The welfare state is cracking apart. It has run out of money. Most people want the supposed benefits of a welfare state; nearly everybody welcomes something for nothing. But increasingly, it’s apparent to all involved that you can’t get something … Continue reading
The battle between the governor of Wisconsin and his state employees illustrates the case for capitalism — and against government-run monopolies. Government employees hold a monopoly — or at least a strong advantage — in the provision of certain services. … Continue reading
A study by Jonathan Gruber, an MIT professor, found that replacing the individual mandate in ObamaCare, as suggested by many opponents of the law, would significantly erode the coverage gains from the law and raise premiums for health care consumers. … Continue reading
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: “Here’s the truth that nobody’s talking about. You’re gonna have to raise the retirement age for Social Security. Whoa, I just said it, and I’m still standing here. I did not vaporize.” Actually, the problems … Continue reading
Q: Dr. Hurd, in your recent article on addiction you mention and provide a link to Rational Recovery. What about the offshoot program, SMART Recovery? A: I don’t like SMART Recovery as much as Rational Recovery. It’s not as hard … Continue reading
People say “the truth hurts.” But which hurts more: Evasion of reality, or confrontation of reality as it is? Abusers of drugs and alcohol are evaders and deniers of reality. Are they really happier for their efforts? People who quit … Continue reading
Obama’s new budget, while calling for a phony “spending freeze” in actuality calls for spending increases in areas of education, biomedical research and high speed rail. This is because Obama judges these areas as important for the ability of the … Continue reading
Unfortunately, the new Republican House of Representatives isn’t getting it right. Perhaps they mean well, but you cannot accomplish great things merely by meaning to do so. If the House leaders really wanted to change the direction of American politics … Continue reading
Partisanship, we’re told, is always wrong. What is “partisanship”? Superficially, it’s the difference between Republicans and Democrats. The deeper issue implied is: Principle. The assumption (a false one) is that Republicans and Democrats have different principles. It’s wrong to be … Continue reading
A reporter wrote in and asked Dr. Hurd: Basically, my third part in this series focuses on care — and that’s a broad topic. The goal here is that somebody who might be going through addiction reads this, gets sound … Continue reading
Q: What do you advise people who want to quit smoking? I successfully reduced the number of cigarettes from 22 to 6 a day, but now I am stuck and I can’t get any further. I would welcome your advice. … Continue reading
Q: Dr. Hurd, can you please explain the psychology of “gotcha”? By this I mean the type of person who’s always ready to point out something you did wrong, or may have done wrong. I see it in the newspapers, … Continue reading