Outside the Beltway

The US spends more government money on healthcare per capita than the likes of Germany, France, Canada, Sweden, and Holland!

David Brooks points out that, despite the mythology of America as a land of rugged individuals and Europe as a socialist experiment gone wrong, the amount of social welfare spending is roughly the same.

This week we learned that even breast cancer can become politicized. Is there anything that can’t at this point?

Ruth Bader Ginsburg had some advice on Constitution drafting for Egyptians

Senator Mike Enzi wants to replace the Dollar Bill with a coin. As with past efforts, it’s a great idea that is unlikely to succeed.

Mitch Daniels got the unenviable task of responding to the State Of The Union Address last night.

A Federal Judge deals with the clash between individual rights, law enforcement, and technology.

The Obama Administration has halted, for the moment, a pipeline project that has become a political football.

Higher gas prices in the spring could have an impact on the economy, and the election.

A Washington Post fact check calls this “true but false.”

The United States tops the world in giving money, volunteering time, and helping strangers.

The Postal Service announced another round of service cutbacks today that are likely to just make the rapidity of its decline increase

Canada’s National Post have illustrated how the Anyone But Romney race has gone to date:

From across the pond, an observation that the way we pick Presidents isn’t really that bad after all.

Last night, most of the leading Republican candidates for President acted as if Europe was on another planet.

The popular program was even less successful than we initially thought.

There’s no consensus for European-style social democracy or a Randian libertarian paradise.

In Scotland, posting stupid things on Facebook is a “hate crime” punishable by serious jail time.

A major backer of Republican and Libertarian causes is under fire.

Environmentalists are upset by President Obama’s decision to abandon stringent new smog regulations, but he made the right decision.

Ron Paul is again making the argument that American foreign policy has contributed to terrorism. He’s more right than wrong.

Madison went to Philadelphia wanting to increase the power of the central government over the states (quite a bit, in fact).

The US came a lot closer to something resembling a parliamentary system than most people think.

So, it happened………

A European anti-Muslim blogger observes, ‘It is clear that Anders Behring Breivik is one of us.'”

A social conservative attempts to argue that same-sex marriage is a threat to liberty, and fails miserably.

One of the GOP’s staunchest media allies isn’t too impressed with their Balanced Budget Amendment.

Some things are worth repeating.

Move eases way to providing funding to the rebels.

Yes, China’s GDP growth has been impressive for some time now, but it is not the sole way to understand development.

Illegal immigration from Mexico is down substantially, and it has nothing to do with all those anti-immigration laws.

President Obama wants a million hybrid cars on the road by 2015. That’s easier said than done.

When everyone can record video at any time and post it for all the world to see, is there such a thing as privacy anymore?

My latest piece for The Atlantic, “Is the U.S.-European Relationship Really in Decline?” is posted.

Is China’s drought caused by human action?

Canada is much friendlier than the United States with regard to immigration.

A lot of people appear confused at to what the debt ceiling is and why it has to be raised.

The duty to defend “hateful, extremely disrespectful, and enormously intolerant” expression.

Politicians in office have a nasty habit of behaving completely differently than they promise on the campaign trail.

Prejudice and negative attitudes towards obese individuals is becoming a global norm, not just an American phenomenon.

Canada is leading the operation in Libya but no one is leading Canada.