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from The Heritage Foundation
RIGHT BIAS, MIXED, think tank in Washington, D.C
Improving Ukraine’s Maritime Capability: Next Steps for the U.S.
On November 25, 2018, Russian border-patrol boats opened fire on three Ukrainian navy vessels near the Kerch Strait, a narrow body of water connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. This incident is a reminder that Ukraine faces many security challenges in the maritime domain. In order to help Ukraine improve its capabilities—which is in the security interests of the United States and its allies—the U.S. should gain a better understanding of the maritime situation in the region, increase NATO’s presence in the Black Sea, and equip Ukraine with much-needed maritime capabilities.
What Not To Believe About Interpol—Exploding Five Myths
We have to know the difference between the truth about how Interpol actually works, and the myths about it that are widely believed. Red Notices are requests to locate, identify, and detain a suspect, and a promise to seek the extradition of that suspect, as Interpol rules require. The Red Notice may then be illegitimately offered by the Department of Homeland Security as proof that the individual is a flight risk or is in fact a criminal.
The Gospel of Marx? Religious Leaders Call for "Redistribution," Denounce "Pathology of War"
ast month, several dozen religious leaders reaffirmed a number of radical economic propositions contained within the 1973 Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social Concern. “Before God and a billion hungry neighbors, we must rethink our values regarding our present standard of living,” proclaims the document. The document goes on to lament the “materialism of our culture and the maldistribution of the nation’s wealth and services.” According to these leaders, the United States holds a “crucial role in the balance and injustice of international trade and development.” To secure an “abundant life for all of God’s children,” these activists propose “a more just acquisition and redistribution of the world’s resources.” Good intentions notwithstanding, enactment of their economic agenda would actually stifle the widespread abundance produced by free market capitalism.
Joint Select Committee Multiemployer's Pension Draft Proposal Would Do More Harm than Good
The Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plan’s draft proposal partially meets two important goals, but fails on three others. Most troubling are the failure to prevent the same problems in the future, its incentives for plans to become underfunded, and its unjust burden on taxpayers. Policymakers should instead turn to commonsense and equitable reforms that would accomplish all five goals.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Laws Are Not Fairness for All
In the United States of America, people who identify as LGBT are free to live as they want. But SOGI laws, including FFA, are not about freedom—they are about coercion. SOGI laws are about forcing all Americans to embrace—and live out—certain beliefs about human sexuality. They are not about protecting the freedom of people to live as LGBT, but about coercing everyone else to support, facilitate, and endorse such actions. This is one fundamental problem in equating coercive antidiscrimination laws with permissive religious freedom laws. And imposing a bad coercive policy on everyone while exempting select faith-based institutions is anything but fairness for all
Election Day Analysis: If We Lost, They Must’ve Cheated
A disturbing trend is emerging from the political left: When their candidates lose elections, rather than accept lawful defeat, they denounce the election itself. Democracy works only when the people have confidence that the electoral process is free and fair, and the outcome is valid. Telling voters that elections are only fair when their party wins sets up every election to be discounted by one side or the other.
"Government Control? Try People Control"
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, representative-elect for New York’s 14th Congressional District, is widely known as the nation’s cheerleader-in-chief for socialism. But even she might have a tough time getting to the left of another Empire State politician: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Mr. de Blasio...was demonstrating a deep commitment to socialism before Miss Ocasio-Cortex was even born. “I think there’s a socialistic impulse, which I hear every day, in every kind of community, that they would like things to be planned in accordance to their needs." History shows that the only way to “improve” people’s lives is to not impede their freedom to do so themselves.
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A toast to criminal justice reform
Incarceration has a clear upside. It may account for as much as 35 percent of the drop in violent crime since the 1980s. But it also allows for anti-social attitudes and relationships to fester among inmates before they return to society. But the First Step Act may offer a way to square the circle: It would enable law enforcement to remain tough on offenders with appropriately long prison sentences even as it expands prison programs designed to reduce crime. It would also end programs that are ineffective and wasteful.
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Improving Ukraine’s Maritime Capability: Next Steps for the U.S.
On November 25, 2018, Russian border-patrol boats opened fire on three Ukrainian navy vessels near the Kerch Strait, a narrow body of water connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. This incident is a reminder that Ukraine faces many security challenges in the maritime domain. In order to help Ukraine improve its capabilities—which is in the security interests of the United States and its allies—the U.S. should gain a better understanding of the maritime situation in the region, increase NATO’s presence in the Black Sea, and equip Ukraine with much-needed maritime capabilities.
What Not To Believe About Interpol—Exploding Five Myths
We have to know the difference between the truth about how Interpol actually works, and the myths about it that are widely believed. Red Notices are requests to locate, identify, and detain a suspect, and a promise to seek the extradition of that suspect, as Interpol rules require. The Red Notice may then be illegitimately offered by the Department of Homeland Security as proof that the individual is a flight risk or is in fact a criminal.
The Gospel of Marx? Religious Leaders Call for "Redistribution," Denounce "Pathology of War"
ast month, several dozen religious leaders reaffirmed a number of radical economic propositions contained within the 1973 Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social Concern. “Before God and a billion hungry neighbors, we must rethink our values regarding our present standard of living,” proclaims the document. The document goes on to lament the “materialism of our culture and the maldistribution of the nation’s wealth and services.” According to these leaders, the United States holds a “crucial role in the balance and injustice of international trade and development.” To secure an “abundant life for all of God’s children,” these activists propose “a more just acquisition and redistribution of the world’s resources.” Good intentions notwithstanding, enactment of their economic agenda would actually stifle the widespread abundance produced by free market capitalism.
Joint Select Committee Multiemployer's Pension Draft Proposal Would Do More Harm than Good
The Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plan’s draft proposal partially meets two important goals, but fails on three others. Most troubling are the failure to prevent the same problems in the future, its incentives for plans to become underfunded, and its unjust burden on taxpayers. Policymakers should instead turn to commonsense and equitable reforms that would accomplish all five goals.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Laws Are Not Fairness for All
In the United States of America, people who identify as LGBT are free to live as they want. But SOGI laws, including FFA, are not about freedom—they are about coercion. SOGI laws are about forcing all Americans to embrace—and live out—certain beliefs about human sexuality. They are not about protecting the freedom of people to live as LGBT, but about coercing everyone else to support, facilitate, and endorse such actions. This is one fundamental problem in equating coercive antidiscrimination laws with permissive religious freedom laws. And imposing a bad coercive policy on everyone while exempting select faith-based institutions is anything but fairness for all
Election Day Analysis: If We Lost, They Must’ve Cheated
A disturbing trend is emerging from the political left: When their candidates lose elections, rather than accept lawful defeat, they denounce the election itself. Democracy works only when the people have confidence that the electoral process is free and fair, and the outcome is valid. Telling voters that elections are only fair when their party wins sets up every election to be discounted by one side or the other.
"Government Control? Try People Control"
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, representative-elect for New York’s 14th Congressional District, is widely known as the nation’s cheerleader-in-chief for socialism. But even she might have a tough time getting to the left of another Empire State politician: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Mr. de Blasio...was demonstrating a deep commitment to socialism before Miss Ocasio-Cortex was even born. “I think there’s a socialistic impulse, which I hear every day, in every kind of community, that they would like things to be planned in accordance to their needs." History shows that the only way to “improve” people’s lives is to not impede their freedom to do so themselves.
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from The Hill
LEFT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED, newspaper in Washington, D.C.A toast to criminal justice reform
Incarceration has a clear upside. It may account for as much as 35 percent of the drop in violent crime since the 1980s. But it also allows for anti-social attitudes and relationships to fester among inmates before they return to society. But the First Step Act may offer a way to square the circle: It would enable law enforcement to remain tough on offenders with appropriately long prison sentences even as it expands prison programs designed to reduce crime. It would also end programs that are ineffective and wasteful.
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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington
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