by Paul Gregory French voters went to the polls today to winnow a ten-candidate presidential field down to the “right-of-center” incumbent (Nicolas Sarkozy) and his socialist challenger (Francois Hollande). The two will face each other in a runoff election on May 6. A Sarkozy loss would be the first of an incumbent French president in thirty years. It would threaten the German-French sponsored European Union rescue package. It is no...
After the verdict
by Mark A. Monoscalco And what shall we do after the Supreme Court rules on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) (commonly referred to as Obama care)? I have heard many of our fellow citizens worrying that if the Supreme Court finds PPACA unconstitutional we will be back to “square one”. An article was published in the Wall Street Journal on 4/3/12 which discusses this subject. The author of the article...
Judicial activism and unintended consequences
by Mark A. Monoscalco President Obama’s recent comments about the US Supreme Court’s review of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) (commonly referred to as Obama care) has led to what I assume are unintended consequences. The highlight of his Rose Garden statement on 4/2/12 was: “I’d just remind conservative commentators that for years what we’ve heard is, the biggest problem on the bench was judicial...
Obama Care’s Commissar’s Conceit
by Paul Gregory As a writer on Soviet planning, I am struck by its parallels with Obama Care. Both believe their planning is “scientific” and executed by “the best of the best,” who know what is best for ordinary people. Both types of planning commissars suffer Hayek’s “fatal conceit” – the belief that they can plan incredibly complex economic systems. Their “scientific” plans, however, fall apart under the weight of...
Individual Mandate Myths
by Cody Hensarling If PPACA (Obamacare) can stand under the weight of the repeal effort and legal challenges, whether you like it or not, you will have to buy health insurance. Now, most people are not opposed to buying health insurance and virtually all people agree that having access to health care is a major priority for all adults. Others would point to requirements to buy other forms of insurance (usually auto) and wonder what the fuss is...