The principle of spontaneous order – or of “undesigned order,” as it might more properly be called – can be viewed as the first principle of economics.  Indeed, James Buchanan has recently gone so far as to suggest that it is the only principle of economics.  The principle is, in any case, a cornerstone of modern economics, whether we trace modern (i.e., post-mercantilist) economics back to Adam Smith and the other Scottish moral philosophers, or to the Physiocrats.  With this principle, scholars for the first time could see economic phenomena as interdependent events.  Indeed, this principle made it possible to reason systematically and coherently about economic phenomena.  Much of nineteenth century economics can be seen as consisting of developments of this principle (along with minority criticisms of the principle and the systems of thought deduced therefrom).

Read more

…the deliberately politically misnamed Affordable Care Act is anything but affordable.  A few examples (abtracted, abridged, reformatted):

• Alaska -state regulators approved a 39.6% rate increase for Moda Health
• Alaska – state regulators approved a 38.7% hike for Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Tennessee  – BlueCross BlueShield asked for and got a 36.3% boost in premiums.
• Oregon – approved a 25.6% increase for Moda, the biggest insurer on its ObamaCare exchange.
• Oregon – commissioner told Health Net to raise its premiums by 34.8% instead of the 9% the company had in mind.
• Kansas – ObamaCare enrollees will face increases of up to 25.4%.
• New Mexico – refused Blue Cross Blue Shield raising premiums enough to cover its costs; Blue Cross decided to pull out.

But then, it was NEVER to be affordable – it was always about control (as well as using an offshoot of the Cloward-Piven strategy to crash capitalism and replace it with a Socialist one).  I laugh (and then cry) hysterically any time the feminists and Democrat politicians say “nothing should get between a woman and her doctor!”.  For starters, Obamacare defines EVERYTHING that goes on between those two, and with increasing costs of healthcare, these folks have made sure, over time, that nothing will get between the two for the woman will not be able afford to even enter a doctor’s office.

Read more

In yesterday’s Granite Status, Dan Tuohy advertised the NO LABELS Problem Solver Convention. (Someone is still paying their freight, what a joke).

NO LABELS will be giving its “Problem Solver Seal of Approval” to presidential candidates who commit to a set criteria: 1.) Embrace a “National Strategic Agenda” 2.) If elected, agree to begin work on at least one of the four agenda goals within 30 days and work in a bipartisan process to achieve the goal(s). The goals are:

Read more

Because if it was easy, EVERYONE would be doing it. And they have been.  And that is the whole purpose of the exercise -to make it UNeasy for illegal aliens that eschew our laws to cross our borders (reformatted, emphasis mine):

LIBERAL WRITER: Trump’s Border Wall Would be DANGEROUS for ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Sometimes you really have to marvel at the stupidity of progressives and now is one of those times. One of the main reasons Donald Trump is doing so well in the polls is because he’s saying what many Americans are thinking about illegal immigration and border security.  National Journal columnist Clare Foran worries that if a wall is built on the border, as Trump has suggested, people who try to cross into America illegally could be injured.  Her new column is truly stunning.

Read more

Remember, Progressives are just incremental Socialists and Communists believe that Socialism is just a way station to Communism.  Also remember that US Congresswoman (and head of the Democrat National Committee) Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was either unable or unwilling to say on national TV (Chris Matthews, Meet The Press) what the difference was between her Party and Socialists (given self-declared Socialist Bernie Sanders is running for HER Party’s nomination for President).  And I just put up how the New Left (i.e., Communists) made their march through our cultural institutions and right into taking over the Democrat Party (which, in my eyes, no longer Democratic in nature and hasn’t been for a long time with exhibit A being President Obama’s absolute disdain for both the philosophy of and nuts and bolts of the US Constitution).

So, a lesson of political history is in order in case you haven’t gotten the picture yet – Communism’s goals, 1963 and now (reformatted and emphasis mine):

Read more

Since its launch in June, Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign has been nothing short of a full-on, in-your-face, verbal onslaught, the shockwaves felt in the bellies of those of us who live and die by the politics of the minute. On any given day, Donald Trump can be seen on the campaign trail–almost exclusively covered live–a rarity in primary politics. The media soak it all in, confident Trump will make at least one outrageous statement that can be replayed, reacted to, or in some cases, re-formed into something he didn’t even say. It makes for entertaining television.

Contrast Trump’s campaign events to his GOP competitors’, what little is covered of all of the other sixteen of them. We mostly see recorded snippets of candidates giving a lackluster or poorly thought out response to whatever Trump was expounding upon the day before. Even worse, many of the more “experienced” politicians seem to be repeatedly caught flat-footed when asked their take on the latest Trump-ism. The defensive campaign is not a good one, and for a party that is always being attacked, the sixteen other GOP candidates aren’t getting better at defense. Trump leads, his opponents scramble.

Read more

Have you heard the one about the Old Dominion University College fraternity that got suspended for expressing their heterosexual interest in women? Apparently, it is not sexual bigotry to oppress those who “can’t help loving” college age women.

But wait! That’s not all. Could it be that this ‘policy’ does not apply equally to heterosexual women on the same campus?

Here is the now famous “offensive” ODU Frat-Boy banner invite…

Frat suspended over suggestive "freshman daughter dropoff" signs http://t.co/H5M2M8X6Cu (Photo: Twitter screenshot) pic.twitter.com/USHc5qiQaw

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 25, 2015

And here is something similar “reportedly” from an ODU sorority, just down the road a piece…

Read more

The hacking of Ashley Madison, the cheat on your spouse “dating” site, was a  badge of honor for whomever “cheated” the system and shared the data on millions of registered users. I think it’s a frikkin riot, myself, since the site tag line is, ‘Life is Short. Have an Affair.’

For more than a few of them, “Life just got a lot longer,” and sadly for some, a lot shorter if suspicions are correct.

Read more

as he was talking about coal generated electrical plant.  Which means coal.  He never got his Cap N Trade program FORMALLY legislated so he used his EPA to effectively do the same thing.  Coal plants are shutting down because of punative GHG regulations.  And with no market, coal companies are going under – not because people voted for a different energy source via the marketplace but because a few unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats (and True Believers that the US economy must be sacrificed for the betterment of the world) said so.  Coal must be verboten!

Oh wait, WHO is buying up all the almost and now bankrupt coal companies?  Oh, the guy who has been financing all those environmental groups!  Mr.

Read more