Stossel's 20/20 Take on Health Care Reform

Who deserves a raise?

HT: Lowercase Liberty

Best Resume Ever!

A thing of beauty and supple art.

Obama officials: Taxes may rise to pay health care

Barack Obama constantly repeated that taxes would not rise for the middle class during the Presidential campaign. Well, so much for that.

Idea's on Redesigning America's Currency

Of course, these will never come to fruition but I must admit that some of them were very cool.

The Optimum Size of Government

From the Center for Freedom and Prosperity:

A new study by economists with the Institute for Market Economics (IME) in Sofia, Bulgaria, using the latest OECD data, finds that the government sectors in OECD (developed countries) are too large relative to their private sectors to maximize economic growth. Economists have long known that the government sector can be too small or too large to maximize economic growth, job creation, and the social welfare of its citizens. Governments that do not adequately protect the people and their property and the rule of law may be too small, while governments whose size and inefficiencies cause a misallocation of resources are too large.

Over the last several decades, economists have tried to determine and quantify the optimum size of government (recognizing that not all governments and societies are the same). Most studies have shown the optimum size of government is between 12% and 30% of GDP. The new IME study, entitled The Optimum Size of Government, finds (using standard methodology) the government sector should be no larger than 25% (and perhaps considerably smaller) to maximize GDP growth. All major governments, including the U.S., Germany, U.K., France, and Italy greatly exceed that level. The average government sector for the OECD countries now exceeds 41% of GDP.

Markets In Everything

Free online courses with distinguished professors from reputable colleges and universities:

They don't offer degrees but then they don't charge tuition either.

Colleges and universities across the United States are offering free courses online on virtually every subject imaginable, including videotaped lectures by some of their most distinguished professors.

Video-sharing site YouTube recently created a hub called YouTube EDU at youtube.com/edu for the more than 100 US colleges and universities offering free online learning.

HT: Mark J. Perry at Carpe Diem

Happy Birthday, Milton Friedman!!

The Cato Institute's David Boaz wrote a great piece on Friedman several years before his passing that wonderfully outlined his life.

Halo and the financial mess explained

A funny take on the financial crisis with Halo characters. Peak bees! LOL!!

Don't Fill Out Those Donor Cards

Very funny! And we really need some humor these days.

Do we really need this?

A "Fannie Mae" of Health Care?

How Not to Avoid Jury Duty

Don't do what this guy did.

Forced to become an expatriate. Now where to go?

Since our government seems driven to devalue the American dollar while continuing to implement massive wealth distribution schemes, some of us may sadly have to live out our retirement abroad where our dollars may have more purchasing power. Here are some lovely places for about $500 a month.

Sorry, But Organic Food Isn't Healthier...

So say scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine . So put down those expensive bananas because they're not worth it.

Your Fridge Tells a Story

Interesting snapshots of refrigerators and those that use them. I ran to see what my fridge looked like after viewing this. I need more veggies.

The Maze of Taxes

A visual guide to where your taxes go. Not for the faint of heart.

Words of economic wisdom from Nancy Pelosi

From the WSJ:

Blue Dogs who are dragged into Speaker Pelosi’s office should be aware of just how she is selling the health care bill. Yesterday, she told supporters it represented “real change,” because it meant “a cap on your [health care] costs, but no cap on your benefit.”

Yup. This is the kind of ass-backwards economics that is driving health care "reform" by Democrats. Doesn't Pelosi understand that what she is proposing is simply economically untenable? Apparently not. Here's a video of Ms. Pelosi selling her brand of economics.

What Exactly Can A Trillion Buy These Days?

I think I have a headache now.

Health Care - Canadian Style

Yes, I know that Democrats and the White House are not proposing universal health care like in Canada. But the Canadian system started small and it eventually crowded out any semblance of the free market.

Obama The Bully

The CBO has been publishing unflattering stats on the overly optimistic budget numbers coming from the White House. Is the Obama administration now starting to bully the Congressional Budget Office?