This month, an organization called Defense Distributed discovered how to “print” a plastic pistol that really shoots. Defense Distributed, which is dedicated to preserving the right to keep and bear arms, used a 3-D printer to read a real pistol’s electronic blueprint and print out a plastic … [Read more...]
Gardens, Property Rights, and Property Values
Joseph S. Diedrich | May 10, 2013
Chicago resident Kathy Cummings was recently fined $600 for growing milkweed in her garden. Ironically, the fine was issued by the same city that honored her in the past for her exceptional displays of flora. Her plight is the merely the most recent in a series of similar cases. Jason Helveston of … [Read more...]
Abortion and Gun Control: Any Hope for Change?
Paul Wilson | May 8, 2013
The shocking trial of abortion provider Kermit Gosnell, who allegedly snipped the necks of babies in a filthy clinic, has stirred outrage even among abortion supporters. Meanwhile, following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, CT, in December 2012, the Senate recently rejected a … [Read more...]
HHS’s “Medical Loss Ratio” Rule: Keep Your Health Plan?
Jack Inglewood | July 25, 2012
“[I]f you like your…health care plan, you can keep it.” -President Obama on ObamaCare, August 15, 2009 Invoking ObamaCare, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued the new "Medical Loss Ratio" rule that could decimate Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). HSAs are accounts … [Read more...]
Centro Tepeyac: Pro-Lifers’ First Amendment Martyr?
Dan Smyth | July 16, 2012
The First Amendment: Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble... On February 2, 2010, the Montgomery County (Mo Co) Council in Maryland commanded Centro Tepeyac and other area pro-life centers to "post at least 1 … [Read more...]
Copy the Thermometers? Scarcity and Rights to Medical or Health Care
Dan Smyth | May 10, 2012
If the good can be [copied or] taken (shared) without displacing the original, it is always nonscarce. If taking the original means that it can no longer exist in the possession of the original owner or possessor, it is a scarce good. -Jeffrey Tucker & Stephan Kinsella, 2010 For the past 70 … [Read more...]
Portland Protects Taxicabs from Luxury Competition
Tony Escobar | April 30, 2012
In 2009, officials of Portland, Oregon, instituted protectionist regulations on the city’s limousine and sedan service companies to protect larger taxicab companies from luxury competition. The regulation requires limousine and sedan services to 1) charge a minimum price of $50 from downtown … [Read more...]
Mythbuster: Americans are Undertaxed
Dustin Siggins | April 23, 2012
Last week, Laura Ingraham talked on her show about how the wealthy pay more taxes than any other taxpayers, both as a percentage of their income and as a percentage of the federal government’s tax revenue. Also last week, during a Senate debate over the Buffett Rule (which failed in a vote soon … [Read more...]
John Stossel Hits the Road in ‘No, They Can’t’ Book Tour
Pat Cuadros | April 16, 2012
Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending a reception at the Reason Foundation in Washington, DC. The occasion was to celebrate the recent release of John Stossel’s latest book, No, They Can’t: Why Government Fails—But Individuals Succeed. John Stossel was an anchor on ABC for two decades and … [Read more...]
The IRS is Overstepping Its Bounds
Tony Escobar | April 2, 2012
Government institutions frequently overstep their bounds, hindering ordinary citizens from making a living. Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has begun hindering independent tax preparers. The IRS is demanding individual tax preparers to pass a new special licensing exam, pay additional … [Read more...]
