Free Republic

I find myself in need of a good scholarly and comprehensive critique of contemporary socialism. I find plenty of stuff on the web from the 1910's about Marx, but I am looking for something post-Soviet, hopefully addressing the "Social Democrat" position specifically. Amazingly, the most obvious Googlings are coming up dry ("why socialists are wrong" brings up zero entries, for example). Not looking to start a thread on why socialism is stupid; I'm hoping for scholarly links (preferred) or books on the subject. Thanks in advance!

Imagine your street 20 years from now. Who might be living next to you? It could be a lesbian couple and their biological daughter - created when an egg of one of the women was fertilised with the synthetic sperm made from the skin cells of the other. The family on the other side may have a healthy boy, created in the test tube when sperm from the father was inserted into an artificial egg created from the skin of the mother. This is not as far-fetched as it may seem. Scientists have worked out how to make "artificial" germline...

A group of prominent scientists, researchers and doctors is teaming up to push for a state law permitting embryonic stem-cell research in Washington. The effort, fueled by concerns that other states are poised to drain away top people and funding from the region's research institutions and biotechnology companies, aims to keep local researchers competitive in a science that many believe will yield cures for diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. "We don't want Washington state to be left behind on stem-cell research by default," said state Rep. Shay Schual-Berke (D-Normandy Park), who intends to be a lead sponsor for...

Genetically engineered embryonic stem cells could be a viable option to electronic cardiac pacemakers. Since human embryonic stem cells have the capability to transform into any type of cell found in the human body, they have the potential to replace damaged cells of any type. So scientists at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland engineered, grew and developed them into heart cells. They then infused them with a gene that glows green to make them easily identifiable in the presence of other animal cells. Of the engineered cells grown, those that beat on their own (an indication they...

In the future too it will be permitted to do research on fertilised human eggs. But the cloning of human beings is to be explicitly forbidden. On Tuesday, the Committee on Health and Welfare approved the Government's proposal on stem cell research. Fertilised human eggs may also be used to develop methods for treating serious and as yet incurable diseases. Today researchers work with fertilised human eggs primarily to improve methods used in in vitro fertilisation. Researchers will also be permitted to try to create stem cells that can develop into tissue or new organs for people who are ill,...

For the first time, researchers have used human embryonic stem cells to create new insulating tissue for nerve fibers in a live animal model – a finding that has potentially important implications for treatment of spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. Researchers at the UC Irvine Reeve-Irvine Research Center used human embryonic stem cells to create cells called oligodendrocytes, which are the building blocks of the myelin tissue that wraps around and insulates nerve fibers. This tissue is critical for maintenance of proper nerve signaling in the central nervous system, and, when it is stripped away through injury or disease,...