want to send a message to both parties than an explosion of (government) spending... Contra Costa Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370538/posts#comment Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:19:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2358788/posts Killer Health Care by: Sarah Carlsruh, October 09, 2009 David Goldhill, owner of the Game Show Network, published an article in the September 2009 The Atlantic called “How American Health Care Killed My Father”, and, on October 2nd, discussed the implications of his article in an event hosted by the Cato Institute. Goldhill considers himself “not an expert on health care” but, rather, “like 300 million other people, [a] customer of health care.” Goldhill’s interest in health care was triggered when his father went to the hospital for a case of pneumonia and died, not from the effects of pneumonia,... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2358788/posts#comment Fri, 9 Oct 2009 18:43:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2355732/posts The Cato Institute today announced the launch of "Downsizing the Federal Government," a new website aimed at providing policymakers, media and the public with comprehensive data on federal spending. The federal government is running massive all-time record budget deficits, spending too much, and heading toward a financial crisis. Without a change of direction in Washington, average working families will be faced with huge tax increases and a lower standard of living. This makes the launching of this website especially timely and applicable. THE FREEDOM POST http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2355732/posts#comment Tue, 6 Oct 2009 05:36:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2354844/posts The debate over No Child Left Behind re-authorization is upon us. Except it isn’t. In his recent speech kicking off the discussion, education secretary Arne Duncan asked not whether the central federal education law should be reauthorized, he merely asked how. Let’s step back a bit, and examine why we should end federal intervention in (and spending on) our nation’s schools… in one thousand words or less: The Cato Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2354844/posts#comment Sun, 4 Oct 2009 23:12:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2340538/posts WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. military can pull most of its troops from Afghanistan in the next year as "victory" is not a realistic outcome, a report by the Cato Institute says. Malou Innocent and Ted Galen Carpenter in an authoritative report on the conflict in Afghanistan note that "a definitive, conventional 'victory' is not a realistic option." Washington said its strategy in Afghanistan is focused in part on denying al-Qaida and other militants the opportunity to establish a safe haven in the embattled nation. The authors, however, opine that denying a sanctuary to terrorists does not require... UPI http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2340538/posts#comment Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:04:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330723/posts The OECD is combatting Tax Havens according to this report and a meeting of cooperating countries in Mexico City. If the link doesn't get to this video, you need to search for "OECD Taking on Tax Havens". http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1236539937&play=1 CNBC TV Squakbox http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330723/posts#comment Wed, 2 Sep 2009 21:37:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2326636/posts Free or FAIR Immigration? by: Anthony Kang, August 28, 2009 A new study published by the Cato Institute asserts that current U.S. immigration laws and policies run counter to the economic wellness of U.S. households and advocates legalization of illegal immigrants through visa-taxing in order to maximize immigration’s benefit. The methodology utilized in the study consists of seven different simulations, measuring six factors, and forecasts the respective long-run economic effects on the welfare of U.S. households by the year 2019. The six different effects included in each simulation include: a) direct effect: the change in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP)... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2326636/posts#comment Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:34:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2324639/posts The chief executive of the United States is no longer a mere constitutional officer charged with faithful execution of the laws. He is a soul nourisher, a hope giver, a living American talisman against hurricanes, terrorism, economic downturns, and spiritual malaise. He — or she — is the one who answers the phone at 3 a.m. to keep our children safe from harm. The modern president is America's shrink, a social worker, our very own national talk show host. He's also the Supreme Warlord of the Earth. This messianic campaign rhetoric merely reflects what the office has evolved into after... Cato Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2324639/posts#comment Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:35:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2324083/posts Snip... Figure 1 looks at average wages. In 2008, the average wage for 1.9 million federal civilian workers was $79,197, which compared to an average $49,935 for the nation’s 108 million private sector workers (measured in full-time equivalents). The figure shows that the federal pay advantage (the gap between the lines) is steadily increasing. Cato Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2324083/posts#comment Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:58:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2311754/posts Sarah Palin has followed up her health care call to arms posted yesterday on her Facebook Notes page with another post today titled "Some Useful Commentary on the Health Care Debate." This latest posting is a bibliography of sorts, including editorials, op-eds and a video of a Cato Institute health care forum. Sources cited by the former governor range from pundit Mark Steyn to former Reagan economic advisor Arthur Laffer. Rather than repost it all here, we'll give Sarah Palin's Facebook Notes the page hits it deserves with this link. If yesterday's health care post by the 2008 GOP vice... Texas for Sarah Palin http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2311754/posts#comment Sun, 9 Aug 2009 04:35:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2284545/posts Last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearings (video at the link) on the proposed federal hate crimes bill showed the dark underbelly of the Senate. The road to undermining the rule of law is being paved with the best of intentions and casual disregard (if not outright hostility) for the principles of limited government and equality under the law. I raise some objections to the bill in this podcast: The bill federalizes violent acts against victims by reason of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Never mind that these acts are... Cato http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2284545/posts#comment Fri, 3 Jul 2009 01:24:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2284336/posts An Appointment With Reform by: Brittany Fortier, July 02, 2009 Is there a doctor in the house? There were plenty in attendance for the CATO Institute Conference on Health Care Reform held on June 17, 2009, and they were all prepared to discuss the Obama administration’s plan to set up a government-run health care “option” that would “compete” with the private sector. Cato Institute President Edward H. Crane expressed his disagreement with a New York Times article saying that a doctor shortage is “an obstacle to Obama goals.” “When I see the word ‘shortage,’ I know it is a nonmarket... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2284336/posts#comment Thu, 2 Jul 2009 19:38:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2284281/posts Return to Sender by: Brittany Fortier, July 02, 2009 At the Cato Institute Conference for Health Care Reform held on June 17, 2009, a panel discussed the importance of reforming the way health care is delivered to patients. “As hard as coverage expansion is, the only way health care is going to become … more predictable, more sustainable, and more cost effective over time is … if there is substantial delivery system reform,” said moderator Susan Dentzer, Editor-in-Chief of Health Affairs. Shannon Brownlee, Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation and the Author, Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2284281/posts#comment Thu, 2 Jul 2009 18:20:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265291/posts A month ago, President Obama issued a list of proposed spending cuts that I dismissed as “unserious” due to the fact that they were trivial when compared to his proposed spending and debt increases. Today, the House Republican leadership released a list of proposed spending cuts. I’d love to say I’m impressed, but I can’t. Both proposals indicate that neither side of the aisle grasps the severity of the country’s ugly fiscal situation, or at least has the guts to do anything concrete about it. The GOP proposal claims savings of more than $375 billion over five years, the bulk... CATO Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265291/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 08:05:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2248636/posts Why is the press remaining mostly silent about the so-called "hate crimes law" that passed in the House on April 29? The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed in a 249-175 vote (17 Republicans joined with 231 Democrats). These Democrats should have been tested on their knowledge of the First Amendment, equal protection of the laws (14th Amendment), and the prohibition of double jeopardy (no American can be prosecuted twice for the same crime or offense). If they had been, they would have known that this proposal, now headed for a Senate vote, violates all these constitutional provisions.... Cato.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2248636/posts#comment Mon, 11 May 2009 17:47:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2229276/posts ABC’s 20/20 did a hit piece on the Second Amendment and armed citizens on Friday night. The show responded to the growing sentiment that “if I only had a gun,” maybe an armed citizen could make a difference in a spree shooting such as the incidents at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. In reality, it ought to be called “if I had ONLY a gun.” Picking people without concealed carry permits to represent the armed citizen and rigging the scenario to ensure that they don’t defeat your narrative is propaganda, not journalism. Several college students are selected to represent... Cato Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2229276/posts#comment Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:48:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2225627/posts Global warming insanity hits a new low. Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2225627/posts#comment Thu, 9 Apr 2009 15:10:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2218087/posts In today's LA Times first section there is a full page ad sponsored by the Cato Institute. Over 50 scientists stating thet there has been no temperature increase for the last 10 years and that the president is incorrect on global warming. LA Times 3-30-09 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2218087/posts#comment Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:14:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2217548/posts Four federal economic policies transformed the Hoover recession into the Great Depression: higher tariffs, stronger unions, higher marginal tax rates, and a lower money supply. President Obama, unfortunately, has endorsed some variant of the first three of these policies, and he will face a critical choice on monetary policy in a year or so. Cato Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2217548/posts#comment Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:38:06 GMT