Volume 76, no. 3 March 2020 At the time of this writing, the outcome of the novel coronavirus pandemic is unknown, but certain lessons are apparent. One of the main advantages we have now compared to the time of the 1918 influenza pandemic—the capacity for rapid worldwide “viral” communication—is being hampered by government and its […]
The internet is supposed to provide open access to information to people of different opinions, and algorithms for search engines such as Google were originally designed to rank entries on the basis of traffic to a site. It was democratic in the sense that people voted with their mouse clicks. Freedom of communication is a […]
Those who believe that by “investing” a little tax money in government programs, we will reap equitable “healthcare,” affordable housing, and college education for all, plus social justice—and that the programs will “pay for themselves” in a few years—need to re-read The Adventures of Pinocchio. The silly marionette, on the advice of a fox and […]
Volume 75, no. 12 December 2019 Most have probably heard the definition of insanity often attributed to Albert Einstein: “Doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.” But we still do it. This admonition does not seem to apply to socialism, despite repeated experience from the Soviet Union to Venezuela. […]
Volume 75, no. 11 November 2019 The federal government has been declaring war on waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare since shortly after it was enacted in 1965. In the 1970s, there was the Professional Standards Review Organization (PSRO). AAPS v. Weinberger, the first lawsuit filed by AAPS, which challenged the PSRO, was dismissed in […]
Volume 75, no. 10 October 2019 In proposing “Medicare for All,” Bernie Sanders and his followers suggest that all Americans will be brought into a popular, successful, functioning program that provides well for seniors. In fact, the bill that Sanders claims to have written abolishes the current Medicare program, forces everyone into a very different […]
Volume 75, no. 9 Dr. Robot is visiting patients in some places but could be displaced by Dr. Alexa, the virtual assistant in Amazon smart speakers, who is already able to perform certain health-related tasks. “She” can track blood glucose levels, describe symptoms, access post-surgical care instructions, monitor home prescription deliveries, and make appointments at […]
Politicians who are reluctant to immediately go all the way to a complete government takeover of medicine propose the incremental strategy of a “buy-in” to a “public option.” Public programs predictably crowd out private ones. It is easy for government to drive out competition by imposing a regulatory load too costly for would-be market participants […]
Volume 75, no. 7 July 2019 While “population control” is generally taken to mean preventing overpopulation, it also means subjugating, regulating, and controlling the behavior and thoughts of the people. And the two goals often overlap. The sensational 1968 book The Population Bomb by entomologist Paul Ehrlich, called the first end-of-the world book, predicted that […]
Volume 75, no. 6 June 2019 Litigation challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has focused on the Commerce Clause and on religious liberty. Litigants and Justices have asked, “What is a tax?”, “Can we be forced to buy broccoli?”, or “Should nuns have to pay for contraceptives?” In its amicus brief before […]