https://overcast.fm/+Hjbr8LISM

https://www.libertarianinstitute.org/scotthortonshow/12-6-17-mark-perry-moving-u-s-embassy-jerusalem-mistake/

December 9, 2017

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Mark Perry returns to the show to discuss his latest article for the American Conservative, “Tillerson, Mattis Warned Trump Against Embassy Move.” Perry doubts that Trump understands the true effect of his decision and explains why Jerusalem is integral to the Arab world and to Palestine in particular. Scott asks if, now that the two-state solution is clearly over, peace can be found in a single state—assuming apartheid conditions are lifted. Perry believes that the silver lining is that the Jerusalem decision creates division in what has become an ever-cozier relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Scott then turns to Perry’s new book, “The Pentagon’s Wars: The Military’s Undeclared Wars Against America’s Presidents.” Mark Perry is the author of Talking to Terrorists: Why America Must Engage with its Enemies and The Most Dangerous Man in America: The Making of Douglas MacArthur. His most recent book, The Pentagon’s Wars was released in October. 

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(1) It may have been or not. We’ll probably never know. Did Trump see the Israel and Saudi Arabia “alignment” as a threat to the American dominated world?

(2) The best point of the show imho is the recognition that the warfare state is killing our military with constant deployments. At some point, the troops are going to say “no”. We’ll have to watch reenlistment rate to see it. Remember the fall of Rome after the Legions were no longer composed of Roman citizens. 

(3) Interesting that the guest and host seem to feel that the foreign policy of the USA is controlled by zionists. And the influence of their lobbyists and donors is waning because of an awakening by voters, politicians, and bureaucrats that this is not in the USA’s best interest.

I personally think there will be no peace in the Middle East until Israel’s right to exist is accepted. Until them it’s just a ongoing war. Considering that Israel has / will defend itself and done it very well everytime tested, I don’t this is going to be settled at a conference table. 

Dona Nobis Pacem

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FROM BEHIND THE WSJ PAYWALL

https://www.wsj.com/articles/obamacares-death-payments-1511465449?mod=djemMER&mg=prod/accounts-wsj

OPINION  REVIEW & OUTLOOK
ObamaCare’s Death Payments
A program to reduce hospital admissions may have led to more deaths.

By The Editorial Board
Nov. 23, 2017 2:30 p.m. ET

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ObamaCare has caused hard-to-quantify economic damage, but some of the law’s regulations may be lethal—literally. Consider a Medicare hospital payment initiative, which a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Cardiology suggests may have contributed to an increase in deaths.

Readers are likely familiar with ObamaCare’s mandate and subsidies to impel individuals to obtain health insurance. But the law also included monetary incentives and penalties aimed at inducing changes in health-care delivery and spending reductions. The government rolled out these payment models nationally without careful study, and they are having unintended side effects.

A case in point is the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, which penalizes hospitals with above-average readmissions for Medicare patients. Readmissions are expensive, and the goal of the penalties is to encourage providers to take measures that reduce repeat hospitalizations—for instance, providing patients with clearer discharge instructions and coordinating with primary-care physicians.

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Hospitals with above-average readmissions are also more likely to care for low-income patients and deal with complicated medical cases. They are usually financially strapped due to low Medicaid reimbursements, and the ObamaCare penalties may make it even harder to deliver quality care.

ObamaCare effectively enrolled Medicare patients and hospitals without their consent in a mandatory policy experiment—you’ll be better off, trust us—but then neglected to evaluate the adverse effects. A drug trial with the same results would have been shut down long ago.

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Why do we let politicians and bureaucrats dabble in “health”, “health care”, “health care insurance”, or something else?

It’s all about control of people and resources.

Let’s go back to a free market.

Surely the public and the poor will be better served.

Greed is good; except when the consumer is not in control.

Argh!

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https://www.lewrockwell.com/2017/11/bionic-mosquito/the-clintons-day-of-reckoning/

The Clintons’ Day of Reckoning By Bionic Mosquito November 18, 2017

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When the Harvey Weinstein story broke about a month ago, I offered that the reason for such a story to break now – after decades of such behavior – might have something to do with the democrats getting tired of telling Hillary to go away.

Well, the train is leaving the station:

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Thursday went to a place that few Democrats have dared or cared to go when it comes to allegations of sexual assault: Calling out Bill Clinton.

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Is this the first brick to fall in the Clinton “firewall”?

Seems like all the current sexual predators with the label “D” are all connected to Bill Clinton.

Perhaps one way the D’s rid themselves of the perpetual HRC candidacy is to condemn WJC?

When HRC is no longer the icon of the D’s, then does the USA get a deep dive into all the HRC accusations?

One can only hope.

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http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2017/11/this-is-how-socialism-and.html

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2017
This is How Socialism and Hyperinflation is Destroying Incomes in Venezuela

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Maduro confirmed last week that the government would debut a new 100,000 Bolivar bill, making it the highest denomination note released in modern Venezuelan history. The move comes less than a year after he released 500, 1000, 2000, 10,000, and 20,000 bolivar notes, although all of these notes now all have a value of well under half a dollar.

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I hope all the Bernie Sanders supporters are watching carefully at that misery there.

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http://www.jeffjacoby.com/20409/if-you-can-pay-for-aspirin-you-can-pay-for-birth

If you can pay for aspirin, you can pay for birth control
by Jeff Jacoby
The Boston Globe
October 11, 2017

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News flash to Warren, et al.: There is no attack on health care, and no in America is being deprived of birth control. You are losing nothing but the power to force nuns to pay for your oral contraceptives. As a matter of common decency, you should be ashamed of demanding something so outrageous.

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Why do the Taxpayers have to pay for this?

Why do the Taxpayers have to pay for “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs”?

Why do the Taxpayers have to pay for anything and everything that the politicians and bureaucrats can dream up?

Argh!

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FROM BEHIND THE WSJ PAYWALL

https://www.wsj.com/articles/anti-growth-song-remains-the-same-1506722770?mod=djemBestOfTheWeb

OPINION  BEST OF THE WEB
Anti-Growth Song Remains the SameCriticism of the new Trump tax plan is oddly familiar.
By James Freeman — Sept. 29, 2017 6:06 p.m.

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This week the President and congressional Republicans rolled out their plan to boost economic growth by giving people and businesses greater incentives to work and invest in the United States. Specifically the plan is to lighten and simplify the tax burden on individuals and cut the federal corporate income tax rate, which when combined with state taxes now adds up to roughly twice the average rate found in Europe and Asia.

It seems straightforward that moving the U.S. rate down close to parity with the rest of the world would make the U.S. more competitive and encourage more companies to locate here. And even critics of the plan are evidently uncomfortable trying to argue that people do not respond to incentives.

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Sorry, but as a little L libertarian who has as an article of faith that “taxes are theft”, I fail to understand how anyone can argue that “higher taxes are good” or that “higher taxes do not suppress economic activity”.

Joe and Jane Six Pack NEED a booming economy where employment is easy to find and well compensated. “Human Resources” should be in high demand — more than at Starbucks, McDonalds, and drivers for the local pizzeria.

Should anyone care that the folks, who pay the taxes, are “rich”? What are they going to do with their wealth? Put it in a vault like scrooge md duck and swim in it. No, they will buy luxuries and invest it. Either way, Joe and Jane Six Pack are going to benefit from it.

Remember when Massachusetts pass a “yacht tax” or Congress passed a “boat tax”, an a lot of boat builders went on unemployment?

It’s just stupid to give money to politicians and bureaucrats, who will waste it on “programs”, when we could give it to “rich people” who will generate jobs.

So what if they live like “kings”, remember that today’s “poor” have “wealth” that the rich in the 1950’s could only dream about.

That’s the secret of capitalism — no matter how much you try, you only get rich by serving the needs of your fellow human being. 

Call it “certificates of appreciation” instead of money! You give me a hot dog from your cart , and I give you a “certificates of appreciation” in the form of money. 

Argh!

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http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/27/electoral-college-change-from-winner-take-all-syst/

Lawsuits aim to change winner-take-all Electoral College system by 2020 presidential race

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The votes have been counted and President Trump has moved into the White House, but the campaign to upend the Electoral College is far from over.

Lawsuits aimed at striking down the winner-take-all system and giving electors more freedom to change their votes have been in the works since Mr. Trump won the Electoral College vote but not the popular vote on Nov. 8.

The idea is not to eliminate the Electoral College, which would require a constitutional amendment, but to require states to implement a system in which electors cast ballots based on the percentage of the popular vote.“It’s crazy that our nation’s least-democratic election is the one for president,” said Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law School professor and founder of Equal Citizens.

The group kicked off a project Sept. 14 aimed at filing lawsuits on behalf of a Republican voter in a blue state and a Democratic voter in a red state, with the goal of overturning the winner-take-all system in time for the 2020 presidential race.

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Hasn’t ANYONE realized that ANYTIME we muck with Dead Old White Guys’ Constitution we SCREW it up?

Argh!

Pick the Constitutional Amendment — other than the 21st which repealed the 18th — and study the unintended consequences.

Here’s a few to stimulate your thinking:

• 17th — Allows the people to elect United States Senators by voting — result unfunded Federal mandates on the States.
   
• 18th — Made it illegal to make or sell alcohol in the United States — created “organized crime”.
   
• 19th — Gives women the right to vote — created the Progressive movement that socialized everything.
• 22nd — Limits the number of times that a person can be elected president — created “lame duck president” that ensure an impotent executive in the last two years of the Presidency.
   
• 26th — Lowers the legal voting age to 18, allowing 18- to 20-year-old United States citizens to vote — extends voting to the “dumbest” least-experience part of the population.

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The votes have been count