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As usual, Pabst is spot on. This is precisely why the founders specifically forbid direct, unapportioned taxes in the Constitution (until the f-ing 16th amendment). Productive capacity (or wealth) now becomes a category for discrimination. Income tax in general, and progressive income tax...

You are being purposely obtuse in ignoring the clear example I gave regarding the difference between causing harm through inaction and actively causing injury.

I think your example is a bit of a red herring. The embryo in your example was never viable in that state, so the death of those cells could only be blamed on the inaction of the technician. Under our law, this is not a crime. It would be like you being arrested for the death of a starved...

You are correct. I don't know exactly what Paul thinks about this issue. I only assume that Paul is a reasonable man, and as a reasonable man, shows prudence with regards to issues of life and death. On the other hand, he might just be against abortion because the pope told him to be. But I...

It is no more a moral issue than murder. It is a legal issue of determining at what point an individual has the protection of law. Everyone agrees it should be illegal to kill an infant in the crib a day after birth. Most agree it is wrong a day before birth, and no one can decide the on...

That is a good question. I suppose I support the founders' idea of a universally enforced Constitution, with everything not specifically enumerated there left to the states. So it then depends on your interpretation of the Constitution. Evidently, Ron Paul believes it to be outside the...

Stupid comparison. There is no depression now, and it is hard for me to find time to care about such things. But I also find it hard to care if people are murdering each other on the streets of LA. I care a little more if people are killing each other on the south side of Chicago, and care a...

The abortion issue (and to a lesser extent stem cell research) is fundamentally concerned with whether or not a fetus is a legal person entitled to Constitutional rights (particularly the implied right not to be murdered). This is clearly not a "silly social issue," and seems to me to be one of...

Great post. Agree 100%. Every new trader should understand this before they decide to try to make a living day trading e-minis.

So where is this fantasy world that you live in where lower borrowing costs overseas does not translate into lower domestic borrowing costs (ever heard of I.R. arbitrage), or where higher external currency values does not result in higher foreign demand for US goods and services (which...

This argument always annoys me because of the lack of depth in thought. Of course the rich spend less on the margin, but what do you think is done with the extra savings? This isn't the 19th century where the rich are hoarding their gold coins in their basements like Silas Marner. These...

Your illogical statements rests on the dubious assessment that the Iranian regime is rational. The ideology of 'Mutually Assured Destruction' only works if your adversary values his earthly existence and wouldn't just as soon meet allah while fighting the infidels. I need not even mention...

That is irrelevant at this point in time. Good leaders often are forced to do things contrary to the wishes of their constituents.

Colonialism is extremely profitable- until it is not. Tell me the Spanish did not profit from the colonization of South and Central America. They scored boat-loads (literally) of precious metals and jewels for years. Tell me the Brits didn't profit from mercantilism under their empire. They...

I don't know where you are from, or how little you know of the US system of government, but the US has a 'Representative Democracy' as opposed to a 'Direct Democracy.' The US does not have referendums. Officials are elected, and thereby granted the authority by the populace to make decisions...

Interestingly, I was reading this morning that converting from the Lutheran faith was illegal in Sweden up until the 1860's, not sure what the punishment was though. I would bet many Western countries have had similar laws along the way, and let's not forget the Inquisition. It seems this...

An extremist is created by the cultural influences and religious indoctrination of his upbringing. I don't believe an extremist is created by US action, perhaps revealed. Additionally, the US cannot be dissuaded from killing its enemies for the fear of revealing others who share their same...

I do not think the US operations in the Middle East need any more justification than the fact that declared, militant enemies of the US are located there. I think the economics of war are an ancillary benefit, and I made this statement to answer someone who doubts that war can be stimulative.

The whole point is to kill the extremists on foreign soil. Even better to have a newly anointed Iraqi military killing extremists on foreign soil. Not sure it will turn out this way, but conceptually it is brilliant.

Foreign wars have historically been and economic boon, as long as you win. Not only is domestic production of military supplies stimulative, the technological innovations that have historically been developed as a direct result of battlefield needs are proof enough of the economic beneficence.