Written by the administrative director of The Center for Vision & Values for WORLD Magazine. Read the article»
What Do You Want America to Look Like?
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Economics & Political Systems
The Significance of Congressman Allen West
Amidst the rhetorical pyrotechnics surrounding July’s debt-ceiling debates, another controversy streaked across the sky like a comet, flared for an instant, then receded into the maelstrom of ongoing partisan attacks. The shooting star in question involved an exchange between two … Continue reading
Going to the Brink: The Aug. 2 Debt Ceiling Deadline
Some have called August 2 “Financial D-Day.” That is the date, according to Treasury Secretary Geithner, by which either Congress raises the debt ceiling or some government disbursements will cease. Multiple proposals have been floated for budgetary reforms to be … Continue reading
Could You Survive Another Great Depression?
I just read two very interesting articles on the U.S. economy, written from historical perspectives. They compelled me to share my own historical perspective. And what I want to say is more about our changing culture than our economy. One … Continue reading
Solutions for the “Tax Gap”
In 2010, there was a “tax gap”—i.e., the difference between federal taxes owed and those actually paid—of $410–$500 billion. Some of the gap stems from the complexity of the tax code. Much of it, though, is deliberate: self-employed individuals working for … Continue reading
Morally Inconsistent Currency
Written by the administrative director of The Center for Vision & Values for WORLD Magazine. Read the article»
Americans Without Chests
As Americans prepared to mark the birth of their country with the usual outpouring of celebratory events, pundits on the political right were scratching their heads over President Obama’s most recent comment about America’s free-enterprise system. This time, corporate jet … Continue reading
The Limits to Bernanke’s Power
As chairman of our country’s central bank, the Federal Reserve Board, Ben Bernanke is expected to put the economy on a sound footing and foster strong economic growth. Unfortunately, Bernanke faces “mission impossible”—partly because the policies implemented by Congress, the … Continue reading
No Starbucks Budget
Written by the administrative director of The Center for Vision & Values for WORLD Magazine. Read the article»
Jefferson Versus Hamilton: The Continuing Contest
This Fourth of July marks 235 years since the Declaration of Independence was published. In this immortal document, the Spirit of ’76 was given its fullest, most eloquent expression. The Declaration is a timeless document, espousing eternal principles that, while … Continue reading
My Congressman’s Tough Job
Being a congressman can be a great job. It can be attractive for someone who relishes the ersatz virtue of playing Santa Claus with other people’s money, who finds a year-round routine of fund-raising social events enjoyable, and who covets … Continue reading
Planned Parenthood Funding: James Madison vs. Obama and the Progressives
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at CatholicVote.org. With a critical vote in its state Senate, North Carolina has voted to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Republicans hold a huge majority in the Senate—meaning, as a Republican majority usually … Continue reading
Our Health is Overinsured!
One of the arguments for healthcare reform is that millions of Americans with employer-provided healthcare are underinsured. Proponents of this view are saying that people are underinsured if they are paying too many of their healthcare costs out-of-pocket. Quite the … Continue reading
Perils of the “Administrative State”
Written by the administrative director of The Center for Vision & Values for WORLD Magazine. Read the article»
Swindling America’s Youth
We older Americans have saddled our youth with a mind-boggling public debt—over $20 trillion already spent ($14.3 trillion of “official” national debt plus various off-budget expenditures, according to the U.S. Treasury); trillions more of projected deficit-spending over the coming decade; … Continue reading
Sleepwalking Through the Valley of Financial Calamity
Written by the administrative director of The Center for Vision & Values for WORLD Magazine. Read the article»
Persist for Airport Freedom
A “Woman Screams for Help After TSA Molestation,” and the “Texas Pat Down Ban May Be Back.” Those are just two of the headlines breaking around the nation this morning, as summer travel picks up—and so do concerns over excessive … Continue reading
The High-Stakes Showdown Over Medicare Reform
The trustees of the Medicare system recently reported that the program will go broke in the year 2024—five years sooner than was projected just last year. The millions of Americans who have been counting on Medicare to be a reliable, … Continue reading
The Global Energy Superpower
Saudi Arabia has long been the dominant producer of petroleum on the planet. Nature endowed the Arabian Peninsula with gigantic deposits of this vital source of energy. Many of us have lamented the quirk of nature that placed much-needed oil … Continue reading
Tax Hikes are Coming … If Obama Gets His Way
President Obama is now openly proposing tax increases on at least two important fronts as part of his “solution” to the growing debt crisis. The president’s favorite approach is to talk about the “wealthiest Americans.” In his speech on April … Continue reading