statism

Costly Iraq war left U.S. no stronger in Middle East

"The US-led invasion of Iraq overthrew a dictator, but 10 years on the war is seen to have destabilized the Middle East, exposed the limits of military power and left America no stronger than before. With US forces having withdrawn after the deaths of almost 4,500 American troops and an estimated $1 trillion outlay, there is little soul-searching in Washington today about a war that has faded from public consciousness. And 10 years after the 'shock and awe' that launched Operation Iraqi Freedom, removing Saddam Hussein from power, most analysts and diplomats agree the Iraq war did nothing to improve the US position in the Middle East." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCostly Iraq war left U.S. no stronger in Middle East

MI6 and CIA were told before invasion that Iraq had no active WMD, claims new documentary

"British and US intelligence agencies were informed by top sources months before the invasion that Iraq had no active WMD programme, and the information was not passed to subsequent inquiries. Naji Sabri, Saddam's foreign minister, told the CIA's station chief in Paris at the time, Bill Murray, through an intermediary that Iraq had 'virtually nothing' in terms of WMD. Three months before the war an MI6 officer met Iraq's head of intelligence, Tahir Habbush al-Tikriti, who also said that Saddam had no active WMD. The meeting in the Jordanian capital took place days before the British government published its now widely discredited Iraqi weapons dossier in September 2002." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMI6 and CIA were told before invasion that Iraq had no active WMD, claims new documentary

MI6 and CIA were told before invasion that Iraq had no active WMD, claims new documentary

"British and US intelligence agencies were informed by top sources months before the invasion that Iraq had no active WMD programme, and the information was not passed to subsequent inquiries. Naji Sabri, Saddam's foreign minister, told the CIA's station chief in Paris at the time, Bill Murray, through an intermediary that Iraq had 'virtually nothing' in terms of WMD. Three months before the war an MI6 officer met Iraq's head of intelligence, Tahir Habbush al-Tikriti, who also said that Saddam had no active WMD. The meeting in the Jordanian capital took place days before the British government published its now widely discredited Iraqi weapons dossier in September 2002." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMI6 and CIA were told before invasion that Iraq had no active WMD, claims new documentary

Chinese solar panel company defaults on $541 million worth of bonds

"One of the world’s top two solar cell and panel producers, targeted last year by US trade sanctions, Suntech said it had already entered an agreement with 60 percent of the bond holders to hold off legal claims while a debt restructuring can be negotiated. The European Union began an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese solar panels in September last year, followed by an anti-subsidy probe in November. The United States last October confirmed hefty anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on Chinese solar cell makers, adding to trade tensions between the two economic powers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChinese solar panel company defaults on $541 million worth of bonds

Report: Obama officials issued $216 billion in regulations last year

"The Obama administration issued $236 billion worth of new regulations last year, according to a report from a conservative think tank. The analysis from the American Action Forum, led by former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin, found that the administration added $216 billion in rules and more than $20 billion in regulatory proposals in 2012. Complying with those rules will require an additional 87 million hours of paperwork, the report said. The group put the total price tag from regulations during Obama’s first term at more than $518 billion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReport: Obama officials issued $216 billion in regulations last year

Stossel: No Regulation? No Problem

"Private companies found they could 'crowd-source' enforcement against fraud and low-quality products, in much the same way that Wikipedia discovered an encyclopedia could be created without a central organizer. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales tells me that method 'works far better than the top-down system that it replaced.' We almost always assume that top-down government regulation is necessary, even though history says otherwise." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStossel: No Regulation? No Problem

The Bizarre Government Regulations that May Send Gasoline Prices Through the Roof

"Prices for premium gas are now about 30.2 cents over the price of regular. That is up from 24.1 cents in 2010 and 18.2 cents in 2000 Refiners blame Congress, arguing that the ethanol quota was set at a time when gasoline demand was expected to rise steadily. Instead, demand has declined, and refiners, obligated to blend more ethanol than they can actually use, have resorted to buying a lot of ethanol credits, known as renewable identification numbers (or RINs), to meet the mandated levels. Ms. Lundberg described this as 'buying forgiveness from the government.' The credits' popularity has driven up the price nearly tenfold since January." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Bizarre Government Regulations that May Send Gasoline Prices Through the Roof

Conspiracy Theories vs. the Religion of Democracy

"The proponents of any conspiracy view of historical events are pariahs in academia. That is because these theories get close to the truth, namely, that mass democracy has not prevented special-interest messianic groups from seeking political power and wealth as ways to re-shape mankind. These groups exercise power behind many thrones. They are not pro-democracy. They are not pro-free market. They are men in search of ways to achieve what they want: a new humanity. They will use money and politics to attain this goal. The best way to overcome a conspiracy is to take away its leverage: political power in defense of the existing distribution of wealth." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingConspiracy Theories vs. the Religion of Democracy

An Orwellian America

"We have been gradually disempowered by a corporate state that, as Huxley foresaw, seduced and manipulated us through sensual gratification, cheap mass-produced goods, boundless credit, political theater and amusement. Now that credit is drying up, good jobs for the working class are gone forever and mass-produced goods are unaffordable, we find ourselves transported from 'Brave New World' to '1984.' The state, crippled by massive deficits, endless war and corporate malfeasance, is clearly sliding toward unavoidable bankruptcy. It is time for Big Brother to take over from Huxley’s feelies, the orgy-porgy and the centrifugal bumble-puppy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAn Orwellian America