Category Archives: Politics

Tis the Season of Dictators

Starting with the demise of Saddam Hussein, a number of Middle Eastern dictators from Hosni Mubarak to Muammar Qaddafi have fallen from power. Yet one remains: Admiral General Aladeen. Of course, Admiral General Aladeen is comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s amalgamation … Continue reading

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Posted in Humor, Middle East, Politics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Practical Impact of Declining Home Prices

Today, CNN reported that home prices reached their lowest point in more than 10 years. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median U.S. home price fell from $219,000 in 2007 to $154,700 as of January 2012. While this … Continue reading

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Posted in Finance and Economics, Investing, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

The Morality of Government Entitlements

“The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded.” — French political analyst and philosopher, Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (1689-1755) A careful examination of some of … Continue reading

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Posted in Business, Finance and Economics, Healthcare, Policy, Politics, Social Security, Socialism, Taxes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Is This A Joke?

Last Wednesday, Kennedy scion, Joseph P. Kennedy III announced his bid for the Congressional seat Barney Frank will be vacating later this year. Here are Kennedy’s stated qualifications for the office he seeks: Served as an Assistant District Attorney for … Continue reading

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Posted in Leadership, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , | 38 Comments

The Overbearing Heaviness of Regulation

This week’s edition of The Economist has an excellent article on over-regulation in the United States, and how it is stifling economic growth. For example, America’s share of initial public offerings (IPOs) fell from 67% in 2002 to just 16% … Continue reading

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Posted in Business, Finance and Economics, Healthcare, Investing, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Why “Advise and Assist” Is A Bad Idea

Recently, the Pentagon announced plans to end combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2013.  Instead of taking an active combat role, American forces will shift to an “advise and assist” mission according to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. … Continue reading

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Posted in Central Asia, Defense, International Security, Leadership, Policy, Politics, Terrorism, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Introducing ROARR Contributor: Kevin Remus

It is my pleasure to introduce ROARR contributor Kevin Remus. Kevin lives in San Diego, California, and is an intellectual property attorney specializing in patent prosecution. He is also a Major in the California Army National Guard. Prior to law … Continue reading

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Posted in Blogging, Policy, Politics, Writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Obama and Youth Unemployment

In 2008, young adults piled into election booths to vote overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. Their adulation struck me personally as a weird sort of homage to the cult of personality. After all, Obama had no executive experience running any organization … Continue reading

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Posted in Business, Education, Finance and Economics, Media, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments

The Inexorable Rise of the Welfare State

The New York Times published an interesting analysis yesterday on entitlement spending in the United States. Since 1929, entitlements as a share of income rose from 1% to 18% in 2011. Despite some ups and downs, the overall trend line … Continue reading

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Posted in Finance and Economics, Policy, Politics, Social Security, Taxes | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Did Obama Help or Hinder the Recovery? Dueling Campaign Narratives

Today, I came across a variation of the employment chart below in an Obama campaign ad. In this ad, the old adage holds: There are “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” In this campaign season, this truism will likely apply to … Continue reading

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Posted in Business, Finance and Economics, Leadership, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments