John Locke Says…

Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and to trip.

The dread of evil is a much more forcible principle of human actions than the prospect of good.

The improvement of understanding is for two ends: first, our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others.

To prejudge other men’s notions before we have looked into them is not to show their darkness but to put out our own eyes.

Where all is but dream, reasoning and arguments are of no use, truth and knowledge nothing.

What worries you, masters you.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Claims To Have Lied While Being Interrogated

Documents released earlier today show that KSM admitted to lying during interrogation. So this means that enhanced interrogation tactics do not work. Right?

Wrong.

What do you people expect him to say?!?! That he told them the truth? No…that would send a bad message to the heart of Islamofascism and its blood-stained tyrants.

One person says he lied while being interrogated and a bunch of ACLU lawyers gather into a circle-jerk…unbelievable.

It is amazing (though not surprising) that some people would believe a terrorist like KSM, who organized the September 11th terrorist attacks and who cut off the head of Daniel Pearl, over the CIA.

But I guess people have the freedom to act like morons.

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What We Have Learned From Health Care In Massachusetts

From Jcscuba:

When Massachusetts passed its pioneering health care reforms in 2006, critics warned that they would result in a slow but steady spiral downward toward a government-run health care system. Three years later, those predictions appear to be coming true, says Michael Tanner, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute.

Although the state has reduced the number of residents without health insurance, 200,000 people remain uninsured, says Tanner:

* Moreover, the increase in the number of insured is primarily due to the state’s generous subsidies, not the celebrated individual mandate.
* Health care costs continue to rise much faster than the national average; since 2006, total state health care spending has increased by 28 percent.
* Insurance premiums have increased by eight to 10 percent per year, nearly double the national average.
* New regulations and bureaucracy are limiting consumer choice and adding to health care costs.
* Program costs have skyrocketed despite tax increases, and the state is considering caps on insurance premiums, cuts in reimbursements to providers, and even the possibility of a “global budget” on health care spending — with its attendant rationing.
* A shortage of providers, combined with increased demand, is increasing waiting times to see a physician.

Overall, the program has failed in its main goal of achieving universal coverage. It has failed to restrain the growth in health care costs. And it has greatly exceeded its initial budget, placing new burdens on the state’s taxpayers.

With the “Massachusetts model” frequently cited as a blueprint for health care reform, it is important to recognize that giving the government greater control over our health care system will have grave consequences for taxpayers, providers, and health care consumers. That is the lesson of the Massachusetts model, says Tanner.

Source: Michael Tanner, “Massachusetts Miracle or Massachusetts Miserable: What the Failure of the “Massachusetts Model” Tells Us about Health Care Reform,” Cato Institute, Briefing Paper, No. 112, June 9, 2009.

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Universal Health Care: Problem Is Not Terminology, But Content

Good commentary on President Obama’s speech to the AMA earlier today in Chicago.

In his speech to the American Medical Association today, President Obama repeatedly denied that he supports “socialized medicine” or “government-run” health care.

But what is important is not the terminology, but under the proposal supported by the president, government would control more and more of our health care decisions. Government would compel Americans to purchase health insurance, controlling its content, how much we pay, and the relationships between insurers, doctors, and patients. Government bureaucrats would determine whether Americans receive certain medical services.

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Britain To Analyze 2003 Invasion of Iraq

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of Britain, has ordered an analysis be held next month on the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. Much to people’s discontent, these meetings will not be public.

The meetings will examine the mistakes made by the US, Britain, and their allies. This includes intelligence and strategic failures, as well as reconstruction plans.

What’s to learn from this? According to many, not making the same mistake twice.

Isn’t that why we learn history?

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Song Of The Day: The Unknown Soldier

The Band: The Doors

Vocals: Jim Morrison
Keyboards: Ray Manzarek
Drums: John Densmore
Guitar: Robert Kreiger