Yearly Archives: 2013

Japan should let elderly ‘hurry up and die’: finance minister Taro Aso

"Japan’s finance minister Taro Aso said Monday the elderly should be allowed to 'hurry up and die' instead of costing the government money for end-of-life medical care. Ageing is a sensitive issue in Japan, one of the world’s oldest countries, with almost a quarter of its 128 million people over 60. That figure is expected to rise to 40 percent within the next half-century. At the same time a shrinking number of workers is placing further strain on an already groaning social security system, with not enough money going into the pot to support those who depend on it." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJapan should let elderly ‘hurry up and die’: finance minister Taro Aso

Fitch ratings agency highlights threat of aging population time-bomb

"Many advanced economies will be threatened by another, long-term fiscal shock unless they tackle the problem of ageing populations, the ratings agency Fitch warned on Monday. In particular Cyprus, Ireland and Japan, could well see the cost of ageing populations jump over the next decade, the agency said, warning that this would affect the sovereign debt ratings of such countries at some point. 'Luxembourg, Belgium, Malta and Slovenia face the most severe impact over the very long term,' Fitch noted." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFitch ratings agency highlights threat of aging population time-bomb

Let’s See What Condition Our Condition Is In

Author’s Note: This is the second in a series of articles about Nebraska’s Medicaid program, the Unicameral’s apparent intent to expand it, and the many reasons why expansion is an uncommonly bad idea.  Although they don’t have to be read in order, you can go to the first article, entitled NE Medicaid Expansion: The Race… more

Continue ReadingLet’s See What Condition Our Condition Is In

Washington greets the New Year by assaulting your rights

"Fortunately, at least 15 local governments, in addition to four states, have passed resolutions opposing the domestic military detention provisions of the NDAA. The local coalitions that have secured these resolutions continue to gather momentum and build a national voice to restore the Bill of Rights. Find a local campaign to join today, or contact us for help starting one in your town!" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWashington greets the New Year by assaulting your rights

Southwestern Pa. hospital to stop baby deliveries due to Obamacare

"A southwestern Pennsylvania hospital will stop delivering babies after March 31 because its obstetricians are either leaving or refocusing their practices, and because hospital officials believe they can't afford it based on projected reimbursements under looming federal health care reforms. Hospital officials say the population of women of child-bearing age is dropping and that the number of births the hospital would be called upon to perform isn't enough for it to provide the service in the face of lower reimbursements under the federal Affordable Care Act." Continue reading →

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Should a Woman Be Shackled While Giving Birth? Most States Think So

"In 33 states across the country, pregnant inmates, including women being held exclusively for immigration-related offenses, can be shackled to their hospital beds during the birthing process. But many advocates, including doctors and nurses, say that shackling women at any stage of their pregnancy is damaging to the health of the mothers and the health of their babies. The American Medical Association deemed the practice to be unsafe, 'medically hazardous,' and 'barbaric,' in a resolution from 2010." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShould a Woman Be Shackled While Giving Birth? Most States Think So

Prison labor booms in US as low-cost inmates bring billions

"US breeds a Chinese-style inmate labor scheme on its own soil. Both state and some of the biggest private companies are now enjoying the fruits of a cheap and readily available work force, with tens of millions of dollars spent by private prisons to keep their jails full." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPrison labor booms in US as low-cost inmates bring billions

Agorism and Nazism: A Study in Polar Opposites

"The reason why I want to mention System D is because it helps me starkly illustrate that in the final analysis what is being discussed here is simply human survival. This is a discussion that, without being hyperbolic, does touch upon life-and-death issues. To make this unexceptionable point crystal clear, Robert Neuwirth, in his book The Stealth of Nations, mentions how System D has helped people survive the financial crisis. Perhaps one of the most impressive examples of the counter-economics idea in action is that of what businesspeople did in order to evade the price control laws of Nazi Germany." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAgorism and Nazism: A Study in Polar Opposites

Inside the Incredibly Repellent Mind of a Bureaucrat

"...Marthe Kent, OSHA's director of safety standards program and head of the ergonomics effort, couldn't be happier at her job. 'I like having a very direct and very powerful impact on worker safety and health,' she recently told The Synergist, a newsletter of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. 'If you put out a reg, it matters. I think that's really where the thrill comes from. And it is a thrill; it's a high.' Later in the article, she adds, 'I love it; I absolutely love it. I was born to regulate. I don't know why, but that's very true. So as long as I'm regulating, I'm happy.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInside the Incredibly Repellent Mind of a Bureaucrat

New York State Black Market in Cigarettes Booming

"More than 60 percent of cigarettes smoked in New York State, which has the highest tobacco taxes in the nation, are smuggled in from out of state and consumed tax free. New York raised its excise tax by 58% from $2.75 a pack to $4.35 in 2010, but it resulted in only a 20% increase in revenue. It's is really good to know this underground network is in action. In addition to smokers being provided tax free cigarettes, the black market that is developing in NYS is creating a network of trusted suppliers and customers that can be operational against further government interventions that may take place down the road." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew York State Black Market in Cigarettes Booming