Free Republic

The tax on luxury will become reality for all Russians without exception next year. President Vladimir Putin reminded everyone of that in his annual Address to the Federal Assembly. According to experts, the new tax may send a definite message to wealthy citizens to redistribute their revenues. The head of state said in his speech that the decision on the so-called luxury tax should be made in the first half of 2013. According to the official website of the President of the Russian Federation, one should not give up on the "flat" income tax scale, since the progressive taxation of...

Some home truths for those who like to spin liesCare was taken not to mix political comments with news about the horrific and traumatic events of the last few days in Beslan, so as to give the victims the dignity they deserve and so as not to be accused of using the plight of some to attack others. However, now that the cameras and journalists have left the good people of Beslan to their privacy and dignity, it is time to dissect some statements made by various foreign sources during this diabolical event. First, the statement by some that all...

My blog entry, "Justin Raimondo -- Enemy Agent?" set off some fireworks last night on FreeRepublic.com. Raimondo defended his honor -- or at least attempted to -- in a nose-to-nose cyber-exchange with your faithful correspondent and various other FReepers. At issue was Raimondo's patriotism and, more specifically, his motivation for opposing war with Iraq. As usual, Raimondo refused to entertain any suggestion that Iraq might have been involved in various terror attacks on the United States, such as the 1993 and 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the 1995 attack on the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. In...