Yearly Archives: 2013

The Government Steals Raisins

"Why does the federal government steal one-third to one-half of the raisin crop every year? Why aren’t the farmers paid for the stolen crop? Why does the government then sell the stolen raisins to foreigners at below-market prices? Why has this been going on ever since 1948? There are at least 29 other programs just like it. How many government employees spend their entire careers enforcing laws like this one? No one knows. Congress does not care. A story like this never makes it into high school civics textbooks. Stories like this one make the federal government sound like a loony bin." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Government Steals Raisins

The Government Steals Raisins

"Why does the federal government steal one-third to one-half of the raisin crop every year? Why aren’t the farmers paid for the stolen crop? Why does the government then sell the stolen raisins to foreigners at below-market prices? Why has this been going on ever since 1948? There are at least 29 other programs just like it. How many government employees spend their entire careers enforcing laws like this one? No one knows. Congress does not care. A story like this never makes it into high school civics textbooks. Stories like this one make the federal government sound like a loony bin." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Government Steals Raisins

The Government Steals Raisins

"Why does the federal government steal one-third to one-half of the raisin crop every year? Why aren’t the farmers paid for the stolen crop? Why does the government then sell the stolen raisins to foreigners at below-market prices? Why has this been going on ever since 1948? There are at least 29 other programs just like it. How many government employees spend their entire careers enforcing laws like this one? No one knows. Congress does not care. A story like this never makes it into high school civics textbooks. Stories like this one make the federal government sound like a loony bin." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Government Steals Raisins

Encryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

"Kim Dotcom really is his name these days. He had it legally changed. The federal government shut down his enormously profitable file-sharing business in 2011. It won’t shut down his latest version of file-sharing. His new company, Mega, offers 100% encryption. His company can’t crack it. The U.S. government can’t crack it — not at a price it can afford, anyway. So people can post movies, songs, or anything else on his site. You get 50 megabytes of free storage to start out. His lawyers can now say this: 'Our company will cooperate with the governments of the world. But, sorry, we have no idea what people are putting into their accounts.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEncryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

Encryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

"Kim Dotcom really is his name these days. He had it legally changed. The federal government shut down his enormously profitable file-sharing business in 2011. It won’t shut down his latest version of file-sharing. His new company, Mega, offers 100% encryption. His company can’t crack it. The U.S. government can’t crack it — not at a price it can afford, anyway. So people can post movies, songs, or anything else on his site. You get 50 megabytes of free storage to start out. His lawyers can now say this: 'Our company will cooperate with the governments of the world. But, sorry, we have no idea what people are putting into their accounts.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEncryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

Encryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

"Kim Dotcom really is his name these days. He had it legally changed. The federal government shut down his enormously profitable file-sharing business in 2011. It won’t shut down his latest version of file-sharing. His new company, Mega, offers 100% encryption. His company can’t crack it. The U.S. government can’t crack it — not at a price it can afford, anyway. So people can post movies, songs, or anything else on his site. You get 50 megabytes of free storage to start out. His lawyers can now say this: 'Our company will cooperate with the governments of the world. But, sorry, we have no idea what people are putting into their accounts.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEncryption and Privacy: Goodbye Copyright Laws

Nebraska Medicaid Expansion: LB577 in Limbo

Just how much of the health care law will be implemented in Nebraska now depends in large measure on what the events in the Unicameral Tuesday and Wednesday actually mean. State Legislators spent the majority of their time in their first two days back in session following a four day […]

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Continue ReadingNebraska Medicaid Expansion: LB577 in Limbo

Harvard Economist: ‘No Doubt, Pensions Are Screwed’

"Der Spiegel interviews Harvard economist Carmen Reinhart who has the novel idea that central banks are acting like the 'adults' in the room by cleaning up after spendthrift governments. 'Governments are incapable of reducing their debts and now central banks are stepping in.' Perhaps this argument sounds reasonable to a Martian that has not been following exactly what central banks have been doing and continue to do, but last time we looked we weren't Martian. The idea that monopoly central bankers are 'responsible' and politicians are not seems a spurious question, in our humble view. A pox on both their houses." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHarvard Economist: ‘No Doubt, Pensions Are Screwed’

As Gold Declines Will Stocks Fly?

"We often write of directed history, the idea that powerful forces create conditions for the policies that they want to implement. When it comes to money metals, the idea would be to drive down metals prices while simultaneously affirming that these same metals are simply not a good investment. They are barbarous and whatnot. At the same time as precious metals prices are falling, stock indexes are rising – presumably at least in part because of the pump priming by central banks that are printing great gouts of money. Some of this money gets stuck in bank coffers but a fair amount is obviously finding its way into various stock markets." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAs Gold Declines Will Stocks Fly?

Number of Chinese becoming US citizens declines

"The number of Chinese who became US citizens has declined annually over the last five years to 31,868 in 2012 from 40,017 in 2008, according to the US Department of Homeland Security. Tao Lin, a New York-based immigration law expert, said naturalization for Chinese appears to be changing. 'It's not like the old-fashioned way when Chinese immigrants would come to the US, gain their citizenship, stay and assimilate to US culture,' said Lin, managing attorney of T. Lin & Associates. 'You're seeing more Chinese people returning to China.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNumber of Chinese becoming US citizens declines