John Stossel, one of the few TV reporters who asks objective and meaningful questions of people, recently asked a woman in favor of government regulation of the banking/mortgage industry to defend her views. He pointed out that government requirements or … Continue reading
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
Mistakes Parents Make and Why They Make Them
Parents make numerous mistakes when raising their children. Examples include: Big Mistake # 1: Motivating the child with dogma rather than reason. In other words, “Do what I say,” rather than: “If you do X, then Y will happen.” For … Continue reading
Even Reagan Couldn’t Fix This Mess
The U.S. Senate is considering ending, or at least reducing the strength of, the filibuster. The filibuster allows the minority in the Senate to prevent the majority from passing a bad bill, through delay or other tactics. Who wants to … Continue reading
Gays in the Military: Right Policy, Wrong Reasons
Are gays openly serving in the military a good thing, or a bad thing, for the military? It depends on who you ask. Some military officials are quoted as saying it will make no difference. Others are quoted as saying … Continue reading
The “Dream Act” is a Politician’s Dream
The entire “debate” over immigration in the United States is one big evasion. What’s being evaded? For one thing, the United States is the most valuable place on earth to live because it has been the most productive. It has … Continue reading
The Error of “Group Think”
What is “group think”? It’s the opposite of individuality. Individuality resides in the independent use of your mind. “Independent” means objective, which means you independently use a rational method of thinking about people, situations and events. Rational does not necessarily … Continue reading
Spending Cuts Matter More than Tax Cuts
Congress is prepared to pass yet another trillion dollar pork spending bill. The question arises, “How can they? Did they not hear the Americans vote against Big Government spending in the last election?” Of course they did. But they also … Continue reading
Compassion for the Violent?
The interesting thing about the attempted shooting of an entire school board in Florida (during a public meeting) is the reaction of one of the victims. In a press conference following the incident, I watched a school board official — … Continue reading
ObamaCare Hits an Iceberg
Federal Judge Henry E. Hudson ruled Monday in favor of Virginia’s claim that the requirement for people to purchase health care exceeds the power of Congress under the Constitution’s Commerce Clause or under the General Welfare Clause. “It is not … Continue reading
Conservatives Are Killing Capitalism
Many people argue that the Troubled Asset Relief Program (known as TARP) is an example of government intervention in the economy being necessary. If government hadn’t intervened, the argument goes, the economy wouldn’t have stabilized and our severe recession would … Continue reading
“Permission to Speak, Sir?”
And so it begins. Michael Copps, of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has suggested a “public value test” to determine who should, and should not, hold licenses for television and radio. Read this as: Shut down Fox News. But there’s … Continue reading
Why I’m Against “Self-Help”
I am a therapist, but I have come to resent the notion of “self-help.” One problem with “self-help” as we know it is that it emphasizes “how to.” A lot of people, in trying to cope better emotionally, ask questions … Continue reading