for life and liberty

The Hyperloop: Elon Musk’s futuristic plan to blast Californians through a tube

"The founder of Tesla, SpaceX and Paypal published the design for his futuristic 'Hyperloop' transportation system online. The Hyperloop would use low pressure steel tubes to blast car-sized capsules from one area to another. The system would be entirely powered by its own solar panels. The Hyperloop would be able to transport a person from Los Angeles to San Francisco — a distance of more than 300 miles — in only 30 minutes. Musk previously described the system a cross between a 'Concorde, a railgun, and an air hockey table.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Hyperloop: Elon Musk’s futuristic plan to blast Californians through a tube

Jeffrey Tucker: How Medical Innovation Redefines Our World

"I suppose I had thought deafness was a permanent accident that humanity would always deal with. Before the late 19th century, people probably thought the same about infant mortality and hundreds of diseases that have since been cured. In the Middle Ages, it must have been this way with tooth pain, the pain of childbirth, and the inability to communicate with anyone outside your immediate vicinity. All human problems seem intractable and perpetual when they are ever-present. But there are always a few among us who do not see problems this way. They see problems as rooted in the lack of some technological solution. And they get to work on a fix." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJeffrey Tucker: How Medical Innovation Redefines Our World

Dental Abuse Seen Driven by Private Equity Investments [2012]

"Isaac Gagnon stepped off the school bus sobbing last October and opened his mouth to show his mother where it hurt. A dentist’s statement in his backpack showed he had received two pulpotomies, or baby root canals, along with the crowns and 10 X-rays -- all while he was at school. 'I was absolutely horrified,' said Gagnon.'I never gave them permission to drill into my son’s mouth. They did it for profit.' [Dental management-services companies like ReachOut] have been riding a boom in Medicaid outlays on dentistry, which rose 63 percent to $7.4 billion between 2007 and 2010, outstripping the 4.9 percent growth in other dental spending." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDental Abuse Seen Driven by Private Equity Investments [2012]

Why You Should Take Your “Health” Into Your Own Hands

"Cost-shifting takes place in the form of two insidious scams, patiently described to us by Dr. G. Keith Smith, an Oklahoma City MD who’s doing his level best to undermine the practice. The first scam is called 'uncompensated care.' The second scam involves the insurance scheme known as preferred provider organizations, and is called 'PPO re-pricing.' What is the actual cost of that '$100,000' procedure? About $7,000-8,000. For everything. Including the facility, surgeon and anesthesia charges. That’s what Smith would charge you at his outpatient surgery center in Oklahoma City… a lone outpost of 'price transparency' within U.S. borders." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhy You Should Take Your “Health” Into Your Own Hands

Worried About Obamacare? The Government’s “Federal Data Hub” Is Here to Help

"If you’re confused about the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known 'Obamacare,' worry not. The federal government has conveniently used your tax money to hire 'patient navigators' to help you understand… and enroll you in the program. These otherwise unassuming civil servants will help you learn about the act, navigate its complexities, and select the benefits that fit your criteria. They will also have access to your personal information. All of it. The hub will 'bring together information about you and your family from the Treasury Department and IRS, the Department of Homeland Security [and] the Department of Justice…'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWorried About Obamacare? The Government’s “Federal Data Hub” Is Here to Help

Air Force claims budget cuts force shutdown of 1960s-era space surveillance system

"The U.S. Air Force will shut down its space surveillance system that tracks satellites and other orbiting objects by October 1 due to budget constraints caused by automatic federal budget cuts known as the sequestration, it announced Monday. Commander of the Air Force Space Command, General William Shelton, said the 1961 system was outmoded and that newer technology will provide more accurate observations. Shelton said a new Space Fence is being planned now, which will provide more precise positional data on orbiting objects and would become the most accurate radar in the Air Force’s space surveillance network." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAir Force claims budget cuts force shutdown of 1960s-era space surveillance system

A congressional speech on the centennial of the Expatriation Act of 1868

"In 1868, men stood on the floor of the House and quoted philosophers from the Roman Republic, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands in support of the proposition that emigration and change of citizenship are basic human rights. In 1968, men stood on that same floor and spluttered that Americans who emigrated and changed their citizenship were traitors who should never be allowed to return for a visit." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA congressional speech on the centennial of the Expatriation Act of 1868

More Compelling Evidence that America’s Corporate Tax System Is Pointlessly Destructive

"One solution is to engage in a lot of clever tax planning to minimize your taxable income. Though that’s probably not a successful long-term strategy since the Obama Administration is supporting a plan by European politicians to create further disadvantages for American-based companies. Another option is to somehow turn yourself into a foreign corporation. You won’t be surprised to learn that politicians have imposed punitive anti-expatriation laws to make that difficult, but the crowd in Washington hasn’t figured out how to stop cross-border mergers and acquisitions." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMore Compelling Evidence that America’s Corporate Tax System Is Pointlessly Destructive

Scotland’s year of decision

"The summer of 2014 will be overshadowed by the imminence of the referendum in September on Scottish independence, ending the Act of Union with England that has lasted since 1707. Since Scotland has long been a heartland of the Labor Party and of the left, Scottish independence could portend something close to permanent conservative rule in England. It would also be a great boost for regional independence movements elsewhere: in Spain's Basque country and Catalonia, or for the Flemings of Belgium or the Corsicans of France. It is an irony of this age of globalization is seeing such a resurgence of traditional sentiments of nationhood." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingScotland’s year of decision

Ohio Attorney General rejects ballot measure to legalize marijuana

"A ballot measure that would legalize marijuana in Ohio was rejected on Monday by the state’s attorney general, who said the petition was not ' fair and truthful.' The group Responsible Ohioans for Cannabis collected enough signatures to submit the ballot measure to Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine’s office for approval. The ballot measure would have allowed voters in Ohio to approve or reject the End Ohio Cannabis Prohibition Act in the next election." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOhio Attorney General rejects ballot measure to legalize marijuana