06 | February | 2013

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Ronald Reagan speaks out against Obamacare in 1961

Mark J. Perry | February 6, 2013, 11:59 pm

In 1961, Ronald Reagan spoke out against socialized medicine, and said “One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people, has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a … read more >

Carpe Diem

Ronald Reagan, the first sitting US president to visit the NYSE, on ‘believing in the miracle of the marketplace’

Mark J. Perry | February 6, 2013, 8:44 pm

Today, February 6, is President Ronald Reagan’ birthday, he was born on this day in 1911. Shortly after his death on June 5, 2004, the New York Stock Exchange put this tribute to the 40th president of the United States on its website: On March 28, … read more >

Economics, Pethokoukis

Here’s what Obama’s fantasy high-speed rail network would look like — but it will never get built

James Pethokoukis | February 6, 2013, 7:27 pm

When it comes down to it, die-hard Keynesians really don’t give a rip how government spends money to juice the economy, as long as it gets spent. Recall the famous thought experiment offered by The Master himself: “If the Treasury … read more >

Image Credit: Matt Spiel (Flickr) (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Economics, Free Enterprise

How to save the Postal Service

Henrik Temp | February 6, 2013, 3:26 pm

Today, the US Postal Service announced that it will no longer deliver first-class mail on Saturdays. The decision highlights the dramatic need for reform in the 200+ year old institution, whose financial health has been in precipitous decline since the turn … read more >

Society and Culture

Study: Mexicans naturalize at half the rate of other immigrants

Henrik Temp | February 6, 2013, 3:25 pm

One of the criticisms of the “Gang of Eight’s” plan for comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate is it would bog down our already-strained legal immigration system. There is already a multi-year (more like multi-decade) wait to become a naturalized … read more >

Image Credit: republicanconference (Flickr) (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Pethokoukis

Is the GOP going to cave on the sequester?

James Pethokoukis | February 6, 2013, 2:15 pm

Bloomberg’s Joshua Green speculates about a “looming Republican crackup” over the sequester as anti-tax GOPers square off against pro-defense GOPers. First of all, these are not two neatly divided groups. And there are plenty of Republican hawks who worry that … read more >

Pethokoukis

This is my favorite Ronald Reagan speech

James Pethokoukis | February 6, 2013, 1:43 pm

The Gipper’s November 1979 presidential candidacy announcement is one of his less well-known speeches, but a crackerjack nonetheless. If you are short for time, cut right to 1:50 in. It’s like he’s speaking to 2013 America across space and time: Reagan: … read more >

Economics, Pethokoukis

What would Reagan say if he were giving the State of the Union speech next week?

James Pethokoukis | February 6, 2013, 12:54 pm

When Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, the top income tax rate was 70%. Inflation had averaged nearly 9% over the previous eight years. The unemployment rate was over 7%. China’s GDP, in nominal terms, was 3% of America’s. … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Terrorism

Make that #11: ANOTHER ObamaLeak

Marc Thiessen | February 6, 2013, 12:39 pm

Today, I posted on the “Top Ten” ObamaLeaks that John Brennan needs to explain in his confirmation hearings. Lo and behold, this morning’s Washington Post contains yet another leak — this one in a story on Brennan’s confirmation hearing! — … read more >

Photo Credit: Marine Corps Archives and Special Collection/Flickr

Foreign and Defense Policy, Asia

The Great War’s lessons for 2013

Gary Schmitt | February 6, 2013, 11:53 am

In yesterday’s Financial Times, Gideon Rachman wrote another one of his interesting columns, “The Shadow of 1914 falls over the Pacific,” noting some of the similarities in the current situation in the Far East and the international situation before World … read more >