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Another Middle-Eastern Mistake

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 09:24:03 EST

Statement on H Res 34, Reaffirming the United States strong support for Israel, before the US House of Representatives, January 9, 2008

Madame Speaker, I strongly oppose H. Res. 34, which was rushed to the floor with almost no prior notice and without consideration by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The resolution clearly takes one side in a conflict that has nothing to do with the United States or US interests. I am concerned that the weapons currently being used by Israel against the Palestinians in Gaza are made in America and paid for by American taxpayers. What will adopting this resolution do to the perception of the United States in the Muslim and Arab world? What kind of blowback might we see from this? What moral responsibility do we have for the violence in Israel and Gaza after having provided so much military support to one side?

Obama's War

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:02:33 EST

Just two months after the twin towers fell, the armies of the Northern Alliance marched into Kabul. The Taliban fled.

The triumph was total in the "splendid little war" that had cost one U.S. casualty. Or so it seemed. Yet, last month, the war against the Taliban entered its eighth year, the second longest war in our history, and America and NATO have never been nearer to strategic defeat.

Hayek Was Right: The Worst Do Get to the Top

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:49:56 EDT

In spite of freedom’s remarkable, global progress in recent years—from the collapse of the Soviet empire to the growth of “privatization”—there is no sign yet of a shortage of statists with silly and destructive schemes. The best explanation of why and how such people get into positions of power is still found in “Why the Worst Get on Top,” which is chapter ten of F.A. Hayek’s masterpiece, The Road to Serfdom.

The List: Obama’s 10 Worst Ideas

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:38:06 EDT

There's only ten of them?

Palin - Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice?

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:41:47 EDT

Some limited-government conservatives (no, really – there are a handful) and even a few libertarians have let their hopes and their hormones do their thinking for them.

Traditional conservatives are ga-ga for Palin for much the same reasons that antiwar liberals thought they were in love with Barack Obama. The affair will end the same way: sincere Leftists discovered that Obama isn’t really antiwar at all (though next to McCain, he looks like Gandhi) and independents are finding out that he’s not so different from any other liberal Democrat. Palin is not a new kind of Republican. She’s a McCain Republican – the number 2 McCain Republican in the country.

U.S. Dependence on Foreign Oil: Why We Shouldn’t Be Alarmed

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:37:43 EDT

In the 2008 election, oil prices are high and the presidential candidates from both parties are trying to get into the White House by fear mongering about U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Barack Obama and John McCain both seem to think such dependence is a bad thing, and the American public wholeheartedly agrees. Because almost everyone concurs (except many economists) on this questionable proposition, the debate on high oil prices and what to do about them degenerates from there.

The Rise of Fantasy Politics - Obama and McCain have each taken symbolic steps to suggest that they've made tough budget choices. Don't believe them.

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:35:29 EDT

By all rights, we should be having a fierce debate over the role of government. What should it do, for whom and why? What works? What can we afford? Who should pay? These questions would suggest a campaign that seriously engages the future, but instead and not surprisingly, we have a bidding war between candidates to see who can promise the most appealing package of new spending programs and tax cuts. As we watch the conventions, we should recognize that we've entered an era of fantasy . Like fantasy football and baseball, fantasy politics is an exercise in make-believe that is intended to keep its players occupied and to make the winners feel good. and emit pleasing slogans and programs that, as often as not, are disconnected from the country's actual problems.

Social Security Increases Poverty

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:16:38 EDT

One of the most common arguments supporting Social Security is that it reduces poverty among the elderly. Last week, Barack Obama stated that, “Social Security has lifted millions of seniors and their families out of poverty. Without it, nearly 50 percent of seniors would live below the poverty line.” This is almost certainly untrue.

Social Security affects poverty among the elderly in two offsetting ways. While it reduces poverty by providing income to retired persons, it discourages private saving during the working years—ultimately decreasing the private assets people bring to their retirement. The net effect of this is increased poverty among the retired population.

'The Secretary Will Disavow Any Knowledge of Your Actions'

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:00:12 EDT

Becky Akers on the Chinese and American police states.

Judge Lifts Unconstitutional Gag Order Against MIT Students - Free Speech Victory for Security Researchers

no@spam.com (Alex Doran) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:33:16 EDT

Boston - Today, a federal judge lifted an unconstitutional gag order that had prevented three Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) students from disclosing academic research regarding vulnerabilities in Boston's transit fare payment system. The court found that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Agency (MBTA) had no likelihood of success on the merits of its claim under the federal computer intrusion law and denied the transit agency's request for a five-month injunction. In papers filed yesterday, the MBTA acknowledged for the first time that their Charlie Ticket system had vulnerabilities and estimated that it would take five months to fix.