Last year was the year of the Roth conversion. Now it’s time to consider how much of the conversion to keep. Although that decision depends on a hundred different factors, here is a simple rule of thumb to use as a starting point for discussions with your CPA. Up until December 2010, it looked...
In wake of known threats, leaving citizens defenseless is wrong by Alan Korwin, Author Gun Laws of America January 31, 2011 Recent events have made it painfully obvious that murderous trouble can erupt at any time and in any place. It is a clear and present danger. We can no longer afford to pretend...
Unemployment continues to plague our economy. In spite of constant claims that we have just turned the corner into recovery, the jobs reports remain grim with no real signs of improvement. While Keynesian economists and big government apologists scratch their heads about persistent unemployment in spite of unprecedented government “investment†in the economy, free...
“He who restrains his appetite avoids debt” – Chinese proverb East will never meet the West of Adam Smith. China never had a culture or tradition of respecting individual human rights. Why would anyone assume that a regime that houses worker slaves in huge chicken coops would adopt a fair trade economy? The Chinese...
China’s President Hu Jintao is visiting the United States this week. This means we can count on two things: 1) a proliferation of Hu/who jokes (think: Abbott and Costello, “Who’s on first?â€Â); and 2) disputes about the respective monetary policies of the two countries. Chinese officials gripe about the Federal Reserve’s cheap-dollar policy. American...
Much of the coverage, about the tragic killings in Tucson, Arizona centers upon the deranged shooter, Jared Loughner. What is gradually coming out about this strange gunman is now very different from the initial reporting. Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford makes a miraculous recovery. Christina Taylor Green is laid to rest, as are Dorothy Morris, Phyllis...
This February 6, 2011 marks the centennial of Ronald Reagan’s birth. Reagan died June 5, 2004 at the ripe old age of 93. Ironically, throughout that long life, he had been a model of fitness. If not for Alzheimer’s disease, it is quite possible we might be watching news clips of an elderly Reagan...
The terrible violence in Arizona last weekend prompted much national discussion on many issues.  All Americans are united in their sympathies for the victims and their families.  All wonder what could motivate such a horrible act.  However, some have attempted to use this tragedy to discredit philosophical adversaries or score political points.  This sort...
February 6, 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth. In a telling development, Republicans around the country have begun holding Reagan Day dinners, as they’ve long traditionally done every February for Abraham Lincoln. This is yet another spontaneous display of affection for Reagan. Having written so much on the man, I get...
Cancer of the stomach occurs only about half as commonly today in the United States as it did 30 years ago, but it remains one of the “bad actor†cancers that are associated with a high likelihood of death. On a global scale, stomach cancer remains the #2 cause of cancer-associated death, while in...
Pondering Whither America, I reflected on a story, probably apocryphal but which I am going to believe because I like it, about catching monkeys. Tribesmen somewhere craft a heavy pot with a hole in it large enough that a monkey could insert an open hand, but not withdraw a closed fist. They then put...
Last week the 112th Congress was sworn in.  I am pleased that I will be chairing the Monetary Policy Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee, which has oversight of the Federal Reserve.  Obviously, this position will facilitate my efforts to ensure the Fed provides the American people with more information about what they have...
The Patriot-Liberty movement has railed against the Federal Reserve for decades. Inexorably attached to the abolishment of the private banking monopoly, the entire political career of Ron Paul is an inspiration for any citizen who values liberty and defends the U.S. Constitution. The Federal Reserve is the Enemy of America. The central cause for...
Since the end of last year the markets are up about 13%. Putting the last two years together the markets are up about 44%. Those are huge gains for two years. You may not have been on track for your goals two years ago, but now you should reevaluate again. The wave has propelled...
We must not allow the out-of-control Department of Homeland Security to impose an East German-like police state in the US, where neighbors are encouraged by big brother or big sister to inform on their neighbors.
The voters who elected the new Congress expect it to cast off unconstitutional and discredited policies such as Keynesian big-spending and judicial grabbing of legislative prerogatives. We also hope Congress will shake itself loose from the dishonest, anti-American trade policies of other countries, especially Communist China. Although China is called a major trading partner,...
Of course, it’s customary at year’s end to share our favorite news items from the year past. As someone who teaches and writes about history, I tend to focus on historical things I fear are lost to American education. So, my enduring “news item†of 2010 falls under the category of historical outrage, though...
Without question, the two most divisive social issues today are gay marriage and abortion. At first glance, they may seem disconnected since a gay relationship can’t lead to a pregnancy and subsequent abortion. I suggest that this is precisely the link – and the reason most of those opposed to legal abortion also oppose...
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