Free Republic

Black people don't have opportunities to benefit from technology, and it's racist to suggest otherwise. That is the only lesson to be drawn from the racially charged tempest unleashed by the infamous Forbes article "If I Were a Poor Black Kid."

10 Reasons Why The American Economy Is Awesome Eric Platt Jan. 1, 2012, 8:24 AM Slowly, the U.S. economy has been gaining steam and rhetoric in Washington has seemed a little less painful. Perhaps that's only apathy caused by four years of unease and turmoil. But the picture is definitely not nearly as bleak as in Europe. Sure, economic data can be spun, and pundits who wish to point that the country's best may be behind it have ammunition. But, we see a country that is ready to innovate, get back on its feet, and put people back to work....

In a program called: 'Death in the Desert,' CNN docunmented (Nov. 2011): African [mostly Sudanese and Eritrean] refugees, who are escaping in order to get to (democratic and free) Israel, in crossing the Sinai desert, they are raped, tortued, murdered, organs sold by Arab [Egyptian Bedouins, some activities linked to "Palestinians" in Gaza] enslavers. An Egyptian eyewitness described their plight, [more] 'Worse' than slavery. The Egyptian doctors buy from the Sawarka tribe for 1,000 to 2,000 dollars an organ. Thousands have died, many of electrecution and of 'failed' organ harvesting. Egyptian police have not made one single arrest. Worse thing...

Some conservatives like the estimable Laura Ingraham Newt Gingrich* aren't amused by this little exchange:   According to The Caucus blog, the Republican presidential hopeful was caught on tape Thursday making a wisecrack about Anita Hill, the law professor who lodged sexual harassment accusations against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas 20 years ago.  Cain was making a campaign stop in Kalamazoo, Mich., on Thursday when a person in the crowd mentioned Hill. He laughed and said: "Is she going to endorse me?" And this is outrageous...how, exactly?  As someone who hasn't shied away from criticizing Cain's policies and campaign, I...

What I find very alarming is our ``conservative`` radio talk show hosts are constantly referring to Herman Cain as a ``conservative``, as if there is an intentional motive by these hosts to convince listeners that Herman Cain is a ``conservative``, when in fact Herman`s 9-9-9 plan is comparable to government enforced central planning on a federal level. And let us not forget how that central planning thing worked out for the ``Union of Soviet Socialist Republics``! QUESTION: Why would Mark Levin and other “conservative” talk show hosts constantly call Herman Cain a “conservative” when the evidence of Herman’s political “conservatism”...

In November of 2010 in Don’t be VAT stupid Herman Cain writes: ``A national retail sales tax on top of all the confusing and unfair taxes we have today is insane! It gives the out-of-control bureaucrats and politicians in denial one more tool to lie, deceive, manipulate and destroy this country.`` The fact is, Herman is now proposing a new tax, a national retail sales tax, in addition to taxing corporate profits and incomes, and also would tax the wages working people earn. Herman Cain essentially admitted in the above mentioned article his existing plan is ``insane!`` So, why do...

Herman Cain gave a speech today in Detroit introducing “Opportunity Zones” in his 999 plan. In short, if you are at or below poverty level, the plan will be 9-0-9. While he was delivering it, I must say that it occurred to me that he was sounding more presidential than ever. That’s the first time I’ve had that thought.

SEE: Cain Adds to ‘9-9-9’ Plan, Angering Unions Taking aim at minimum wage laws, union protections, and even local building codes, Herman Cain has put the finishing touches on the last missing piece of his signature “9-9-9” plan – an elaborate proposal to create “opportunity zones” in inner-city America that the GOP presidential candidate will unveil during a major campaign appearance in Detroit on Friday morning. The first thing to note is how FoxNews immediately attempts to frame and limit the discussion, i.e., Herman Cain vs. those evil Unions. But why are unions now considered to be “evil”? Is it...

“How can the government help me?” This seems to be a growing sentiment among the American middle class. “The land of opportunity” is quickly becoming the “nation of the needy.” Here’s a question I received from a reader just last week: “I am not happy with how things are going since the Bush Administration allowed tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy. These cuts were supposed to end for those who just keep earning more off the middle class. My question is: I am told that investors can invest as little as $1000.00 in real estate, and make a living...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- NASA on Wednesday announced that its Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has reached the planet's Endeavour crater to study rocks never seen before. On Monday, the golf cart-sized rover relayed its arrival at a location named Spirit Point on the crater's rim, after a journey of almost three years. Opportunity was able to drive approximately 13 miles (21 kilometers) after climbing out of the Victoria crater, NASA said. Endeavour crater is more than 25 times wider than Victoria crater, being 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter. At Endeavour, scientists expect to see much older rocks and...

Dalio believes that some heavily indebted countries, including the United States, will eventually opt for printing money as a way to deal with their debts, which will lead to a collapse in their currency and in their bond markets. “There hasn’t been a case in history where they haven’t eventually printed money and devalued their currency,” he said. Other developed countries, particularly those tied to the euro and thus to the European Central Bank, don’t have the option of printing money and are destined to undergo “classic depressions,” Dalio said. The recent deal to avoid an immediate debt default by...

Lynne Tilton: "I Believe There Will Very Well Be Violence In The Streets In America" Courtney Comstock Apr. 11, 2011, 1:23 PM Private equity maven Lynn Tilton warned NYMag that if the U.S. doesn't create more jobs, there will be violent upheaval. “The truth is, I believe that there will very well be violence in the streets in America." “It’s my great fear. And I think the only thing we can do to stop it is by creating employment. Social unrest comes from people who can’t take care of themselves. If we become a populace of the permanently unemployed, and...

"Trying to cure the British disease with socialism  was like trying to cure leukemia with leaches" Much like close friend and fellow happy-warrior Ronald Reagan, British PM Margaret Thatcher loved to take on her liberal opponents... and had a lot of fun doing it. The House of Commons' raucous debate atmosphere also provided an ideal platform that often had Lady Thatcher at her very, very best.  But also as Reagan did, the Iron Lady respected historical precedent... and knew what she was talking about: Thatcher proved it by turning her country around almost single-handedly, establishing an opportunity society that rejected socialist malaise while rewarding performers... ______________________________________________________ "There...

In 1975 advertising executive Gary Dahl had one of the simplest and most rewarding marketing ideas of the decade. He placed a shiny little rock in a box decorated as an animal carrier and offered it to consumers to buy and keep as a “pet.” Dahl marketed this (unique) product by reminding consumers of the unwanted expense, time and effort that conventional pets take compared to his lovable and low-maintenance “pet rock.” Within a six-month period, the Pet Rock received national fad appeal and Dahl made millions of dollars before market saturation and copycat competitors, in combination with the next...

The very oldest men are still interested in sex but illness and a lack of opportunity may be holding them back, Australian researchers reported on Monday.

In New York state, contrary to gubernatorial candidate Jimmy McMillan, the rent is not too damn high. It's actually too damn low in most places -- and that fact reflects the state's true problems. McMillan created a sensation at this week's gubernatorial debate with his handlebar mustache and his incessant repetition of his slogan about rents being too high. Although McMillan is evasive about his own rent (The Post reported yesterday that he pays $800 a month for a Brooklyn one-bedroom), news accounts and typical "voter in the street" interviews suggest many people approve of McMillan's gripes that rents are...

It’s odd but no so odd at the same time. By now, many people expect to walk into a beauty supply store and see a Korean store owner manning the register. Whether you’re in the suburbs of Houston or on MLK Blvd in Anytown, USA, you know what to expect. And yet, walking down a street in a Black neighborhood with Black residents and Black customers buzzing about the retail shops, that image of the few Koreans in the neighborhood only existing behind the cash register of liquor, beauty supply and other retail shops is still perplexing.

Is the American Dream getting smaller? Are we defining down the tools of opportunity and the pleasures of prosperity? President Obama's flippant dismissal of American Exceptionalism last year stirred a lot of criticism because it suggested he did not believe the United States held a special place in the world. It also suggested America's unique history is, to the President, no big deal. Now with fellow travelers exercising power at all levels of government, progressives can do more than just belittle the idea of American Exceptionalism. They can enact policies to make America unexceptional -- diminishing our quality of life...

After getting frustrated out of the lemons his problems gave him, David Miller made his own corporate lemonade. Due to the frustration of always having to call technical support to solve his own frequent hardware problems, he started taking the initiative to educate himself.

For Republicans, the Road Map authored by congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin is the most important proposal in domestic policy since Ronald Reagan embraced supply side economics in the 1980 presidential campaign. ItÂ’s not only the freshest, boldest, and most comprehensive Republican thinking, itÂ’s also the most relevant. If Republicans adopt the Road Map as their basic ideological blueprint, it offers them the prospect of a landslide in the midterm election this year, followed by victory in the presidential election in 2012. For sure, thatÂ’s a lot of weight for a policy statement drafted by a 40-year-old House member to...