Arkady's Thoughts

This was predicted a long time ago and it has finally arrived.  Looks like the costs of universal coverage is starting to take it's toll as health care costs spiral out of control.   In this piece , we learn of the havoc caused by RomneyCare as insurance premium hikes are being rejected by a bureaucrat!  Insurance Commissioner Joseph Murphy decided that he is much smarter than everyone else and rejected 235 of the 274 proposed increases.  See, what is happening in our little liberal heaven of Massachusetts is a perfect example of what NOT TO DO.  Unfortunately for the rest of the country, Obama/Pelosi/Reid-Care largely modeled after RomneyCare is now law of the land.  Thomas Jefferson once expressed an idea that each state act as a social laboratory for experimentation and from these experiments we could conclude on the best form of governing.  But in 2010, where white is black and up is down, Massachusetts is an example of success - not the bla...

More information is slowly coming out as to what the giant multi-thousand page monstrosity known as ObamaCare entails.   Our left leaning media decided now that their idealogical fight has completed and a new entitlement program has been passed, they can pretend to be reporters and actually divulge the real impact of ObamaCare.  NYT published a piece listing several new mandates while feigning shock and surprise.  So assuming you understand that ObamaCare will result in higher insurance premiums, worse coverage and longer wait times at doctors, lets look at some more goodies brought to you buy the socialists from DC. Chain restaurants must list calorie for all items on their menus. Employers with 50 or more employees must provide a space and time for a mother to breast feed. Indoor tanning is slapped with a 10% tax. W-2s must provide detailed health benefit breakdowns Flex spending accounts: Starting in January, you will no longer be able to tap your accoun...

Another group has joined the majority of Americans in opposing the unprecedented expansion of Government mandates, this group represents American Physicians and Surgeons.   In fact, it has not only joined us in recognizing that a Federal government cannot force it's citizens to purchase something for the sake of a common good, but is suing the Obama Administration.  In a press release issued by the AAPS, some of our doctors are warning that the quality of our case and overall sense of freedom are in danger of being compromised. “If the PPACA goes unchallenged, then it spells the end of freedom in medicine as we know it,” observed Jane Orient, M.D., the Executive Director of AAPS. “Courts should not allow this massive intrusion into the practice of medicine and the rights of patients.” AAPS further underscores the underlying theme of why this piece of legislation violates the Constitution, a document that every member of Congress (and President) swears to uphold. ...

This is just a little message to the minority that supported this bill and believe that America will benefit from the narrow passage that occurred several days ago.  It would appear that the primary celebration stems from the idea that we will now be insuring those millions who are uninsured and the secondary celebration from the idea that we will now remove pre-existing conditions.  While common sense dictates that there is no such thing as a free lunch, less common sense does not deal with the question of why more insurance is the panacea.  So assuming that it is, a concept terribly flawed, then the cost of insurance will rise.  However we must simply observe what is happening today to determine the course of our future direction.  Currently the majority of Americans who have insurance, obtain it via their employers.  This already skews and distorts the perception of most Americans as to what the real cost of health care is and something I once covered ...

Glancing around the blogosphere it seems that conservatives and libertarians are once again in a collective rage over the inevitable passing of ObamaCare.   Yes, there is plenty to be angry about and the depth to which our politicians are stooping is surprising even the most seasoned pundits.  However this surprise is only shared by those individuals who believe our Congress is acting at the behest of a populace upset with our current health care system.  This is simply incorrect, ObamaCare has very little to do with health care.  Latest polling data suggests that a higher percentage of people oppose ObamaCare than the percentage Obama received in November of 2008.  54% of Americans oppose this piece of legislation, with 45% strongly opposing it.  Now, this was the point I repeatedly brought up during the special election in Massachusetts, when Republican superstar Scott Brown pledged to stop ObamaCare.  In fact this issue was a cornerstone of...

This is a good video , short and sweet describing the main arguments between inflation and deflation.  While Marc "Dr. Doom" Faber deserves all the respect in the world, he unfortunately misses the mark here, at least partially.  Mike Shedlock however delivers a succinct argument as to why the credit expansion strategy of the Central Bank will inevitably fail.  Where both men are completely right is that the current policy being pursued by our government is one of utter disaster and Marc Faber even goes so far as to say these policies will bring down the Western governments.  Well, they don't call him Dr. Doom for nothing, but sadly he may be on to something.  One of the hallmarks of the Great Depression was it's unbearable length and duration, this is of course purely and completely due to massive government stimulus, currency devaluation and choking taxation.  Both Mike Shedlock and Marc Faber are sensing that the approach over the last two years...

At least that is what the headlines read, but did it really?  According to the BLS , they sure did, but if you look deeper then the picture is a bit muddied.  The following industries either shed jobs or remained steady: - Construction - Information - Transportation and ware-housing - Manufacturing - Retail trade The following industries gained jobs: - Temporary help - Health care - Federal government (15,000 new people for Census work) So the industries that actually produce something tangible and contribute to the productivity of the country are either all stagnant or continuing to shed.  Yet the industries that produce nothing but service or rely on shrinking hours are trending up.  Not a good trade-off.  Losing private sector while gaining public sector jobs should make anyone cringe.  Furthermore the trend from full time employees to part time employees or the amount of hours per worker is continuing to deteriorate.  BLS will have ...