The recent announcement that scientists found evidence consistent with the existence of the Higgs boson (a type of particle thought to give mass to other particles) is a testament to the efficacy of the human mind to discover the nature of reality. Why, then, do some describe the discovery in…

NPR reports that Chinese officials forcibly abducted a 23-year old woman who was carrying a seven-month old fetus. The officials demanded that the woman’s husband pay some $6,000 in “fines” (i.e., extortion money) in order for the government to free his pregnant wife. When he didn’t pay, the officials forcibly…

Although Ridley Scott’s film Prometheus is an incoherent mess, it does feature an obvious theme. It glorifies altruism, selfless sacrifice to others. Children’s author and blogger Adrian Bott explains what’s going on in the opening of the film: Let's begin with the eponymous titan himself, Prometheus. He was a wise…

Rob Natelson, who taught law for 30 years and wrote The Original Constitution, blasted the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the ObamaCare insurance mandate under the congressional taxing authority. Although I do not always agree with Natelson’s views on political matters, his comments here are spot on. When it takes effect…

What does the Supreme Court’s decision upholding ObamaCare mean for you? What does it mean for the future of the nation? Although volumes can and will be written about the decision and the law it addresses, a number of consequences stand out. The individual mandate violates moral rights. The ObamaCare…

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the heart of ObamaCare: the “individual mandate” forcing people to purchase government-approved health insurance starting in 2014. Beyond the constitutional issues, this decision offers two major lessons, one political, the other, moral. The political lesson is that “ObamaCare,” while spearheaded by the…

On Monday the Institute for Justice (IJ) announced “a major legal victory for cancer patients and their families from across the nation.” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder declined to seek Supreme Court review of a March 2012 decision of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that compensating most…

Although the left is apoplectic that the Supreme Court tossed out a Montana law limiting corporate speech, the Court was right to do so. Steve Simpson, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, addresses a wide range of issues surrounding freedom of speech in his recent interview for The…

How refreshing to see a successful innovator use the term selfishness appropriately—that is, to refer not to activity that harms others, but rather to activity that advances one’s own proper, rational self-interest. In a recent interview with BBC, Linus Torvalds, originator of the Linux operating system, explained why he regards…

“If you have to work to live, is it a choice? If you have no choice, are you free?” So read a sign at the Occupy Chicago May Day event. This illustrates perfectly what sort of freedom the Occupy movement desires. In their view, because we must exert effort and…

The good news is that the Supreme Court threw out Federal Communications Commission fines against television broadcasters who let slip a swear word or image of partial nudity, Fox News reports. The bad news is that the ruling is restricted to the FCC’s notification practices. The ruling states: Because the…

Why is government involved in setting college tuition rates? The Denver Post reports: Colorado Attorney General John Suthers on Tuesday said state-supported institutions of higher education do not have the authority to create discounted tuition categories for illegal-immigrant students without legislative approval. The opinion came in response to a query…

[caption id="attachment_4321" align="alignright" width="300"] Image: Gage Skidmore[/caption] Arthur C. Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, rightly states, “To argue specific policies, free enterprise advocates need to be fluent in the moral case.” Unfortunately, if Brooks’s articles on “Policy Solutions” and entitlements are any indication of what he regards as…

In just two paragraphs, Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises corrects both conservatives and libertarians regarding the proper nature of government. Whereas conservatives advocate “small” government, as if the size of government were the essential issue, Mises points out that the essential question is not how big government is, but what…

Rush’s raw 1974 self-titled album, written before lyricist and drummer Neil Peart joined the band, features anything but subtle lyrics, yet one of the lines from the very first song in some ways summarizes Rush’s body of work: “I’m finding my way back home.” Rush—a “progressive rock” trio featuring Peart,…