Archive for the 'Law' Category
Monday, November 24th, 2008
That’s what the Fed is pledging to “rescue the financial system,” according to Bloomberg.com. That’s 50% of 2007 GDP, or 288% of 2007 federal tax revenues. Makes my prior post sound look like a praise of good budgeting.
Posted in Law, Miscellanea, Politics | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
That’s what the so-called “financial crisis” of 2008 has cost the federal government directly… so far.* Wonder how that stacks up to other crises? CNBC has a slideshow showing the costs (inflation-adjusted) of some of the biggest government projects ever. There are many events not listed in that slide show, of course. Two of the [...]
Posted in Law, Politics | 1 Comment »
Saturday, November 15th, 2008
“Indeed you can usually tell when the concepts of democracy and citizenship are weakening. There is an increase in the role of charity and in the worship of volunteerism. These represent the élite citizen’s imitation of noblesse oblige; that is, of pretending to be aristocrats or oligarchs, as opposed to being citizens.” – John Ralston [...]
Posted in Law, Miscellanea, Politics | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008
The National Review features a fantastic piece by Alexander Benard and Anthony Dick on America’s True Genius. The thesis: change does not make a nation great, and it certainly is not what has made America great. Rather, it is the constitutionally-mandated stability of our system of laws – the difficulty of implementing radical change – [...]
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Thursday, November 6th, 2008
Sarah and I passed the bar exam!
Posted in Law | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
“To avoid therefore the evils of inconstancy and versatility, ten thousand times worse than those of obstinacy and the blindest prejudice, we have consecrated the state, that no man should approach to look into its defects or corruptions but with due caution; that he should never dream of beginning its reformation by its subversion; that [...]
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Monday, November 3rd, 2008
I have one request of Americans this week: Please, don’t immanentize the Eschaton.
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Thursday, October 30th, 2008
“It was during the first period of this constitution that the Athenians appear to have enjoyed the best government that they ever did, at least in my time. For the fusion of the high and low was effected with judgment, and this was what first enabled the state to raise up her head after her [...]
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Sunday, October 26th, 2008
Greg Mankiw’s new post on his personal work incentives is required reading for anyone who wants to discuss taxes in this election cycle. The idea is simple: our tax system uses marginal rates, meaning one rate applies to the first dollar earned and different rates kick in at different thresholds. (That is, unless you’re so [...]
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Sunday, October 26th, 2008
I offer a final thought for the evening. Last night, a dear friend and I were discussing the state of the world and the nation, particularly with reference to some of the more extreme economic proposals made by politicians and pundits of varying degrees of skill. My friend is one of the most intelligent, well-educated, [...]
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