Once again, America’s interests, and the rights of her people, are at risk. And once again, a United Nations treaty is the source of this danger—the U.N Arms Trade Treaty, to be specific. The Preparatory Committee for the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty is nearing the end of its second and final week of meetings. The Preparatory Committee is not engaged in negotiating a treaty, but in defining what should be included in the treaty when it is negotiated. As a result, many of the statements by the participating states are …
According to President Obama, “every economist who’s looked at it says that the Recovery Act has done its job.” The four economists gathered at the National Press Club on Tuesday were apparently not asked for their opinions on the matter. Tuesday’s program, “Debt and Deficits: Implications for U.S. and Global Economic Recovery,” featured a panel of academics who addressed not only the unsustainable rate of spending but also legislative solutions to rein in the $13 trillion debt. Naturally, to remedy any situation, it is essential to understand the source of …
In 1987, at the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), President Ronald Reagan summarized his approach to arms-control by citing an old Russian proverb: “doveryai, no proveryai.” Translation: trust, but verify. When Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev noted, “You say that at every meeting,” Reagan shot back, “I like it.” Like everything else the Obama administration does, their approach to arms control is the exact opposite of President Reagan. As the following exchange from this Tuesday’s Senate Armed Services Committee New START hearing shows, the Obama administration approach to …
Washington’s latest over-used phrase—“rethinking the defense budget”—has, for many policymakers, come to mean “what can we cut next?” On Tuesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs convened to identify solutions to tame the growing defense budget. The thinly veiled premise behind the hearing was to identify what the Administration can cut and which cuts politicians can get behind while trying to appear not to compromise national security. Congress’s continual evaluation of government spending is vital; it can help identify efficiencies as well as …
With or without Obamacare, health insurance costs are on the rise. And that has businesses searching for more affordable options. One increasingly popular option: health plans covering services provided by a relatively small number of participating doctors and hospitals. These plans are most attractive to small employers, but The New York Times reports, “Large employers, as well, are starting to show some interest, and insurers and consultants expect that, over time, businesses of all sizes will gravitate toward these plans in an effort to cut costs.”
The Obama administration’s recently re-imposed deepwater drilling moratorium is now reportedly stopping shallow-water drilling as well. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources issued a release Tuesday showing that the moratorium has resulted in a near-total decline of approved shallow-water drilling permits: Approved permits for shallow water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico have dropped significantly since the federal moratorium on deepwater drilling earlier this year, with only one approved new well permit so far in July. In the 11 months prior to the moratorium, the federal government approved an average …
The New START treaty imposes significant limitations on U.S. ballistic missile defenses, and new limitations continue to be revealed as the treaty is scrutinized. The newest restriction—which has not yet been addressed by the Administration or proponents of the treaty—is a limitation on test-target missiles and their associated launchers, which are used to test U.S. ballistic missile defense systems. Testing is an essential element of the research and development needed to produce the best missile defenses. Consequently, such limitations are unacceptable. When viewed together, it is clear that the treaty’s …
North Korea came under criticism from Amnesty International last week for the dismal state of the country’s health care system. While North Korea (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or DPRK) has a well-earned reputation for disregarding the interests of its people – malnutrition is common and many of the country’s people face serious health problems arising from disease and poverty – the government has faced increasing economic difficulties that have undermined the state run (virtually everything in North Korea is state run) health care system to an appalling degree. …
In 1998, an American Bar Association task force estimated that there were over 3,000 federal criminal offenses scattered throughout the 50 titles of the United States Code. Just six years later, that number is estimated to be over 4,000. If 4,000 seems like a high number consider the fact that there are then as many as 300,000 federal regulations that the federal government could use the criminal process to enforce. 300,000 rules you can face criminal charges for not following. How can anyone be sure they are not breaking the …
Supporters of the New START treaty want you to believe that 1.) All who oppose it are nuke-loving troglodytes; and 2.) Its an “all or nothing” deal, the only way to a world without nuclear weapons. They’re wrong on both counts. Critics of New START do not oppose all arms-control pacts. But they worry that this treaty can lead to more instability in the world, not less. They think there is a better way to achieve arms control. And they are disappointed that the Obama administration negotiated a treaty pegged …
