Jinn of Current Events

Cato Institute 2003-Apr-16 event: As questions are raised about the future of the American space program, it may be an opportune time to reconsider the role of the private sector. Just as private entrepreneurs made personal computers and the Internet accessible to everyone, private enterprise should be given the chance to make space accessible for commerce, science, and recreation. Speakers discuss the need for Congress to remove barriers to private space efforts; suggest free-market ways for NASA to spend its funds; and lay out a vision for how to make America a space-faring society as outlined in the book Space: The Free-Market Frontier. (RealAudio and RealVideo format) 

The cuneiform inscription to the right is the earliest-known written appearance of the word "freedom" (amagi), or "liberty." It appears on a clay document written in the Sumerian city-state of Lagash, around 2300 B.C. 

Sad news. E.G. Ross, editor of The Objective American Daily, recently passed away, three weeks after undergoing emergency surgery to repair a cerebral aneurism. E.G. Ross was an impressive man, amazingly productive, a dynamo of positive thinking, a believer in man and the future. His writing was energetic, optimistic, inspiring, and common-sensical. I used to read his daily essays every morning, with great pleasure. In Memoriam page.

Here is a quote which I believe illustrates his spirit very well: The thing to realize about optimism is that it is a way of embracing life — not a way of ignoring life's difficulties or challenges. It's an orientation toward opportunity, not a commitment to evade or sidestep problems. It's a filter for achievement. It's a can-do approach that regards problems as learning events, as steps toward further accomplishment and self-improvement. ... Objective optimism helps you to generate courage and confidence in yourself and in your ability to survive and thrive. Toward this end, it uses simple, specific thinking techniques. They are mainly techniques for self-focus on solution- and learning-oriented outlooks. Some examples: What can go right in this context? What about the positive? To give perspective to bad news, I'm going to consciously search for good news. Are there any counter-balancing facts available here? What's the possible unseen value in this seeming negative? I'm going to hunt for hidden, up-beat nuggets of wisdom in this situation. How might I turn this setback into an accomplishment? What successful person could help me? What can I glean from this apparently depressing event? Where might I look for other, positive answers? This thing is probably not nearly as catastrophic as it appears at the moment, so I'll reserve judgment until more facts come in. If it sounds too bad to be true, it probably is. And so on. See also his excellent Self-Help: Positive Resolutions for The New Year. 

Steve Forbes: Tax-rate reductions always lead to a stronger economy. To oppose them because the economy is weak is like telling a pneumonia patient to avoid antibiotics until he recovers.