The Tyranny of Prosecutors
Clark NeilyAmong the most chilling lines of the 20th century was when Josef Stalin ’s chief of secret police Lavrenty Beria sought to assure his boss that literally anyone could be convicted and purged by boasting, “You show me the man, and I will find you the crime. ” Today, few American prosecutors would make that same boast (at least out loud), but they certainly could. Just ask Donald Trump.Is Trump a crook? Probably. Has he shown consistent disdain for norms throughout his professional and political career, including legal norms like honoring contracts, paying taxes, and truth in advertising? Absolutel...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - April 7, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Clark Neily Source Type: blogs
Trump As Catalyst For Legal and Cultural Reform
BY MIKE MAGEE
Former President Donald Trump’s indictment this morning reinforces most Americans’ belief that “No man is above the law.” But few of us have taken the time to explore what that statement means when it comes to building a healthy nation, and why we believe it.
How do you create a healthy nation?
This is at once a very simple and a very complex question. It is at the heart of successful and failed nation building.
It applies equally to a self-assessment of our approach to rebuilding Germany and Japan as part of the Marshall Plan after WW II, and to our own struggl...
Source: The Health Care Blog - April 5, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Ryan Bose-Roy Tags: Health Policy Common Law Donald Trump Indictment Mike Magee Source Type: blogs
PoliTikTok
Paul MatzkoFDR Looks Longingly at TikTok Emblem (Dall ‑E 2)Rep. Jeff Jackson (D ‑NC) went onMeet the Press and wasasked why he doesn ’t delete his TikTok account given the risk of Chinese surveillance. He responded with a paradigm‐shattering statistic: nearly a third of his constituents follow him on TikTok, where he posts weekly videos explaining the nuts and bolts of Congress. A THIRD.Contrast that with how most members of Congress still do constituent outreach. A couple of times a year a little pamphlet shows up in my mailbox from one of my legislators. Since I don’t need more boilerplate self‐...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - April 5, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Paul Matzko Source Type: blogs
The profoundest mystery
To me, and everybody who I consider to be in contact with reality, the nature of Donald J. Trump is completely obvious. He is morally depraved and functionally deranged. There are specific labels in the DSM-5 (the manual of psychiatric diagnoses) for his pathologies, of which I am usually skeptical but of which he is absolutely paradigmatic. These are malignant narcissism and sadistic psychopathy. In other words, the only person in the universe is himself. He has an insatiable, bottomless need for adoration and obeisance. The interests and feelings of others mean absolutely nothing to him except insofar as he revels i...
Source: Stayin' Alive - April 3, 2023 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
A Silver Lining for the Trump Indictment?
Clark NeilyThe Founders understood perfectly well just how dangerous criminal law can be. Criminal law tends to be the first tool that tyrants reach for when they seek to punish and oppress their opponents; the indiscriminate threat of prosecution can be used to cow citizens into meek compliance, so it is important to ensure that citizens who are charged with crimes enjoy an array of rights and prerogatives to help level the playing field against the potentially abusive exercise of government ’s most fearsome power.And that is precisely why more than half the Bill of Rights is devoted to criminal procedure, including par...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 31, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Clark Neily Source Type: blogs
U.S. Anti ‐Asylum Policy Forces Migrant Kids to Come Alone Without Parents
David J. BierLast month, theNew York Timespublished a detailed article that describes how some migrant teenagers who crossed the U.S. border without their parents are now working in difficult jobs. Although it focuses on the treatment of children as workers, the most important question is: why aren’t these kids traveling with their parents? The ans wer is clear and obvious: U.S. anti‐asylum policy prohibits their parents from coming, so the children come alone. The results are tragic and predictable.Indeed, I explained and predicted this outcome (here,here,here, andhere). You have to read through most of theTime...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 31, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: David J. Bier Source Type: blogs
Can American Democracy Pass The Trump Stress Test?
BY MIKE MAGEE
As we enter a new and potentially historic week, with a former President doing his best to reignite a Civil War in our nation, we do well to take a breath and reread James Madison’s words from Federalist No. 51. But first, a few words of history.
When it came to checks and balances in this new national experiment in self governance, the Founders, while establishing three co-equal branches, left one of those branches the task of defining by practice its own power and influence.
The new Constitution in 1787 awarded one branch, the elected Congress, the daunting power to impeach, convict and remove re...
Source: The Health Care Blog - March 31, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Ryan Bose-Roy Tags: Health Policy Mike Magee Mitch McConnell Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Trump William Marbury Source Type: blogs
The Trump Indictment Exposes Fault Lines in the American Criminal Justice System
Clark NeilyThe indictment of former President Donald Trump may end up being an indictment of America ’s criminal justice system as well. The Founders were acutely aware of the many ways in which criminal law can be abused by those in positions of power, from being wielded as a tool of political payback and oppression — as many see the various criminal investigations against former President Trump — to our wildly overcriminalized society in which most adults have committed crimes for which they could, in theory, be prosecuted.Unlike Donald Trump, however, most Americans lack the resources to vigorously defend the...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 31, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Clark Neily Source Type: blogs
No, the US Shouldn ’t Ban TikTok
Paul MatzkoEfforts in Washington to “ban” TikTok are gaining steam. The scuttlebutt is that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) housed at the Treasury Department, which has been investigating TikTok for over three years now, will soon recommend a forced sale to a non-Chinese buyer. The Biden administra tion has also given its blessing to the Restrict Act, a congressionalbill that would empower the Secretary of Commerce to ban foreign ownership of companies like TikTok.There are legitimate concerns about the access the Chinese government has to TikTok ’s algorithm and user data. In theory,...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 21, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Paul Matzko Source Type: blogs
212 Three Word Quotes on Love, Life, Success and Much More
In today’s post I'd like to keep it short and simple.
I’d like to share 212 of the most powerful, short three word quotes.
Quick and timeless thoughts on love, life, relationships, success, self-love and positive thinking.
I hope you’ll find something here that sticks in your mind and helps you out in some way today and in the coming weeks and months.
And if you want even more inspiration and powerful small phrases then check out this post with four word quotes and this one filled with short quotes.
Inspirational Three Word Quotes
“Good vibes only.”
“Hope trumps all.”
“Only hope remains.”
“Break bad ha...
Source: Practical Happiness and Awesomeness Advice That Works | The Positivity Blog - March 21, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Henrik Edberg Tags: Inspirational Quotes Personal Development Source Type: blogs
The Specter of Harm in Contemporary Social Justice Activism
Erec SmithThe specter of harm has been a salient presence in the American culture wars, especially when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Harm, loosely defined, has been the raison d ’etre for many social justice demands, and this includes the deemphasis (at best) of academic freedom. Stacy Hawkins of Princeton’s School of Law cites harm as the reason why, sometimes, DEI initiatives trump academic freedom. On its surface, I am inclined to agree with Hawkins; some statements are beyond the pale and should not be tolerated, especially when it has unproductive effects on the workplace. However,...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 17, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Erec Smith Source Type: blogs
A Century of Federal Spending, 1925 –2025
Chris EdwardsPresident Biden ’snew budget confirms that we are in the midst of a historic ratcheting up of government spending. Federal spending is substantially higher post ‐pandemic than pre‐pandemic, just as spending reached new plateaus after 9/11 and after the Great Recession of 2007–2009.The chart shows federal outlays as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from 1925 to 2025. The figures for 2023 to 2025 are Biden’s new estimates.Let ’s look at nondefense spending, which includes everything from agriculture, to education, to transportation, to Social Security:1925 –1955. Nondefense spend...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 16, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Chris Edwards Source Type: blogs
Quotations Missing from Bartlett ’s
David BoazOverat The Dispatch (ungatedhere) I have a critique of the latest edition ofBartlett ' s Familiar Quotations. As I say,Bartlett ' sis " the gold standard of quotations, the place anyone can go to confirm a quote and see the source. " But its editors " seem far more familiar with the words of liberal, leftist, and socialist sources than those of conservatives and libertarians. "Over the past 40 years, since the rise of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, John Paul II, and even Deng Xiaoping, the world has seen a turn toward markets and economic freedom (albeit with a fall in 2020 during the pandemic lockdowns). But...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 6, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: David Boaz Source Type: blogs
Evaluating Alaska ’s First Run with Final Four Voting
Walter OlsonI ’vewrittenbefore about Alaska ’s new Final Four electoral system (a universal primary from which four candidates advance, with the general election employing ranked choice voting). The issue is likely to stay in the news since Nevada and perhaps other states may follow with their own versions, mostly couched as Final Five rath er than Four.Now R Street Institute fellow Ryan Williamson has written anevaluation of how the Alaska plan worked in its trial run last year. Summary: it worked well.“A review of initial evidence found that races in the state became more civil and competitive overall,” writ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 3, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Walter Olson Source Type: blogs
190 Tuesday Quotes to Give You Motivation and Plenty of Positive Energy
It’s Tuesday.
Maybe you’re tired after Monday. And you're ready to restart your week.
Or you might want something to help you to keep up the momentum after an energetic and focused start yesterday.
In today’s post I’d like to help you out no matter what headspace you're in right now. This is 190 of the best, most motivational and powerful Tuesday quotes.
I hope you’ll find something here to help you make this into a fun, fulfilling and excellent week.
And if you want even more uplifting inspiration for the week then check out this post with quotes on Wednesday motivation and this one filled with helpful Thursday...
Source: Practical Happiness and Awesomeness Advice That Works | The Positivity Blog - March 3, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Henrik Edberg Tags: Inspirational Quotes Personal Development Source Type: blogs
