17 June 2005

A day of import, or yet another reason why I don't like this branch of the Republican party!

Quoth one of the 21st Century's noblest men: "Only a few economic historians are likely to notice June 17 marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Hawley-Smoot tariff bill, and even economic historians are unlikely to be nostalgic about that disastrous legislation.
snip
Who was opposed? Most of the leading economists. A Page One headline in the New York Times of May 5, 1930, read: '1,028 economists ask Hoover to veto pending tariff bill.' Those signing this public appeal against the new tariffs included many top economists -- 25 professors of economics at Harvard, 26 at the University of Chicago, and 28 at Columbia.
snip
The economists' appeal spelled it out: "The proponents of higher tariffs claim that the increase in rates will give work to the idle. This is not true. We cannot increase employment by restricting trade."
Yes, the emphasis is mine.

Read it all

16 June 2005

Court ruling expected to change Canada's health care system - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - World - News

Court ruling expected to change Canada's health care system - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - World - News: "Canada's Supreme Court dealt a powerful blow to the state monopoly on health care yesterday, striking down a Quebec ban on private health insurance for services provided under the country's system of universal coverage."

Yee-hah! Of all the pernicious assertions during HillaryCare-of-unfond-memory's run through the public square, "We have a fine example right next door in Canada", is easily the silliest.

A bit more background. I'm a [US] Navy vet. The USN has major bases near the Canadian Border: Bremerton, WA and the soon-to-be closed Shipyard in Portsmouth, NH (actually, it's in Kittery, ME, but let that go). This means that Navy people are more likely than most to have been exposed to the Canadians traipsing across the border to receive treatment which the Canadian "fine example" often wouldn't provide, um, pre-mortem.

Note that the Canadian Supreme Court found that too: Socialized Medicine Kills.


The World Health Organization ranks Canada's health system 30th in the world and the United States 37th. France, which allows private services to complement its universal system, is ranked first.

Before, my fellow Liberals, you get too enthused about quoting this factoid, please check the premises of the WHO. Hint: they shot the arrow, then drew the target.

Official: Maritime NORAD Is 'Defense In Depth'

aviation week, aerospace, airline industry, space technology, defense, aircraft, homeland security, articles, magazines, FAA, regulations, news: "06/14/2005 09:24:13 AM
By Michael Bruno
Maritime defense - including the creation of a maritime equivalent of the North American Aerospace Defense Command - presents the greatest single opportunity to beef up domestic security, according to the Defense Department's top official for homeland defense. "