Free Republic

Bold plans for greater military cooperation discussed between old foes TEHRAN, Iran - Iraq’s defense minister said Thursday that ousted leader Saddam Hussein was the aggressor in the 1980-88 war against Iran, as the two former enemies announced plans for closer cooperation between their militaries. Iraqi Defense Minister Saadoun al-Duleimi’s visit to Iran marked a new effort to build ties between Iraq and mainly Shiite Muslim Iran after a Shiite-dominated government came to power in Baghdad this year. “We’ve come here to open a new page in our relations against the painful page of the past,” al-Duleimi told reporters at...

ASHINGTON, Dec. 24 — The Bush administration asked Congress today to approve another increase in the limit on national debt, saying it will run out of the authority to borrow money by late February. The deputy Treasury secretary, Kenneth W. Dam, in a letter to the House speaker, J. Dennis Hastert, cited the cost of combating terrorism and the economic slowdown for the government's growing indebtedness. The federal government, which enjoyed a budget surplus as recently as two years ago, had a shortfall of $157 billion this year and is expected to have a larger one in 2003. Congress raised...

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional in public schools. I’ve seen a number of libertarians applauding this development, but I take no comfort from it. This is no retreat for government, the public sphere continues to expand without limit, and everywhere it expands it drives out freedom of conscience, which includes religion. “They shouldn’t be using our tax money to promote religion in public schools”. Well, of course not. But what about all the people who would not willingly pay for a school that does not incorporate prayer and religion? When...

<p>Baghdad, Iraq -- At St. Teresa's Church, a woman kneels to pray. Making the sign of the cross, she offers up silent benedictions as the priest leads a prayer for the peace and prosperity of his congregation, their country and their president, Saddam Hussein.</p>

I believe it was Chesterton who remarked that Christianity had not failed; it had not been tried. And Ayn Rand described capitalism as the unknown ideal. I would like to suggest, in a similar vein, that anarchy has been tried, is being tried and is a universal success, but remains an unknown ideal. I’ll explain. Anarchy, I must point out, is not synonymous, at least in my mind, with bomb-throwing lunatics, or rioting in the streets. It is as placid as a pond, as peaceful as a park. There is nothing chaotic about it. It is certainly not the ...

In a last-ditch effort to revive legislation to improve the economy, President Bush offered Tuesday to scale back his proposed cuts in corporate and individual taxes and beef up aid to the unemployed... Rest of article (From L.A. Times)

Mr. Tharpe:According to your article, the State of Georgia is fighting to keep a funding loophole open to avoid losing "$240 million in enhanced [federal Medicaid] payments." This is necessary, according to the State, because it is already having to request "$320 million in additional Medicaid funding to provide existing services for the remainder of [July 2001 - July 2002]." Further on, we read that "Georgia's $3.4 billion Medicaid program continues to grow. The number of Georgia recipients has nearly doubled to 1.2 million since 1990."Did I read that right? $3.4 billion? For 1.2 million people? That's $2.833 million per ...

Diversity Requires Freedom By Christopher Mayer[Posted November 27, 2001]In From Dawn to Decadence, Jacques Barzun maintained that separatism was the "strongest tendency" of the late twentieth century. He provided many illustrations that "the greatest political creation of the West, the nation-state, was stricken." Among other examples, Barzun cited the efforts for more independence by the Basques, Brutons, and Alsacians from France; Corsica’s desire for independence; civil wars in Northern Ireland, Algeria, and Lebanon; the Spanish Basques fighting to break away from Spain; the breakup of the former Soviet Union into many smaller parts and Russia’s problems with Chechyna; Turkey ...

First, Do No Harm By Christopher Westley[November 6, 2001]The economy is officially in the tank, and economists are standing in line to tell policymakers which levers to pull to bring it back to healthy form. Giving advice to political leaders--advice they want to hear--seems to be the way to fame in my profession, with the primary concern that the New York Times&nbsp;prints your name correctly.&nbsp;I too have policy prescriptions. In fact, my recommendations, if implemented, would allow the economy to prosper sometime during the first quarter of 2002. Although my ideas used to reflect the mainstream of economic thinking, ...

MOST dormant Swiss bank accounts thought to have belonged to Holocaust survivors were opened by wealthy, non-Jewish people who then forgot about their money. The announcement marks the end of a four-year independent investigation into the archives and vaults of the world’s most secretive banking system. It will come as a disappointment to many Jewish families, who were sure that their dead relatives left behind fortunes in Switzerland. A 17-member tribunal based in Zurich was set up in 1997 to investigate the identities of 5,500 foreign accounts and 10,000 Swiss accounts that have lain dormant since the end of the ...

Most economists believe that a growing economy requires a growing money stock, on grounds that growth gives rise to a greater demand for money which must be accommodated. Failing to do so, it is maintained, will lead to a decline in the prices of goods and services, which in turn will destabilize the economy and lead to an economic recession—or, even worse, depression.&nbsp;Since growth in money supply is of such importance, it is not surprising that economists are continuously searching for the right percentage growth, or the optimum rate of growth in money supply. The most vocal economists on this ...

By late in the evening of April 14, 1912, the crew of the HMS Titanic had received eight iceberg warnings from six different ships. Most unfortunately, they were not heeded. Some of the iceberg warnings were not even reported to the bridge. An attitude of complacent confidence in ship and crew prevailed. Near midnight going at close to full speed her lookouts spotted a huge iceberg dead ahead. Unable to alter her course and speed in time she struck and scraped against the iceberg on her starboard side. Within three hours that magnificent ship, thought by many to be unsinkable, ...

Why the Slump Lasts By Hans F. Sennholz[Posted July 22, 2001]The sixth interest-rate cut of the year by the Federal Reserve may not be any more successful in stimulating the economy than the others. It does not correct the mistakes made in the past&nbsp;and mend the imbalances in economic production; it may not restore investor confidence and prevent economic output from slipping into a recession.&nbsp;The deterioration of corporate profits suggests that the worst is yet to come. In contrast to several previous recessions, the present situation is complicated and aggravated by two threatening events.&nbsp;First, economic activity in several countries ...

Needed: Spending Cuts by Frank Shostak[April 4, 2001]President Bush says that the projected budget surplus makes his proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut "affordable," but his tax-cut plan won't truly benefit the American people until he deals with the problem of government spending. In fact, for the fiscal year starting October 1, Bush has proposed a spending increase of 4 percent, or $25.7 billion, on general government programs other than Social Security and Medicare&#8212;from $635 billion in the current fiscal year to $660.7 billion. He&nbsp;also has proposed a $21 billion increase in spending on Medicare next year, to $237 billion. ...

Brussels plans new savings tax to pay for EU By Stephen Castle and Andrew Grice 16 March 2001 Controversial proposals for the European Union to be funded by a new tax levied on people's savings are to be put forward later this year despite strong opposition from Britain. Michaele Schreyer, the European Commissioner responsible for the EU's budget, endorsed a plan yesterday being drawn up by Belgium, which takes over the EU's rotating presidency in July. Although the aim is to show Europe's 375 million people where their money goes, the proposed "Euro tax" will reignite the debate over ...

Green Bay's middle linebacker, last name of Harris, stuffs the Panther's running back for a loss. Dan Fouts (or perhaps Dennis Miller) comments, "Katherine Harris would have been proud of that tackle." Al says, I swear to God, "An American heroine."Give Al Michaels a raise!

No Cheap Tickets for the Poor at Sydney Games SYDNEY (Reuters) - Sydney's Olympic organizers (SOCOG) Thursday rejected a plan to discount unsold tickets to this year's Games, angering Australian community and welfare groups. The SOCOG board said that although it still had about 2.7 million tickets to sell before the Games start on September 15, it would not be cutting prices. The New South Wales Council of Social Services (NCOSS) had campaigned for cheaper tickets to be available to low-income families across a range of events, including the more popular sports like basketball and gymnastics. ``We're now at a ...

Muslims Mull Boycott of Burger King WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Muslim groups may renew last year's boycott against Burger King, saying the fast-food chain has not kept its promise to close a restaurant in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Khalid Turaani, executive director of American Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ), said he expected a decision within the next 10 days on reviving a three-week boycott. It was the boycott which last year prompted Burger King to announce that it would close a restaurant in the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim in the West Bank. Despite the promises, the restaurant ...

EPA to ban common pesticide WASHINGTON-- Citing health risks to children, the Environmental Protection Agency is announcing today a ban on one of the most common pesticides for use in gardens and homes, while curtailing its application in agriculture. The agency, after a lengthy review, has concluded that the pesticide, chlorpyrifos -- sold under the trade names Dursban and Lorsban -- poses a risk to children because of its potential effects on the nervous system and possibly brain development. For decades one of the most widely used insecticides, chlorpyrifos is found on everything from pet flea collars to garden ...

EU fights far right with laws on racism The European Parliament: special report Ian Black in Brussels Thursday May 18, 2000 Euro-MPs are poised to deliver a resounding response today to the rise of rightwing extremism by approving the first EU-wide anti-racism legislation. In a long-awaited vote in Strasbourg, a substantial majority is expected for laws banning racial harassment and victimisation as well as introducing sweeping protection against race discrimination in education, employment, access to grants, social protection and social security. Another key feature of the new laws will be the reversal of the burden of proof in civil ...