Ed Feulner
Ed Feulner
Mauling the Military
Have we forgotten what happened in the wake of post-Vietnam budget
cuts? We wound up with a military that simply wasn't combat ready -- a
hollow force. Asking a military that's too small to do too much means it
wears out sooner. Troops and equipment get stretched too thinly.
Feb 5, 2012 - 12:15:31 AM
Ed Feulner
Top Ten, But Falling
The deterioration of the U.S. score on freedom from corruption is
especially troubling. Blame the government (read: taxpayer) bailouts of
troubled industries such as automakers. These create the perception of
corruption. As far as many Americans are considered , it's politically
well-connected companies and special-interest groups who get the breaks.
Jan 22, 2012 - 4:20:36 AM
Ed Feulner
Defending the Dream
Right now, our nation's on the wrong path. If nothing is done, our
next generation will experience not liberty, freedom and prosperity, but
crushing debt, higher taxes, and job-killing regulations. Unlike any generation before us, we face the very real possibility
that our grandchildren may be worse off than their grandparents.
Jan 15, 2012 - 12:07:20 AM
Ed Feulner
Congress in 2011: Pros and Cons
It's hardly news to say that the American people are fed up with
Congress. Public disapproval of the legislative branch is practically as
old as the country itself. But lawmakers seemed to reach a new low in
2011.
Jan 8, 2012 - 12:17:08 AM
Ed Feulner
Our Energy Potential
According to a recent study by the energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, allowing access to domestic resources and imports of Canadian oil would generate more than 1 million jobs by 2018 and more than 1.4 million jobs by 2030. The federal government would stand to benefit tremendously as well, collecting more than $36 billion in tax revenue as soon as 2015 and more than $800 billion by 2030.
Dec 16, 2011 - 3:20:44 AM
Ed Feulner
Moving Forward on Missile Defense
With Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issuing threats about
America's planned missile defense for Europe, it may be time to remind
the Obama administration why we need such defenses in the first place --
in Europe and elsewhere.
Dec 4, 2011 - 12:15:35 AM
Ed Feulner
Focused on Foreign Policy
Now, there's certainly nothing wrong with covering important domestic
issues. The economy, for example, frequently demands our attention, and
seldom more urgently than it does at this moment. And no one expects
candidates to have a crystal ball. Even the best prepared among us can
get blind-sided by a crisis.
Nov 20, 2011 - 3:03:17 AM
Ed Feulner
Unions: 1, Workers: 0
That was the Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, talking about the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) suing Boeing for opening a plant in South Carolina, a right-to-work state. And while she added that she'd rather see the plant unionized than closed down, the message was unmistakable: Unions first, jobs second.
Nov 13, 2011 - 12:25:07 AM
Ed Feulner
The Tea Party vs. Occupy Wall Street
President Obama recently compared the Tea Party to the Occupy Wall Street protests, telling ABC News' Jake Tapper, "in some ways they're not that different." We beg to differ. The Tea Party and the protestors are almost exact opposites.
Nov 6, 2011 - 12:27:00 AM
Ed Feulner
Focusing on the Fed
The joke was that Greenspan was so good at his job that if anything were to happen to him, we'd need a Weekend at Bernie's solution to extend his reign.
Nov 2, 2011 - 4:27:53 AM
Ed Feulner
The "Fair Share" Farce
That doesn't leave much of a tax burden for everyone else. In fact, the average tax rate paid by those in the bottom half of the income scale is only 2.6 percent.
Oct 23, 2011 - 12:20:55 AM
Ed Feulner
Steve Jobs and American Exceptionalism
Steve Jobs was more than the creative force behind a successful company. He was a living refutation of all that liberals constantly tell us about our country -- that we're falling behind others and live in a "post-American world," as one of Barack Obama's favorite books puts it in its title.
Oct 16, 2011 - 12:23:26 AM
Ed Feulner
The Power of Civil Society
We need to remember that we are not helpless, ignorant masses desperately clinging to our guns or religion, as President Obama once said on the campaign trail. Nor are we anxiously awaiting the arrival of a messiah-president to deliver us from what Tocqueville called "the trouble of thinking and the cares of living."
Oct 9, 2011 - 12:23:27 AM
Ed Feulner
The Green-Jobs Fallacy
Don't assume what happened to the solar-panel company Solyndra is unique. Its high-profile bankruptcy is basically the green-jobs fallacy writ large.
Oct 2, 2011 - 12:15:18 AM
Ed Feulner
Look What We've "Made in Taiwan"
As I write this column, my plane is taking off from Taiwan's Taoyuan Airport to bring me back home. It was a special visit to Taiwan -- one that helped put so many earlier visits into a larger perspective.
Sep 25, 2011 - 12:25:48 AM
Ed Feulner
The Challenge of "Constitution Day"
Declaring your independence is risky, but it's relatively simple. Figuring out how to function as an actual nation is more complex.
Sep 18, 2011 - 12:27:15 AM
Ed Feulner
9/11, Ten Years Later
Law-enforcement officials have become much better at sharing information and linking databases. They've thwarted at least 40 post-9/11 attacks, thanks largely to security changes made in the wake of that devastating day. That's the good news.
Sep 11, 2011 - 12:55:16 AM
Ed Feulner
The Year of School Choice
We're used to hearing bad news from the education front -- poor test scores, falling literacy, slipping standards. But the new academic year brings a welcome change: school-choice programs have expanded significantly in recent months. Indeed, The Wall Street Journal has already dubbed 2011 "The Year of School Choice."
Sep 4, 2011 - 12:35:14 AM
Ed Feulner
A Malfunctioning "Reset"
Fast forward to the present. Have things improved? Considering that Russia Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently called the United States a "parasite" on the global economy, and the U.S. State Department has put 64 Russian officials on a visa blacklist, it's fair to say: Not much.
Sep 2, 2011 - 9:35:48 AM
Ed Feulner
Fueling Higher Gas Prices
If the Obama administration were serious about lowering gasoline prices, it would immediately lift the moratorium it placed on deep-water drilling. It's been over a year since that order went into effect, and since then 10 oil rigs have left the Gulf of Mexico. Where did they go? They're off helping other countries -- including Egypt, Congo, French Guiana, Liberia, Nigeria and Brazil -- find oil.
Aug 13, 2011 - 1:47:39 AM
Ed Feulner
Time for a Red Tape Rescue
One of the biggest factors behind whether companies hire or not is regulation. It's expensive to run a business, and if government agencies are saddling you with more and more expensive rules, you're simply not going to have as much money left over to hire additional employees -- or to pay the ones you already have as high a wage as you might like.
Aug 5, 2011 - 3:35:04 AM
Ed Feulner
What Really is Poverty?
35 million Americans live in poverty. The federal government conducts numerous surveys that contain detailed information about the living conditions of those classified as poor -- information that comes directly from those in poverty.
Jul 31, 2011 - 1:10:13 AM
Ed Feulner
Fannie and Freddie: Bad Tenants
Want to improve the housing market? Evict Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Sounds harsh, but without such a serious, drastic step, the market won't get better anytime soon. The value of household real estate is down an eye-popping $6.6 trillion (that's 12 zeros, folks) since it peaked in 2007. And the "government sponsored enterprises" (GSEs) known as Fannie and Freddie played a big part in inflating the housing bubble.
Jul 24, 2011 - 12:33:21 AM
Ed Feulner
Raiding an Empty Vault
Twenty-five years ago, Geraldo Rivera hosted a greatly hyped TV special called "The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults." It still stands as one of the highest-rated programs in television history. And what did spellbound viewers behold? A pile of dirt.
Jul 10, 2011 - 12:30:06 AM
Ed Feulner
An Illusory "Peace Dividend"
As Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa put it, "We need to use the billions of dollars we are currently spending in Afghanistan to rebuild our domestic economy."
Jul 3, 2011 - 12:20:06 AM
Ed Feulner
Put These FTAs to Work
Some Americans act as if Congress and the president have a jobs-making switch somewhere they can flip to help the economy. If only. No modern economy is that simple. And the factors that affect employment can be complex. So the next time you hear Washington politicians bemoaning the economy, ask why these three trade agreements haven't been put on the job. They need to be approved -- now. No conditions. Starting date: yesterday.
Jun 26, 2011 - 12:33:05 AM
Ed Feulner
Leading the Way for Liberty
The Velvet Revolution may be less famous, but it's no less important. It began on Nov. 17, 1989, when Czech police suppressed a peaceful student demonstration in Prague. Within days, the number of protestors swelled, until it reached half a million. In the face of this uprising, and with the governments of other Soviet satellite states collapsing, the Czech communists saw the handwriting on the wall. They yielded power and dissolved the single-party state.
Jun 26, 2011 - 12:23:16 AM
Ed Feulner
Crafting a Moral Budget
In his reply, Archbishop Dolan didn't endorse or criticize the budget, of course. But he did thank Ryan for recognizing an often-overlooked truth: Budgets are also moral documents. The values that helped shape our founding continue to affect our policy decisions, even if we are not always conscious of their influence.
Jun 12, 2011 - 4:25:02 AM
Ed Feulner
Defunding Defense
Can America's defense budget be cut? Yes. Unfortunately, President Obama is going about it exactly backwards. He has asked the Pentagon to identify $400 billion in savings. But coming up with an arbitrary figure and telling our military to find some way to hit it isn't the smart -- or safe -- way to make the necessary cuts.
May 29, 2011 - 12:17:04 AM
Ed Feulner
Saving the American Dream
For too long, Congress has been on an unsustainable binge of spending, taxing and borrowing. Our nation is going broke, and we're passing the costs of these misguided policies to our children and their children.
May 26, 2011 - 2:13:53 AM
Ed Feulner
Tales of the Red Tape
Hotels, restaurants, airlines and other businesses open to the public need to make some adjustments soon. The federal government says they must accommodate the animals that help the blind and others with disabilities.
Dogs? No, miniature horses.
May 8, 2011 - 12:25:33 AM
Ed Feulner
A Government Union Shakedown
"Raise our taxes!" Can you imagine chanting such a slogan at a public rally? Neither could most Americans. When those elected officials say, "We're in the red. We have to balance our budget, and we can't pay you more," government-union activists reply: "Raise our taxes!"
May 1, 2011 - 12:27:18 AM
Ed Feulner
More Cutting, Less Taxing
In 2010, the government took in around $2.2 trillion in taxes. (The income tax accounts for less than half of that: $900 billion, to be specific.) And what did the government spend? Around $3.5 trillion.
Apr 24, 2011 - 12:30:47 AM
Ed Feulner
Needless Delay on Nominations
Should a president have to wait ... and wait ... and wait for the Senate to approve the people he nominates to serve in high office? Of course not. Yes, the Senate has an important role to fill, but interminable and pointless delays have become the norm. They have bedeviled both Republican and Democratic presidents in recent years, and they need to stop. (Senators, for their part, point out that presidents take too long to consider people and make nominations.)
Apr 17, 2011 - 12:27:47 AM
Ed Feulner
A Better Way to Reform Welfare
When President Clinton signed landmark welfare-reform legislation in 1996, he said it would "end welfare as we know it." Wrong verb. More accurately, it changed welfare as we know it.
Apr 9, 2011 - 1:20:25 AM
Ed Feulner
School Choice: A Real Test Awaits
School choice promotes quality education through competition. Yet it's the exception, not the norm. We tolerate a situation where nearly all but the most well-to-do parents must settle for the nearest public school, regardless of quality.
Apr 2, 2011 - 2:30:16 AM
Ed Feulner
ObamaCare: A Grim Prognosis
Ever heard a doctor talk about the value of "early detection" with certain medical conditions? The idea, of course, is to catch a disorder before it progresses too far, and serious symptoms start to show. That's when it's harder to cure. Well, consider this an early-detection warning for a piece of legislation that became law one year ago -- the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or "ObamaCare."
Mar 27, 2011 - 12:20:56 AM
Ed Feulner
Dealing with "Real Enemies"
"We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued, and they must be defeated." That was Barack Obama, speaking at the 2004 Democratic National Convention as a candidate for the U.S. Senate. The fact is, more than three dozen terrorist plots against the U.S. have been foiled since 9/11. Unless we want to lose this long war, we must find, pursue and defeat them. Not being afraid to call a terrorist a terrorist is a good place to start.
Mar 20, 2011 - 12:13:42 AM
Ed Feulner
DOMA Deserves a Defense
The president's core supporters refuse to recognize what centuries of tradition and common sense tell us, and what voters and lawmakers confirmed in 1996 -- that marriage is between one man and one woman. The question is, what's next for this act scorned?
Mar 13, 2011 - 12:30:10 AM
Ed Feulner
Ruled by Regulation
How much fuel your car burns. What type of light bulb you buy. How much energy your appliances use. What kind of health plan you have. What do they have in common? Meet your hidden master: regulations.
Mar 3, 2011 - 12:20:01 AM
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