Free kibbles

The US has dropped another spot to fifth on the index of economic freedom. After dramatically reducing taxes, and seeing their economy skyrocket as a result, Ireland jumped into third place after Hong Kong and Singapore and in front of Australia. The US dropped from a freedom rating of 82% to 80.56% overall. Our freedom from government (basically government regulations) and our fiscal freedom (basically taxes) are in virtual free fall. These are the factors that are taking us over a cliff.

Clearly decreasing the size of government and decreasing taxes are what's necessary to right the ship. How our are candidates doing at addressing those issues?

Asia and Europe are the 2 most economically free regions in the world. How's that working out for us?

Feds to deport 200,000 criminal illegal aliens in 2008. Why so few?

FBI wants international database of iris, palm, and fingerprints. I'm surprised they left out DNA.

The nuclear power deal between France and the UAE also included a provision for the French to set up a permanent military base in the UAE. For the first time in a long time, the US is not the only western nation in the Middle East.

Bomber attacks US embassy vehicle in Beirut.

Because our NATO allies, and I use the word loosely, refuse to pull their weight and send more troops to Afghanistan, the US is sending in more Marines. Cato generously says NATO is crumbling. It's not crumbling. It's always been little more than an organization for security welfare from the US to Europe, and now that the Soviet threat is gone, Europe is resistant to provide even a fraction of their obligations.

Saudi oil minister says OPEC will raise production when the market requires it. That's a meaningless phrase. The market will adjust one way or another. Obviously $100 a barrel doesn't fit his definition of requiring it.

Israel kills 18 Palestinians in West Bank raid. It's about time Israel started defending itself from Hamas terrorists.

Musharraf orders troops to shoot anybody who disrupts the election process, meaning terrorists attempting to blow up polling places, who certainly should be shot before they can kill people, but it won't be reported that way in the US.

Anti-Cuban paramilitary units training Florida. The article calls them terrorists, but it doesn't provide any evidence these units have committed or plan to commit acts of terror. There's a difference between freedom fighters and terrorists, and articles like this that ignore the distinction are dangerous.

Inflation highest in 26 years. That's because inflation is a natural response to increasing the supply of money, and the Fed has been pumping money into the economy to make it appear we're not in a recession.

Bush at record low approval rating but still much higher than Congress.

Rice urges Arab nations to work with Israel. Why would a bunch of despotic Arab kings want to work with with democratic Israel? The violence works in their favor because it keeps oil prices artificially high. They have nothing to gain.

By 2017, 50% more women will earn bachelors degrees than men. This is because Americans, while more poorly educated, have more degrees. The social and political implications are enormous.

French fertility rate is up.

Reason exposes the lies the mainstream (liberal) media is telling in support of John McCain.

Hopefully this will put an end to Huckabee's campaign. He wants to amend the Constitution to be in "God's standards". I'm sure radical Muslims want to amend the Constitution to be in God's standards too, so we can all live under Sharia. I don't want any of it. I wish another candidate championed the FairTax.

Bill Clinton has a list of 80 attacks that Obama has made on Hillary. It must be tough for Bill, who has been fawned over and protected by the press for 16 years while he destroyed lives right and left, to no longer be the favorite son.

Clinton and Obama are seeking a truce in their racist, sexist battle. After a week of the Democrats parading their overt racism and sexism for all to see, you can bet the press will make this story disappear to cover it up.

Romney wins Michigan handily.

Ethanol made from waste. This kind of technology would already be abundant but for the burden of government on our entrepreneurs and investors.

New marketing model for multi-core chips. Users have always paid for peak performance rarely achieved. I doubt this will catch on.

Pat Buchanan calls us a subprime nation because we keep electing subprime candidates from the 2 subprime parties, and they're driving this country over a cliff.

Rush Limbaugh is a supporter of big-government statist Republicans, not the ideals of Ronald Reagan. But he's not quite as much of a big-government statist as Sean Hannity.

Cato warns against the unintended consequences of biofuels.