Watch closely over the next two months, for it will probably be the most critical period for the future of the country in the past sixty years. Not since the power grab of the New Deal have we seen such a well-orchestrated attempt at such a massive power shift and wealth transfer as is represented […]
Archives for 2009
Goodbye to the Sanctity of Contract
Readers of The Texas Pilgrim are sophisticated enough not to need from me an outline of how the Obama administration is debauching constitutional contract law in the various “bailout” transactions. Very bright people like Richard A. Epstein are explaining this much better that I am qualified to do. In fact, I suggest that you “google” […]
The Progressive States
As California sinks slowly into the West, let’s take a look at what makes the difference in states that are successful and those that are suffering. CEO Magazine conducts an annual survey of about 600 CEOs on a broad range of issues, including regulation, tax policies, education, quality of living, and infrastructure. In the 2009 […]
Mixed Messages from the Court
The Supreme Court completed its term with what has been described as a conservative tilt, and I certainly applaud the rulings in most of the key decisions, but I regret that more was not accomplished with more substantive decisions in the two most recent critical cases. In a significant voting rights case, Northwest Austin MUD […]
A Double Standard for “Meddling”
It seems that President Obama has difficulty knowing when to “meddle” in the domestic affairs of both friends and enemies. As a result, he has been badly wrong twice lately in ways that will not be helpful to our interests or to the people of the particular countries. In Iran, he demurred for most of a […]
The Immigration Debate Isn’t Going Away
A couple of recent items indicate that the immigration debate could be shifting. Who knows why–maybe because of the pressure on employment from the recession, maybe the increasing fears about the drug war in Mexico, possibly because of heightened fear of terrorism–all legitimate concerns. Item one: In the wake of the Texas legislative session which […]
A Pause to Reflect
As I write, judging by the saturation coverage of all the major media outlets, the primary consideration on the minds of the world’s popular culture is the plan for the memorial service for Michael Jackson. I will spare you my commentary on the life and career of this obviously very gifted, but sad and tragic figure, […]
Inflation Watch
“Throughout history, what the political class has done is they have turned to the central bank to print their way out of an unfunded liability. We can’t let that happen. That’s when you open the floodgates. So I hope and pray that our political leaders will just have to take this bull by the horns […]
The End of Entrepreneurial Banking
It appears that we have finally reached the tipping point at which commercial banking is headed toward becoming a cost-plus monopoly, with rate-based assets much like a public utility and very close to a nationalized industry. Maybe not for all institutions, but I can envision a two-tiered system in which the 20 or so “too […]
A Couple of June Anniversaries
There are two dates in early June that should be prominently remembered. One, of course, is D Day, June 6, the day in 1944 when, according to Herbert London of the Hudson Institute, “the U. S. saved Europe from itself” on the beaches of Normandy. I often wonder if our young people have a proper […]