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Columns by Paul Hein

In a Single Word
0
Paul Hein 2019-06-24 16:09
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR From time to time you may encounter the suggestion: describe (blank) in a single word. If “blank” is “Christianity,” a suitable answer might be “repentance” or “salvation.” If “blank” is “science,” it might be “hypothesis” or “experimentation.” What if “blank...
A Right To...
9.5
Paul Hein 2019-03-25 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There’s nothing new about the idea of socialism. In the first 20 years of the 20thCentury, socialist Eugene Debs ran five times for president on the Socialist ticket. He didn’t make it. Well, never mind. The old socialist slogans have been reworked, encompassing the trendy new “green” concept. Maybe that’s all that’s...
Nothing Ado About Much
10
Paul Hein 2018-11-26 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR In November we will have an election which the pundits assure us will be a monumental one. It will determine the future of America: the land of the free and the home of the brave, or the brave New World Order of free everything for everybody. The stakes, we are warned, are very high. The candidates have been assailing us with their ads since August, if not...
Hooray! I'm a Victim!
0
Paul Hein 2018-10-15 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR A few decades ago it occurred to me that historians might refer to those times as The War On the Middle Class. I think that designation might well apply today as well, although the war is, for all practical purposes, over (we lost). Today I think a new term may be used, namely The Age of Victimization. In my youth, before the pencil had been invented, and...
Equality
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Paul Hein 2018-10-08 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The theme of the French Revolution was the lovely phrase Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. No doubt it provided inspiration for the mobs. Mobs, however, are not given to calm, reasoned, discussion, and therefore were evidently oblivious to the inherent contradiction in the phrase. Liberty and equality seldom co-exist when equality is imposed. Politicians, for...
An Important Distinction
10
Paul Hein 2018-06-08 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Governments are established by people who, obviously, do so for their own betterment. Specifically, the government is to protect the rights of its founders. A laudable idea, without doubt. A problem arises when the people who actually constitute the government realize that they have power, and power, it must be admitted, corrupts. The result, as we see today...
Government Types
10
Paul Hein 2018-05-30 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Several decades ago I joined an organization of my fellow physicians called, appropriately, Iatros. It was an ideal group, having neither meetings, dues, nor by-laws. We were simply individuals with a common concern for the growing role of government in medical care, or, more specifically, medical financing. There was a monthly newsletter carrying articles by...
Power to Rule
0
Paul Hein 2018-04-26 08:15
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Jurisdiction! What an important concept! My law dictionary gives a multitude of definitions, such as “authority, power, or right to act,” or “power to subject parties to decisions and rules.” The role of power is implicit, if not explicit, in every definition. Whence comes this power? Another definition: “power conferred by...
The Wonder of Words
9.5
Paul Hein 2018-04-13 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Increasing numbers of Americans are becoming aware that things are not as they should be in America. It is not the country of our fathers, and certainly not of our grandfathers. This is particularly true where it is most intensely felt: the economy. A recent survey reveals that 57% of Americans have only about $1,000 in a savings account, and 39% have no...
Bad Ideas, Fads and Facts
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Paul Hein 2018-03-09 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The late Dr. Freud believed that a significant determinant of human behavior involved the sexual instinct. I believe he was mistaken. In my opinion--and we are talking about opinions here--an attraction to novelty explains much of what human beings do--at least some human beings. There are always those who believe that if an idea has been held for many years...
When Will It End?
10
Paul Hein 2018-02-23 10:32
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The public schools are dangerous places. I’ve lost count of the number of shootings in those schools, and the number of students killed or injured. It reminds me of space exploration. We were glued to our TV sets when the first Americans went into space, even if only for a suborbital trip. After a while, the fascination waned. Do you remember the most...
The Purchase
0
Paul Hein 2018-02-15 09:22
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The desert sand glowed in the early morning sunlight as Abdul took his customary place in front of his store--Abdul’s Camels, New and Used--to greet his first customer. On the day we’re examining, that customer was Omar, whose new SnoCone business was doing so well that he decided to purchase a fleet of three delivery camels. The two men greeted...
Service With a Smile—or Is It a Grimace?
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Paul Hein 2018-02-08 07:51
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The Department of Homeland Security, respected and admired by all Americans for its relentless inspection of possibly explosive shoes and belts, and scrupulous scrutiny of electronically strip-searched fliers, has announced that it will further exhaust itself for our benefit by installing facial recognition machinery in most of the country’s airports....
The Divine Right
8
Paul Hein 2018-01-19 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR For centuries, from medieval times until, perhaps, the 17th Century or thereabouts, the theory of the Divine Right of Kings was widely accepted. At a time when religion was taken seriously, it made sense. God was the author of all good things, certainly, and if a man was king, it was because God willed it so, since He would not bestow His blessings upon...
Funny Business
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Paul Hein 2017-12-15 08:23
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR It’s safe to say that, as businesses go, Uncle Sam’s (NOT Sam’s Club!) is, by far, the biggest. It is also, by far, the strangest. We all deal with businesses every day, and without exception, they conduct themselves differently from Uncle. For instance: You can buy what you want, when you want it. If you want a new pair of socks, you can...
The Question, the Answer, the Result
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Paul Hein 2017-09-29 12:59
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR It has often been pointed out that the “masses,” the “public,” obtain wealth in several ways: most usually by earning it, or, less commonly, receiving it as a gift or inheritance. For most of us, this means yielding about 40 hours of our lives weekly to obtain what we need or want. A different way of acquiring wealth is practiced by...
Conscription
10
Paul Hein 2017-08-29 08:06
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR From time to time our Rulers, and the individuals and firms with whom they have a close financial relationship, find it necessary to threaten, or even employ, force to protect their interests and further their objectives. If the situation warrants it, they are willing to fight. Their importance precludes their doing the actual fighting themselves, but they...
Fear
8
Paul Hein 2017-08-08 09:12
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Back in the Christian era, one sometimes encountered the phrase “fear of the Lord.” The fear referred to was not so much a fear of punishment at the hands of powerful but capricious and spiteful gods, but rather a sense of awe and respect towards someone you loved, not feared. It was the “fear” that you might feel for neglecting a...
A Moral Compass
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Paul Hein 2017-07-20 08:36
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The journey you are about to undertake requires you to travel directly South. Would a compass be helpful? Today you would use a GPS device, but its directions would be based upon some sort of internal compass. There is one situation, however, admittedly far-fetched, that would make a compass unnecessary. If you were to begin your journey from the North Pole--...
Men, Women and Automobiles
9
Paul Hein 2017-06-23 09:55
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR It comes as no surprise that “mater,” (Latin for mother) forms the root for “MATERnal.” But it also forms the root for “MATERial.” That’s significant, I think, suggesting that the woman’s world is the world of stuff, of things. Men, on the other hand, live in a land of ideas, abstractions, and dreams. How nicely...
Where's the Thermometer?
0
Paul Hein 2017-06-12 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR President Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Accord has been met with the predictable gasps of horror and warnings of impending catastrophe from the statists. Global warming, after all, (or as it is now termed, “climate change”) is something which you simply DO NOT question. Like JFK’s assassination by a “lone...
A Den of Thieves
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Paul Hein 2017-06-06 08:31
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Income tax day usually falls around Easter, but while many people do not celebrate Easter, nearly all venerate the Internal Revenue Code on April 15. It is a cause for wonderment, since the income tax, being robbery (or theft) ought to rouse massive civil disobedience, rather than slavish adherence. Of course, in saying that, I run the risk of being placed...
Is There a Pence Defense?
0
Paul Hein 2017-05-08 08:14
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR On October 18 of last year, Vice President-elect Michael Pence went to see the play Hamilton in Manhattan. The producer of that show, Jeffrey Seller, and the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, were not Pence fans. Indeed, Miranda was an outspoken fan of Hillary during the campaign, inspired, no doubt, by her honesty, intelligence, and virtue. Thus it...
What Does It Cost?
0
Paul Hein 2017-05-04 07:46
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The only drug I take, and have taken for decades, is a beta-blocker which is widely available and relatively cheap (as drugs go!) I got it at the pharmacy in a local grocery chain where we often shop. It was convenient, and I became acquainted with the pharmacists who were knowledgeable and friendly. The cost of a 90 day supply of the drug was about $12,...
The Senator and Democracy
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Paul Hein 2017-03-21 08:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Our political system is based upon democracy, as we are frequently told. Democracy is such a good thing that our Rulers would like the whole world to enjoy it, even if it means introducing it and maintaining it by force, as seems to be happening in the Middle East, for example. Yes, people may be dying and cities destroyed, but in the long run, democracy is...
Assumptions, Assumptions
8
Paul Hein 2016-12-16 09:16
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Our trash is picked up on Tuesdays. Well, I should not simply say “trash,” because only one of the containers holds officially defined trash. The others are for recyclables and yard waste. (Ah, the carefree days of my youth, when trash was trash, and not analyzed and segregated.) Recently, while writing out the check for these services, which are...
Fundamentals
6
Paul Hein 2016-11-30 09:47
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There doesn’t seem to be any debate about the fact that things are seriously wrong in America. The octogenarians among us--present writer included--can recall a vastly different America, with no “checkpoints” or rioting, or SWAT teams, or invasions of foreign countries which had not—and could not--attack us. But why has this happened...
Backing Bunk
10
Paul Hein 2016-10-26 08:03
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR A monetary system that has replaced money with non-redeemable notes that can only enter circulation as a loan is doomed to collapse, and many have warned of that fate regarding our own system of ever-growing debt. Our situation is not unique, however. Governments all over the world have realized the advantage--temporary, of course, of issuing IOUs--never to...
Bold New Steps
0
Paul Hein 2016-09-29 09:05
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR How goes manufacturing in the United States? Not very well. We’ve all seen the empty stores in the mall, and read of small--and sometimes not so small—firms failing, or being gobbled up by larger ones. Only if you were in a coma could you fail to know of American firms moving to Mexico, or China, and the resultant loss of jobs. Manufacturing...
It's Very Simple
7
Paul Hein 2016-09-08 07:22
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I have often wondered why candidates for political office are never asked the most fundamental question: What, in your opinion, is the purpose of government? I have posed this question to several office-holders, both state and federal, even including a self-addressed envelope for their convenience. The question is never answered. If pressed, a politician...
Yes, Or No?
0
Paul Hein 2016-08-14 23:03
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There can be good reasons for not answering questions. If you are being questioned by the police, for example, prudence would dictate that you remain silent. Or perhaps you do not know the correct answer to a question, and would prefer not to guess and subsequently be proven wrong. But you might also decline to answer if your answer could put you in an...
The Elastic Standard
8
Paul Hein 2016-07-20 08:06
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The needle is approaching “E.” Not to worry; there’s a gas station in the next block. Your car’s owner’s manual gives the gas tank capacity as 20 gallons, but when the pump finally clicks off, you find it’s taken 500 gallons to fill your tank. Well, that’s not surprising. Your car is nearly ten years old, and...
Rich: A State of Mind
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Paul Hein 2016-05-18 08:23
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Many years ago, when I was young and foolish enough to believe that the truth mattered, I would lecture interested groups about our money, or, rather, what passes for money today. In the question and answer period following my remarks, one of the attendees would invariably raise the question: What does it matter what we use for money? The other attendee,...
What's a Public Purpose?
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Paul Hein 2016-04-21 08:08
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The next time you’re in Missouri, go to the penitentiary in Jefferson City. As a visitor, of course: a tourist. The penitentiary is now retired from active duty, and its conscriptees confined to a newer facility some distance away. But the original building, grim and grey, is open for tours. I’ve toured Alcatraz, which held about 500 prisoners at...
Funny Non-Money
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Paul Hein 2016-04-01 07:41
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There is the possibility, as pointed out by writers on subjects financial, that the government, which is in debt up to, and beyond, its ears, might seize the retirement funds of its subjects. By this means, we are told, our Rulers might reduce their debt by paying off at least part of it with the stolen--er, taxed--funds. In truth, in seizing its subjects...
A Candle in the Darkness
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Paul Hein 2016-03-03 08:32
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Those of us of a certain (old!!) age find it easy to be pessimistic about the future, and depressed by the present obvious disintegration of the America of our youth and young adulthood. Considering that garrulous gaggle of gangsters seeking the presidency is enough to ruin my day. The shrinking of the middle class--the productive class!!--convinces me that...
THE Question
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Paul Hein 2016-02-10 09:14
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The Missouri Department of Revenue, like most modern businesses, publishes a website, on which it provides answers to commonly asked questions, of which there are a great many. Typically, they deal with rather narrow, technical issues. For instance: How do I file a request for a refund for a decedent? Or: How do I claim gambling losses on my Missouri tax...
Jackass Abiding
10
Paul Hein 2016-01-20 09:48
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR If you were to ask people on the street, “Are you law-abiding?” the vast majority would say, some with evident pride and self-righteousness, “You bet I am!” A smaller percentage would say, after some hesitation, “Sure, I guess I am,” and a very few might grimace and say, “Only when I have to be!” Thank God for...
Say It Isn't So!
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Paul Hein 2015-12-24 08:21
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Three people in California are suing chocolate manufacturers, most notably Hershey, Mars, and Nestle. “Aha,” you cry. “The chocolate made them sick, and they had tremendous pain, suffering, and medical bills!” No, no, not at all. The three suffered no ill effects from the chocolate products. Their suit alleged false advertising....
I Don't Get It
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Paul Hein 2015-11-16 09:11
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }There are things I simply do not understand. I hesitate to mention it, because I seem to be the only person who is puzzled by these things, thus indicating that I possess the savvy of a turnip. Still, I have reached--and surpassed—an age where I don’t much care what other people may think...
Weltschmerz, Anyone?
7
Paul Hein 2015-10-27 08:55
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The Germans have a knack, if that’s the word for it, of making new words by putting old ones together. So “weltschmerz” is a conjunction of two words meaning, literally “world pain.” The term refers to the frustration, depression, etc., that one experiences on appreciating the difference between the way things are, and the way...
Yes or No?
10
Paul Hein 2015-09-16 07:53
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There can be good reasons for not answering questions. If you are being questioned by the police, for example, prudence would dictate that you remain silent. Or perhaps you do not know the correct answer to a question, and would prefer not to guess and subsequently be proven wrong. But you might also decline to answer if your answer could put you in an...
Laws, or Men?
9.5
Paul Hein 2015-08-19 08:20
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Many years ago I read a book entitled, if memory serves, A Nation of Laws, Not Men. I wasn’t sure what was meant by that title until I read a few chapters. The author, a noted lawyer, gave example after example of politicians acting in their own best interests, or those of their cronies, to the detriment of the public at large, and with no regard for...
Corruption Abounds!
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Paul Hein 2015-07-30 07:34
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR All taxation is theft, but the most egregious of these thefts must surely be the property tax. Other taxes/thefts can be avoided or minimized, but if you own a house or other tangible real estate, you will be taxed forever, and after you are gone, your heirs will continue to pay tribute to the property tax collector. A number of years ago I asked the local...
Sooner Or Later
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Paul Hein 2015-07-10 07:49
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }We are living in a world in which the absurd is accepted, the foolish is ignored, and just plain evil is tolerated. Eventually, I expect, things will get so bad that what is accepted, ignored, or tolerated will no longer enjoy that status. Enough will be enough. These thoughts were triggered by an article in a newspaper detailing...
Here's Looking at You, Kid
9.25
Paul Hein 2015-06-23 07:56
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The conversation around the lunch table got around, not surprisingly, to the NSA and its surveillance activities. Nobody liked it. It was Virgil who said what many were probably thinking: “I don’t like it either, but if you’re doing nothing wrong, what’s so bad about it?” There were nods of assent, and a few murmured “It...
Volunteer--Or Else!
9.66667
Paul Hein 2015-05-27 08:07
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The waiter informs you that there is a special, off-menu item available. “Today we have a special: blackened snapper with a mango chutney, served on a bed of wild rice.” It sounds good, but you have your heart set on a meat entree. So you tell him, “Sounds good all right, but I think I’ll have the one-inch thick pork chops, with green...
Jurisdiction
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Paul Hein 2015-05-08 07:52
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR If I correctly remember my high school Latin, the word “jurisdiction” is from two Latin words, “dicere,” to say, and “juris,” of the law. So if you have jurisdiction, you can “speak” the law. What you say is the law. A synonym for jurisdiction is “authority,” referring to a creator, an author. What...
The Pros and the Con
9
Paul Hein 2015-04-27 07:48
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR You are notified by a group of strangers that you must send them a large amount (by ounce? gram?) of money. The request is reasonably polite, although there is, in small print, or hushed, mumbled tones, a promise of unpleasantness should you decline the request. Or perhaps you learn, by TV or newspaper, that henceforth you will be required to do something...
Us, or U.S.?
9
Paul Hein 2015-04-06 07:39
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I was watching a television program recently dealing with the events leading up to World War II, but primarily concerned with the attacks by Japan upon China, and the presidential order establishing the American Volunteer Force to provide American pilots and aircraft to fight for the Chinese. The commentator remarked, “The U.S. realized that it could...
What's the Difference?
7
Paul Hein 2015-03-04 08:39
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Let’s pretend that something quite momentous and unprecedented will happen in the next election. First, there will be two candidates for president. No surprise there. Now for the incredible part: both candidates will actually take their oath of office seriously! No, really! I know it’s unthinkable, but think about it anyway. We know the...
Travels in Time
0
Paul Hein 2015-02-16 10:27
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The idea of time travel has always fascinated me. If I could step into a time machine and go back to some earlier date, which one would I choose? And what would I take with me? At one time, I thought the farther back in time I could go, the better. How I could dazzle the ancient Romans, or Greeks! But wait! With what would I dazzle them? Perhaps my watch, or...
State of Civilization
5
Paul Hein 2015-01-28 08:47
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I didn’t watch the president’s State of the Union address, and I haven’t read it. Even so, I can state confidently that Union is strong! We need only to consider what happened to the 13 sovereign states that tried to extricate themselves from it to see just how strong it is: almost 800,000 people dead! Today we hear tantalizing talk of...
'Tis Folly to Be Wise
10
Paul Hein 2015-01-13 09:52
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The old saw doesn’t say it’s blissful to be ignorant, or even that it’s folly to be wise, but rather, that IF ignorance is bliss, then wisdom becomes folly. That makes a lot more sense. We saw this axiom in action in a recent presidential campaign. The only candidate whose opinions reflected wisdom was Ron Paul, and the establishment—...
The Source
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Paul Hein 2015-01-09 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The figure quoted for the first bailout was three trillion. That’s three trillion dollars, which could be more meaningful if we knew what “dollars” were. But whatever they are, three trillion of them is a number so large that one simply cannot comprehend it. It might even be thought to be meaningless, because one doesn’t experience...
Then and Now
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Paul Hein 2014-11-12 08:44
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I enjoy historical fiction. It is an easy and pleasant way to become familiar with important events in history, without the tedium of a history text’s display of names, dates, etc., in a style guaranteed to generate boredom. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed the TV series “The Tudors.” Once, after watching an episode of that series, I chanced...
Flying High
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Paul Hein 2014-10-28 08:18
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Guess who’s launched a rocket into orbit around Mars? It’s quite an accomplishment, since about half of the world’s previous attempts have failed. Would you guess Saudi Arabia? Dubai? Nope. Would it surprise you to learn it was Liechtenstein? It sure would surprise me, because it isn’t Liechtenstein. Nor Monaco. OK, enough guessing....
Two Modest Suggestions
9
Paul Hein 2014-10-15 08:31
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR A long time ago, in a different galaxy, I offered a suggestion for the relief of the financial problems of the airline industry. My advice went unheeded, and today we see the sorry mess that constitutes that industry today. I told you so! My idea, as I’m sure you remember, was to enhance the profitable aspects of airline operation, while reducing the...
Who's On First--And Where Is It?
9
Paul Hein 2014-10-03 08:01
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I am bemused at the concern shown about the problem of illegal aliens, but perhaps that can be attributed to the fact that I live hundreds of miles from the border. There seems to be some controversy about the role of the federal vs. state governments. I think this would be an ideal situation to employ the principle of subsidiarity, which states that problems...
Who?
10
Paul Hein 2014-09-23 08:38
Column by Paul Hein.  Exclusive to STR Hillary is being coy about declaring her ambition to be president, and the first female Ruler of the World. While she dithers about the announcement, let me make mine: Once again I declare my candidacy for the presidency. You may recall that the last time I garnered 15 votes; this time I hope to get at least twice as many. The usual question is raised...
An Electrifying Event
0
Paul Hein 2014-09-11 08:21
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I’ll wager you don’t drive a Tesla, or know anyone who does. But you’ve probably heard of it--a pricey deluxe sedan powered by electricity, with a range of over 200 miles between charges. Tesla management wants to sell its cars direct to consumers, rather than to dealers who will then re-sell it to buyers, after adding their costs, plus...
Crime and Punishment
8
Paul Hein 2014-09-03 08:05
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }About three decades ago, I was visiting a friend at the penitentiary in Jefferson City, where he was about at the end of his sentence for the ghastly “crime” of buying cigarettes cheap in a neighboring state, and selling them to his clients in Missouri. It was the practice at the time to allow soon-to-be-released...
Malum Prohibitum, Ad Nauseum
9
Paul Hein 2014-08-25 07:40
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR “I’ve got a tremendous idea,” you announce to your colleagues. “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone had health insurance?” “You bet,” they agree--at least most of them. “Well, let’s make everybody buy it. If some can’t afford it, we’ll subsidize it, somehow, and if they refuse, we’ll...
Assumptions
0
Paul Hein 2014-08-11 07:31
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Our lives are, to a large extent, based upon assumptions. Many of them are obvious: the assumption that the sun will rise in the morning, or that the car will start when you turn the key. The validity of these assumptions has been shown hundreds of thousands—millions—of times. They have become less assumptions and more statements of fact. Other...
Economics for Dummies
10
Paul Hein 2014-07-31 08:06
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I don’t want to deceive you: I am not going to present a sort of Economics 101 for the benefit of the economically illiterate. In fact, I am myself among that number, never having studied economics. What I am suggesting is that, in the current financial crisis, economics may be, in my opinion, somewhat irrelevant. It may be foolish to think that there...
Who Owes What?
0
Paul Hein 2014-07-22 08:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I recently came across some old news reports from 2009, when, in the early days of July, the media concerned itself with the really significant news: the death of Michael Jackson. However, we were also given a glimpse of other matters, admittedly less important, such as the nation’s perilous finances. What I most vividly remember was the report that...
Small Things
10
Paul Hein 2014-07-08 08:14
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The small things in life are sometimes enclosed in ritual. There’s nothing wrong with this per se; it often adds an appropriate appreciation to the simple thing being done--as, for instance, being married. The accompanying ceremony may give the couple an awareness of the importance and significance of what they are doing. Sometimes it can be amusing....
Who Am I?
0
Paul Hein 2014-06-24 07:40
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR My pastor is worried about my immortal soul, and the risk of its eternal damnation. I laugh at him. Since when did virtue make the ten o’clock news? My doctor warns me about my unhealthy diet and lifestyle. I puff on a cigarette while reaching for my Martini, and offer him some of my doughnuts. My son wants some money to buy a new electronic game to...
Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
0
Paul Hein 2014-06-13 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The term “jurisdiction” has several similar meanings. It can simply mean control. Or it can mean the power to enforce the law. The latter definition is more significant, because the organization that enforces the law is also the one that writes the law. It is correct to say, therefore, that jurisdiction can mean the power to enforce one’s...
The Chinese Water Torture, Sort Of
0
Paul Hein 2014-05-27 08:19
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Years ago I gave speeches to any group that wanted to hear me, about the nature of our money and the illegality and immorality of the monetary system. I gave one such talk to a group of students at a tony private school in St. Louis, and had a pleasant meeting with the headmaster prior to my speech. I noted a plaque on his desk bearing the words: “...
The Irrelevance of Government
9.66667
Paul Hein 2014-05-13 08:17
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Today has been, so far, like many others. My wife and I rose early and had breakfast. We went to Mass at 8:30--we’re old-fashioned Catholics--and then came home to a few chores around the house: unloading the dishwasher, changing the bed, vacuuming, sweeping leaves out of the garage, and other such mundane chores. We’ll have lunch in another hour...
The National Non-Debt
10
Paul Hein 2014-04-28 07:22
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Let’s look at a familiar aphorism: If a tree falls in the forest, and no one hears it, does it make a noise? Now let’s modify it: If an obligation is settled with an IOU, which is never to be paid, is there a debt? In the first instance, we are asked whether there is a sound if no one hears it. In the second, if there is a debt if no one pays it...
The Name Game
9
Paul Hein 2014-04-14 08:23
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR An interesting phenomenon: You receive a letter, signed by a group of people unknown to you, asking you to send them a large check, and implying that if you don’t, there could be unpleasant consequences. You laugh, and throw it away. Perhaps, if you’re sufficiently annoyed, you could send a copy to the authorities, asking that they put a halt to...
A Remarkable Document
10
Paul Hein 2014-04-02 08:45
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR From time to time, we hear our rulers refer to the Constitution, in such solemn tones and with such serious demeanor that we might think they took it seriously. For example, some of them have expressed outrage that the NSA should violate the people’s right to privacy. Good for them; it IS an outrage. Some of the rulers are indignant that the...
What's Mine Is Yours--If You Say So
10
Paul Hein 2014-03-18 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Reading the newspaper this morning, I got the impression that the purpose of the paper is to obscure, rather than present, the news. The front page headline, for instance, was a piece about a local hockey player, and his rise to fame. Succeeding pages concerned local school board problems, and other such trivia. Not until page seven was there any information...
Home of the Slave, Land of the Fee
10
Paul Hein 2014-03-06 09:10
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR My Fourth Edition of Black’s Law dictionary defines “slave” thusly: “a person who is wholly subject to the will of another.” The phrase “will of another” sounded familiar. I checked the same dictionary for “statute,” and found it defined as the “written will of the legislature.” You might come...
A Minor Office
10
Paul Hein 2014-02-19 09:08
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The advertisement headline read: “President increases amount seniors can get from reverse mortgages.” Imagine the astonishment that the Founding Fathers would experience if they could read that! “What in the world does the president have to do with mortgages, whether forward, reverse, or sideways?” They would be flabbergasted to hear...
The Rules
10
Paul Hein 2014-02-06 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR It’s a familiar aphorism: You’ve got to play by the rules. There’s no picking up the puck and running with it; no using a tennis racket in handball. Golfers are not to use baseball bats. And there are penalties for violations. It’s not only sports, of course. If you’re a Rotarian, you’re expected to observe the by-laws of...
Representative Government
0
Paul Hein 2014-01-24 09:02
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There are six million people living in the section of North America designated “Missouri.” They know that because they’ve been told they live in Missouri, not because they’ve seen lines on the ground saying, for example, Missouri on this side, and Oklahoma on the other. People are encouraged to think of the portion of the earth they...
Statuses: Who Assigns Them?
10
Paul Hein 2014-01-14 09:25
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR We all acquire numerous statuses as we move through life. Some of them are natural, like the status of white male, or mother. They simply reflect who we are by our nature; they are built-ins, so to speak. Others are the result of choices. I may acquire the status of pilot, for example, or Kiwanian. These statuses are chosen, and can be abandoned, renounced,...
A Glorious Event!
0
Paul Hein 2014-01-06 09:08
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Day after day I’ve trudged to the mailbox, heart in my mouth. Yes, I know: I wasn’t allowing enough time since my application. But today--today!--they arrived. I knew as soon as I saw the envelope with the return address: Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Department. My hands trembled as I ripped it open--and there they were: glorious...
Where?
10
Paul Hein 2013-12-27 09:10
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I haven’t taken a poll, but if I did, I’m certain I’d find that most Americans would claim that they were free. Many would claim that they were living in the “freest” country in the world. To some extent, they’d be right. For example: I can take a walk after lunch, or a nap, if I prefer. I can go shopping when I please,...
Sauce for the Goose
0
Paul Hein 2013-12-09 09:44
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR A bunch of us old-timers get together around once a month for lunch. We’re too ancient to regale one another with stories about our children; that’s old hat. What we talk about mostly is politics, since, at our age, there’s so much politicking involving us ancients. At one of our meetings, someone pointed out that the Missouri Constitution...
Respect for the Law
8.5
Paul Hein 2013-02-15 09:02
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR If you have any--that is, respect for the law--you ought to reconsider. We are controlled, after all, by psychology, and the “law” is a key player in the ploy. There is a division of the company called the State that writes down, solemnly, the desires of the company, and calls the finished product The Law. We are supposed to take this law very...
Titles of Nobility
10
Paul Hein 2013-02-06 08:48
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR A question frequently asked, and one which has often troubled me, goes like this: the state is corrupt, rights are ignored or denied; justice cannot be found. But what can I do about it? As I’ve said before, the state will collapse of its own weight eventually, so, in that sense, we need do nothing. The likelihood, however, is that another state,...
Much Ado About Nothing
9.8
Paul Hein 2013-01-25 07:56
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR My wife likes to watch political discussions on TV, and from time to time, for as long as I can stand it, I’ll join her. I am invariably puzzled and saddened by the vehemence exhibited by some of the commentators. Voices are raised, speakers are interrupted, and tempers flare. Why? These are all people with, I assume, some level of education and...
A Robber By Any Other Name
9.33333
Paul Hein 2012-12-18 08:40
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR From time to time I receive in the mail demands from strangers for money, often a rather large amount of money. The people making these demands may have impressive titles, such as Revenue Director, or Collector of Revenue, but the writer is often anonymous, although on an impressive letterhead that, presumably, is sufficient to convince you to send the money...
All Men Are Equal, BUT!!
10
Paul Hein 2012-12-07 06:52
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The animals had overthrown their human masters, and taken control of the farm. Nirvana! The pigs--intelligent, natural leaders, proclaimed “All animals are equal.” What a noble concept! How believable--especially by those who wanted to believe it. Eventually, however, the natural leadership qualities of the pigs led them to proclaim that “...
A Desirable Quality--in Sheep
10
Paul Hein 2012-11-27 09:16
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Along with thousands of other St. Louis Countians, I recently received in the mail a document entitled “St. Louis County Missouri Real Property Tax Bill.” It was anonymous, but presumably from the “Collector of Revenue.” He—or she--demands thousands of dollars. Of all the taxes with which we are burdened, the property tax may be...
Here and There: Everywhere
10
Paul Hein 2012-11-19 08:20
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Jurisdiction! What a wonderful word! It’s easy to see why it is used so often by lawyers and judges; its meanings allow such broad interpretation--and application. For instance: my dictionary gives this as its first definition: “the power, right, or authority to interpret and apply the law.” The words “power,” “right,...
Swap, Don't Pay
10
Paul Hein 2012-11-12 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR One of the problems which our newly re-elected president will face is that of the national debt. Terms such as the “fiscal cliff” suggest that disaster awaits if a solution isn't found. It won’t be, and the cliff looms large. The fiscal cliff first began to take shape back in 1913, with the advent of the Federal Reserve Bank. That system...
The Little Issues
9
Paul Hein 2012-11-05 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Although I have little interest in politics--except as outstanding examples of the madness of crowds--there was no avoiding them during the final days of the 2012 electoral campaigns. There seem to be two predominant campaign types. There are the well-known negative campaign ads, in which candidate A points out the utterly baseless character, lack of...
A Couple of Fallacies
9
Paul Hein 2012-09-18 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Forgive me for repeating myself, for I have written about these matters before. However, my readership in those days, decades ago, varied between one and two, and today it must be at least ten times as large, and, as the economy crumbles, these ideas seem worth repeating.   First let’s consider the truly absurd statement: “There’s no...
Filled Buckets Get Emptied
0
Paul Hein 2012-08-24 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR  In April 1953, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was created. Its first secretary was Oveta Culp Hobby.  I’ve often wondered what Mrs. Hobby did during those first few days on the job. Did she bring her own insights and preferences to the agency? No, the agency didn’t exist prior to her appointment. Did she follow the...
Muddy Waters
10
Paul Hein 2012-08-14 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Obamacare matter stirred up interest in the subject of federal taxation, and just what the government can, or cannot, tax. This, I gather, was because of the expectation--not to be realized--that the Court, if it ruled Obamacare constitutional at all, would do so on the basis of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution....
Trade Deficit: Hooray!
10
Paul Hein 2012-07-31 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR With an election looming, our politicians are wailing and bemoaning the economic crisis, which, given their policies and legislation during the past century, was inevitable and predictable. They express grave concern over the balance of payments and trade deficits, among other things.   If you do any research at all on those subjects, you will be...
A Heartening Discovery
10
Paul Hein 2012-07-06 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Decades ago I heard a speaker say that, in any dispute with authorities about an alleged violation of a law, the important thing was to read the law, word for word. The implication was that those citing the law might not know what the law actually said.   I put that theory to the test years ago when the local city rulers cited me for having “weeds...
Robbing Peter to Pay Pablo
10
Paul Hein 2012-06-25 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I like to go out to eat. Three or four times a month my wife and I--usually on the spur of the moment--will decide to go out to lunch at a neighborhood restaurant. We are lucky to have several quite close to home that serve excellent food.   It’s not only the food that I enjoy. I marvel at the snippets of conversation I overhear from other diners....
A Different Perspective
7.5
Paul Hein 2012-06-14 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I recently watched a video clip of a TV commentator remarking about random shootings, in Tucson, as I recall. He said that the shootings presented three elements for our consideration. The first one, he said, was the fact of mental illness, and the need for better treatment of the mentally ill. He then, perhaps predictably, questioned whether gun ownership or...
Being Rich--Even a Little Bit
9
Paul Hein 2012-06-05 00:00
Column by Paul Hein   Exclusive to STR   I’ve said this before, with the usual worldwide repercussions that greet all of my pronouncements. I’m going to say it again, so prepare yourself. I do not want to frighten, alarm, or shock anyone, but there are some things that simply must be said, so here goes: THERE ARE ADVANTAGES TO BEING RICH!! I’ll go even further: There...
The Armored Cars
10
Paul Hein 2012-05-21 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Decades ago, seated at my desk, writing checks, the thought came, unbidden and unexpected, into my mind: Where are all the armored cars?   I was, at that moment, probably only one of thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of individuals writing checks. By means of those written instruments, money was being transferred from one bank to...
Theft by Any Other Name Is Still Theft!
9
Paul Hein 2012-05-04 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   You encounter an ominous character on the street who stops you, points his finger at you and declares that he wants your money—all of it---and he wants it now, and you’d better give it to him, or face the consequences.   You reach into your pocket, but instead of pulling forth your wallet, pull forth your .38 caliber automatic...
Shadow Boxing
10
Paul Hein 2012-04-17 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR It takes two to tango. Who could deny it? Have you ever seen anyone dancing the tango, or the fox trot, or the waltz, by himself?   Would you buy a ticket to a fight if the fighter entered the ring and boxed or wrestled with himself?   And yet there are instances of fights against nobody: the War on Poverty is an excellent example. Poverty seems to...
Who Owns What?
9.75
Paul Hein 2012-03-28 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Are you the owner of some property? For many of us, the answer would be, “Of course. I own a home, and a car.” Maybe, for some, an additional home, and several cars, plus a boat. But whatever it is, it’s yours, and you own it, right? You even have impressive documents like “Title,” or “Deed.”   It is interesting...
The Free Lunch
10
Paul Hein 2012-03-21 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR  If you watch political commentators on television, you won’t have to watch very long before the subject of the national debt is introduced. That, in itself, is interesting, because the national debt has been around for a very long time indeed. Evidently it has reached such proportions today that it cannot be ignored, and the pundits are wringing...
Psychology Rules Again!
9.25
Paul Hein 2012-03-09 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Readers of STR are no doubt familiar with George Washington’s characterization of government as force, not reason. (Has any president since ever acknowledged that?) In our time, we can find plenty of examples of government achieving its goals with violence, and I’m thinking not only of the federal government, but even local government. Just search...
A Modest Proposal
10
Paul Hein 2012-02-23 01:00
Column by Paul Hein.  Exclusive to STR  Once again the earth’s alignment with the sun is becoming such that assorted natural—and some quite unnatural--phenomena can be expected.   In the unnatural group is the appearance, like dandelions in the lawn, of assorted individuals and firms offering expert income tax preparation. This is so predictable, and has been happening...
An Enduring Institution, and Democracy!
0
Paul Hein 2012-02-08 01:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Some might jump to the conclusion that the world’s oldest enduring institution is prostitution, and they wouldn’t be far wrong. But in fact, the holder of the title is not prostitution, but slavery. Not only is it alive and well, but thriving.   We’ve dealt with the subject of slavery before, but what made me think of it...
I Can Do It; You Can't
8
Paul Hein 2012-01-30 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR President Obama was served with a subpoena to appear in an Atlanta court on January 26, to offer proof of his eligibility to be on the ballot in Georgia in the upcoming presidential election. Georgia law, as I understand it, requires that all candidates for federal office be qualified to hold the office to which they aspire.   Of course, Obama did not...
Stupidity Reigns
10
Paul Hein 2012-01-10 01:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Perhaps you saw the video clip of Bridget Brown, who is a “markets reporter” declaring that gold is not backed by anything, whereas the U.S. dollar is backed by the American government. She apparently considered this a shortcoming of the precious metal. The mind boggles.   The late Merrill Jenkins, the original Monetary Realist...
It's Magic!
0
Paul Hein 2012-01-03 01:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   I’ve always enjoyed magic. Magicians, especially those who trick us by sleight of hand, impress me with their skill. But until recently, I didn’t realize that there were two forms of magic. There is private, or voluntary, magic, and public, or compulsory, magic.   You know the private, voluntary kind. It’s generally done...
Of Dogs and Men
8.66667
Paul Hein 2011-12-14 01:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   We have two dogs. They are both miniature poodles, pure-bred, with papers (gosh!). What I am about to reveal now may make you despise me and my dogs, but at least give me credit for honesty: our dogs are defective. I cringe to admit it, but it’s true.   A poodle, I have learned from the appropriate authorities, may be any color (...
Bad News Is Good News
9
Paul Hein 2011-12-05 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The pretty TV newsperson was interviewing a doctor about the coming crisis in the funding of health care. It seems that physicians will be taking a 27% cut in reimbursements by Medicare, which will not, however, make a corresponding cut in their expenses. (Thank God I’m retired!) Can a doctor opt out of Medicare? Sure, but then he’s not...
Lemmings and Pied Pipers
10
Paul Hein 2011-11-16 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Suppose, for a minute, that several of your neighbors came to your door and presented you with a paper on which they had written, in quite formal language, their intent to build a playground for neighborhood children, and that this enterprise was to be funded by a “contribution” from you, among others. “No thanks,” you tell them....
The Oldest Institution
9.85714
Paul Hein 2011-09-29 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   No, I’m not referring to the oldest occupation--assuming it IS the oldest. I am speaking of a social institution which must have begun when Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden, and which has flourished ever since. It is slavery.   In its most obvious and elemental form (which is the only way most people think of it), it consists of...
A Rose By Any Other Name Is Still Vegetation
8.5
Paul Hein 2011-09-01 00:00
Column by Paul Hein   Exclusive to STR   Suppose you hired a landscape architect, and asked him to submit a plan to beautify your yard. He would ask you what you had in mind. “Well, how about some vegetation?” He might smile at that, or frown; but he would want you to be more specific. “What vegetation would you like?” “You know, green plants, maybe...
Let's Get It Over With
0
Paul Hein 2011-08-23 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Last June, Missouri Congressman Todd Akin made a speech in which he said that liberalism involved “hatred of God.” Needless to say, the professionally touchy were inflamed, and the Congressman was quick to issue an apology. Some local pastors weren’t satisfied with that, however, and sought a face-to-face meeting with Akin at his office....
Extortion/Bribery
6.33333
Paul Hein 2011-06-29 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been convicted on 17 of 20 counts of extortion and other forms of corruption, centering mainly around his attempt to sell the senate seat of Barack Obama to the highest bidder. Shame on him. His behavior was typical of Illinois politicians, or even politicians in general. He should go to jail!  ...
Pay? How?
9.75
Paul Hein 2011-06-06 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   I can’t stand it any longer. For days--weeks, even--the chatter on the TV news has dealt, almost exclusively, with the debt “crisis.” Despite the thousands of words uttered about it, none have hit the mark. The problem, as any Monetary Realist could tell you, has little or nothing to do with the way money is spent, or saved, or...
Never Volunteer
5.5
Paul Hein 2011-05-11 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.  Exclusive to STR  In the spring of 2008, Senator Harry Reid gave an interview on television in which he stated that the income tax was voluntary. His remark caused quite a stir. Google “Harry Reid and voluntary income tax,” and see for yourself. His kindest critics thought him crazy, the less charitable used the word “idiot.” If the Senator...
The Camel's Nose
8.66667
Paul Hein 2011-04-04 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   In considering how one might overthrow the state government, I have decided the safest course is by baby-steps, so to speak. Attacking the requirement to re-new your auto license yearly is a good initial procedure. Not too controversial, and without dire consequences if unsuccessful.   Don’t be put off by the term “overthrow....
A Journey of a Thousand Miles
8
Paul Hein 2011-03-23 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Yes, it starts with a single step. That’s so obvious that it’s easily overlooked, but it’s worth considering when confronted with the realities of life today--especially if what you’re confronted with are the growing challenges to your life, liberty, and property.   In shaking off the rule of George III, the...
Keep the Home Fires Burning
9.66667
Paul Hein 2011-03-09 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   As the economy collapses, and civilization disintegrates, increasing numbers of people are becoming aware of the corrupt, vicious, and arrogantly stupid nature of government—especially the federal government--and its role in the dissolution.   But wait! Do we really want to believe that government is the problem? Keep in mind...
The Money Ceiling
5
Paul Hein 2011-02-21 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   4th place in the "Odious Debt" essay contest   Coincident with the swearing in of the newly elected Congressmen is the impending end of the present debt ceiling. It is a topic of much discussion, with various pundits weighing in with this or that recommendation. Universally, they deplore the necessity of raising the ceiling, but...
Psychology Rules!
9
Paul Hein 2011-02-03 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   By coincidence, I recently watched two television programs in the same evening that, upon reflection, said a great deal about society. One was a documentary about the President’s airplane, “On Board Air Force One.” I had seen it before, but it seemed worth a second look.   The other was “Downton Abbey,” a sort...
Ah, Sweet Mystery of...Taxation
10
Paul Hein 2011-01-24 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Does anyone really understand taxation? For that matter, does anyone really understand anything?   Well, of course, there are many people who understand--really know the truth about--many things. Still, it seems that, regarding taxes, there is a degree of ignorance that surpasses that of the general level of ignorance!   If, for...
Rights--and Wrongs
10
Paul Hein 2011-01-10 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.  Exclusive to STR  In a letter written in 1816 to Francis Gilmer, Thomas Jefferson set forth his idea of a proper government:   Our legislators are not sufficiently apprized of the rightful limits of their power; that their true office is to declare and enforce only our natural rights . . . and to take none of them from us. No man has a natural right to commit...
Some Christmas Reflections for Our Rulers
10
Paul Hein 2010-12-23 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Dear Missouri Legislators, Administrators, Adjudicators, and various other employees:   Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! At this time of year, one’s thoughts turn toward giving, and it occurs to me that I have been remiss in expressing to you, my rulers, my appreciation of what you have given me, over these many years of my long...
Laughing Terrorists
10
Paul Hein 2010-12-15 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Do terrorists have a sense of humor? If not, perhaps that’s what makes them so terrible. But if they do, how they must be laughing!   Their use of box-cutters on 9/11 resulted in heightened security for anything sharp--even such things as nail clippers and nail files. Not surprising, of course, although slightly ridiculous. It did...
All-Purpose Platitudes
9.75
Paul Hein 2010-12-02 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   During the pre-election propagandizing, I heard enough platitudes to last me a lifetime, but it hasn’t ceased with the cessation of voting. Now the president, seeking to make the best of a bad (for him) situation, is giving us still more, but they’re the old familiar, tried-and-true blatherskite we’ve come to know and despise...
The Housing Froth
0
Paul Hein 2010-11-17 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Complacency about the egregious defects in our monetary system continues to mystify me. If you bought an expensive watch that gained an hour each day, would you shrug it off because the minutes advanced every time the seconds reached 60? Or if you wore a size nine shoe, and bought a new pair plainly and clearly marked “nine” that...
Walks and Talks
8.33333
Paul Hein 2010-11-08 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   I enjoy taking the dog for a walk, although he probably enjoys it more. These Fall mornings the fresh air is bracing, and the chance to be alone with my thoughts is welcome.  I’ll even grudgingly admit that the exercise might be beneficial, although I’m not convinced of that. It’s meeting other walkers that pleases me most...
It Never Stops!
9.14286
Paul Hein 2010-10-28 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   As a younger man, I had plenty of patients, but little patience; and my meager supply is diminishing with age.   Elections are particularly annoying, with the same inane platitudes voiced over and over again, until I wonder how the public, even as numbed and dumbed as it is, can stand it.   There is, for example, the incessant...
Just Say No!
10
Paul Hein 2010-10-19 03:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR   It is interesting to read what St. Augustine had to say about what we now call government: A gang is a group of men under the command of a leader, bound by a compact of association, in which the plunder is divided according to an agreed convention. If this villainy wins so many recruits from the ranks of the demoralized that it acquires...
Going Down With the Ship
9.5
Paul Hein 2010-10-05 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   In 1939, a movie entitled “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” made its debut, to critical acclaim. It was the story of an idealistic young man who went to Washington to fight corruption and cronyism.   One of the first things our young Congressman did, however, was to propose a government purchase of some land in his own state, for a...
The Emperor's Clothes
8.33333
Paul Hein 2010-09-09 03:00
By Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Having, by sheer good fortune, escaped any formal training in economics, I often feel like the little boy who observed that the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes. “Shush,” I’m told. “You don’t know anything about it. It’s too complicated for you to understand.”   Well, maybe so. Despite that,...
Public vs. Private
10
Paul Hein 2010-07-19 03:00
By Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR     The two terms have always confused me. In general, public means the people considered as a whole, the populace, the citizenry, etc. Private, on the other hand, refers to particular individuals. So public ownership means ownership by everyone, which is a bewildering concept, to say the least. Private ownership, on the other hand, is...
Where Have They Been?
8.5
Paul Hein 2010-06-15 03:00
By Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR     It would be difficult to watch television news for more than five minutes without some mention of the debt “crisis.” Economists are interviewed, and express deep concern about the fact that Uncle Sam is printing money at an unprecedented rate. And, yes, they are very worried about this mountain of debt, and how it can be paid....
Monetized Debt
8.66667
Paul Hein 2010-06-14 03:00
Exclusive to STR   The TV anchor--anchorette?--was interviewing her financial guru, who had just pointed out that the rapid growth of debt, if graphed, would be a virtually vertical line. Nothing like it had ever happened before in American history--at least not in living memory.   “How did we get in this mess?” anchorette asked. “How are we ever going to pay this debt...
Economics for Dummies
8.125
Paul Hein 2010-03-15 03:00
Exclusive to STR I don’t want to deceive you: I am not going to present a sort of Economics 101 for the benefit of the economically illiterate. In fact, I am myself among that number, never having studied economics. What I am suggesting is that, in the current financial crisis, economics is, in my opinion, somewhat irrelevant. It may be dumb to think that there is an economic solution to...
The Revolution Might Begin WHERE?
0
Paul Hein 2009-12-13 17:00
Exclusive to STR Valley Park . That's Valley Park , Missouri . It's a little town of about 6,500 souls, located only a few miles from where I'm typing these words, in St. Louis County . I've been there many times, and never expected to find it in national news. What made it--briefly--newsworthy is a law passed by the Valley Park government. Yes, like every hamlet, village, town, city, or...
A Non-Lawyer Looks at the Law
0
Paul Hein 2009-12-03 17:00
Exclusive to STR I can safely assume you will not recoil in astonishment if I tell you I have not read all 2,000 pages of the latest health care bill. Like you, I know only what I've heard and seen in the media, and on the Internet. For instance, I understand that firms will be required by the proposed law to provide health insurance for their employees, and individuals who decide not to purchase...
The Irrelevance of Government
0
Paul Hein 2009-11-05 17:00
Exclusive to STR It is amusing to listen to our rulers arguing for, or against, the administration's 'health care' scheme. (I put health care in quotation marks because the plan has nothing to do with health care, which existed LONG before politicians became involved with it. It has to do with taxation and regulation, i.e., government!) We are solemnly warned, by the proponents of the plan, that...
Disunited We Stand
0
Paul Hein 2009-10-26 17:00
Exclusive to STR The radio was playing in the background, but when I heard the words ' Middle East peace process,' it got my attention. Evidently something had happened in that part of the world that might endanger the 'peace process,' or something to that effect. It was that two-word phrase that set me thinking: how long has this 'process' been ongoing? I don't know, exactly, but certainly a...
Legitimacy
0
Paul Hein 2009-09-07 16:00
Exclusive to STR There are, I suspect, many people who confuse America --this beautiful and bounteous land with which we are blessed--with the United States , that corporation calling itself the government, which owns and operates it through its front men, those windbags in Washington . That's a shame, because one's natural love for the country rubs off on the United States, so to speak, tending...
What Took So Long?
8
Paul Hein 2009-08-23 16:00
Exclusive to STR The public reaction to President Obama's health care program is at the same time pleasing, disappointing, and puzzling. But before we get into that, let's clear up something: Health is a right. It's something inherent in your very life, and no one can intentionally deprive you of it without seriously wronging you. But health care is no such thing. Care, of any kind, is provided...
What's What?
0
Paul Hein 2009-04-12 16:00
Exclusive to STR April 13, 2009
The Source
0
Paul Hein 2009-02-03 17:00
Exclusive to STR February 4, 2009
Even Steven
0
Paul Hein 2008-07-29 16:00
Exclusive to STR July 30, 2008 As the economy predictably crumbles, bankruptcies and business closings will increase, and businesses and individuals will find themselves in financial straits, with little hope of economic salvation. Many families are in danger of losing their homes, and there seems little, short of a miracle, that can be done about it. It seems to me that this isn't necessary,...
NoFly Takes Off!
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Paul Hein 2003-02-23 17:00
The headlines are grim: At American Airline's St. Louis hub, departing flights are down from 361 to 226. Fliers have 58 destinations to choose from, compared to 82 in 2000. One hundred and thirty four big jets serve the city, down from 193. As you read these headlines, you undoubtedly remember my thoughtful presentation of a solution to the economic plight of the airlines a couple of years ago:...
Just Say No!
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Paul Hein 2010-10-19 03:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR   It is interesting to read what St. Augustine had to say about what we now call government: A gang is a group of men under the command of a leader, bound by a compact of association, in which the plunder is divided according to an agreed convention. If this villainy wins so many recruits from the ranks of the demoralized that it acquires...
Shadow Boxing
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Paul Hein 2012-04-17 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR It takes two to tango. Who could deny it? Have you ever seen anyone dancing the tango, or the fox trot, or the waltz, by himself?   Would you buy a ticket to a fight if the fighter entered the ring and boxed or wrestled with himself?   And yet there are instances of fights against nobody: the War on Poverty is an excellent example. Poverty seems to...
A Heartening Discovery
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Paul Hein 2012-07-06 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Decades ago I heard a speaker say that, in any dispute with authorities about an alleged violation of a law, the important thing was to read the law, word for word. The implication was that those citing the law might not know what the law actually said.   I put that theory to the test years ago when the local city rulers cited me for having “weeds...
Public vs. Private
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Paul Hein 2010-07-19 03:00
By Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR     The two terms have always confused me. In general, public means the people considered as a whole, the populace, the citizenry, etc. Private, on the other hand, refers to particular individuals. So public ownership means ownership by everyone, which is a bewildering concept, to say the least. Private ownership, on the other hand, is...
Laughing Terrorists
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Paul Hein 2010-12-15 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Do terrorists have a sense of humor? If not, perhaps that’s what makes them so terrible. But if they do, how they must be laughing!   Their use of box-cutters on 9/11 resulted in heightened security for anything sharp--even such things as nail clippers and nail files. Not surprising, of course, although slightly ridiculous. It did...
Some Christmas Reflections for Our Rulers
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Paul Hein 2010-12-23 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Dear Missouri Legislators, Administrators, Adjudicators, and various other employees:   Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! At this time of year, one’s thoughts turn toward giving, and it occurs to me that I have been remiss in expressing to you, my rulers, my appreciation of what you have given me, over these many years of my long...
Rights--and Wrongs
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Paul Hein 2011-01-10 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.  Exclusive to STR  In a letter written in 1816 to Francis Gilmer, Thomas Jefferson set forth his idea of a proper government:   Our legislators are not sufficiently apprized of the rightful limits of their power; that their true office is to declare and enforce only our natural rights . . . and to take none of them from us. No man has a natural right to commit...
Ah, Sweet Mystery of...Taxation
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Paul Hein 2011-01-24 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Does anyone really understand taxation? For that matter, does anyone really understand anything?   Well, of course, there are many people who understand--really know the truth about--many things. Still, it seems that, regarding taxes, there is a degree of ignorance that surpasses that of the general level of ignorance!   If, for...
Lemmings and Pied Pipers
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Paul Hein 2011-11-16 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Suppose, for a minute, that several of your neighbors came to your door and presented you with a paper on which they had written, in quite formal language, their intent to build a playground for neighborhood children, and that this enterprise was to be funded by a “contribution” from you, among others. “No thanks,” you tell them....
Stupidity Reigns
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Paul Hein 2012-01-10 01:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Perhaps you saw the video clip of Bridget Brown, who is a “markets reporter” declaring that gold is not backed by anything, whereas the U.S. dollar is backed by the American government. She apparently considered this a shortcoming of the precious metal. The mind boggles.   The late Merrill Jenkins, the original Monetary Realist...
A Modest Proposal
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Paul Hein 2012-02-23 01:00
Column by Paul Hein.  Exclusive to STR  Once again the earth’s alignment with the sun is becoming such that assorted natural—and some quite unnatural--phenomena can be expected.   In the unnatural group is the appearance, like dandelions in the lawn, of assorted individuals and firms offering expert income tax preparation. This is so predictable, and has been happening...
The Free Lunch
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Paul Hein 2012-03-21 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR  If you watch political commentators on television, you won’t have to watch very long before the subject of the national debt is introduced. That, in itself, is interesting, because the national debt has been around for a very long time indeed. Evidently it has reached such proportions today that it cannot be ignored, and the pundits are wringing...
The Armored Cars
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Paul Hein 2012-05-21 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Decades ago, seated at my desk, writing checks, the thought came, unbidden and unexpected, into my mind: Where are all the armored cars?   I was, at that moment, probably only one of thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of individuals writing checks. By means of those written instruments, money was being transferred from one bank to...
Robbing Peter to Pay Pablo
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Paul Hein 2012-06-25 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I like to go out to eat. Three or four times a month my wife and I--usually on the spur of the moment--will decide to go out to lunch at a neighborhood restaurant. We are lucky to have several quite close to home that serve excellent food.   It’s not only the food that I enjoy. I marvel at the snippets of conversation I overhear from other diners....
Trade Deficit: Hooray!
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Paul Hein 2012-07-31 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR With an election looming, our politicians are wailing and bemoaning the economic crisis, which, given their policies and legislation during the past century, was inevitable and predictable. They express grave concern over the balance of payments and trade deficits, among other things.   If you do any research at all on those subjects, you will be...
Muddy Waters
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Paul Hein 2012-08-14 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Obamacare matter stirred up interest in the subject of federal taxation, and just what the government can, or cannot, tax. This, I gather, was because of the expectation--not to be realized--that the Court, if it ruled Obamacare constitutional at all, would do so on the basis of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution....
Swap, Don't Pay
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Paul Hein 2012-11-12 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR One of the problems which our newly re-elected president will face is that of the national debt. Terms such as the “fiscal cliff” suggest that disaster awaits if a solution isn't found. It won’t be, and the cliff looms large. The fiscal cliff first began to take shape back in 1913, with the advent of the Federal Reserve Bank. That system...
Here and There: Everywhere
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Paul Hein 2012-11-19 08:20
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Jurisdiction! What a wonderful word! It’s easy to see why it is used so often by lawyers and judges; its meanings allow such broad interpretation--and application. For instance: my dictionary gives this as its first definition: “the power, right, or authority to interpret and apply the law.” The words “power,” “right,...
A Desirable Quality--in Sheep
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Paul Hein 2012-11-27 09:16
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Along with thousands of other St. Louis Countians, I recently received in the mail a document entitled “St. Louis County Missouri Real Property Tax Bill.” It was anonymous, but presumably from the “Collector of Revenue.” He—or she--demands thousands of dollars. Of all the taxes with which we are burdened, the property tax may be...
All Men Are Equal, BUT!!
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Paul Hein 2012-12-07 06:52
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The animals had overthrown their human masters, and taken control of the farm. Nirvana! The pigs--intelligent, natural leaders, proclaimed “All animals are equal.” What a noble concept! How believable--especially by those who wanted to believe it. Eventually, however, the natural leadership qualities of the pigs led them to proclaim that “...
Titles of Nobility
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Paul Hein 2013-02-06 08:48
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR A question frequently asked, and one which has often troubled me, goes like this: the state is corrupt, rights are ignored or denied; justice cannot be found. But what can I do about it? As I’ve said before, the state will collapse of its own weight eventually, so, in that sense, we need do nothing. The likelihood, however, is that another state,...
Where?
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Paul Hein 2013-12-27 09:10
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I haven’t taken a poll, but if I did, I’m certain I’d find that most Americans would claim that they were free. Many would claim that they were living in the “freest” country in the world. To some extent, they’d be right. For example: I can take a walk after lunch, or a nap, if I prefer. I can go shopping when I please,...
Statuses: Who Assigns Them?
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Paul Hein 2014-01-14 09:25
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR We all acquire numerous statuses as we move through life. Some of them are natural, like the status of white male, or mother. They simply reflect who we are by our nature; they are built-ins, so to speak. Others are the result of choices. I may acquire the status of pilot, for example, or Kiwanian. These statuses are chosen, and can be abandoned, renounced,...
The Rules
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Paul Hein 2014-02-06 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR It’s a familiar aphorism: You’ve got to play by the rules. There’s no picking up the puck and running with it; no using a tennis racket in handball. Golfers are not to use baseball bats. And there are penalties for violations. It’s not only sports, of course. If you’re a Rotarian, you’re expected to observe the by-laws of...
A Minor Office
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Paul Hein 2014-02-19 09:08
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The advertisement headline read: “President increases amount seniors can get from reverse mortgages.” Imagine the astonishment that the Founding Fathers would experience if they could read that! “What in the world does the president have to do with mortgages, whether forward, reverse, or sideways?” They would be flabbergasted to hear...
Home of the Slave, Land of the Fee
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Paul Hein 2014-03-06 09:10
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR My Fourth Edition of Black’s Law dictionary defines “slave” thusly: “a person who is wholly subject to the will of another.” The phrase “will of another” sounded familiar. I checked the same dictionary for “statute,” and found it defined as the “written will of the legislature.” You might come...
What's Mine Is Yours--If You Say So
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Paul Hein 2014-03-18 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Reading the newspaper this morning, I got the impression that the purpose of the paper is to obscure, rather than present, the news. The front page headline, for instance, was a piece about a local hockey player, and his rise to fame. Succeeding pages concerned local school board problems, and other such trivia. Not until page seven was there any information...
A Remarkable Document
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Paul Hein 2014-04-02 08:45
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR From time to time, we hear our rulers refer to the Constitution, in such solemn tones and with such serious demeanor that we might think they took it seriously. For example, some of them have expressed outrage that the NSA should violate the people’s right to privacy. Good for them; it IS an outrage. Some of the rulers are indignant that the...
The National Non-Debt
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Paul Hein 2014-04-28 07:22
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Let’s look at a familiar aphorism: If a tree falls in the forest, and no one hears it, does it make a noise? Now let’s modify it: If an obligation is settled with an IOU, which is never to be paid, is there a debt? In the first instance, we are asked whether there is a sound if no one hears it. In the second, if there is a debt if no one pays it...
Small Things
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Paul Hein 2014-07-08 08:14
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The small things in life are sometimes enclosed in ritual. There’s nothing wrong with this per se; it often adds an appropriate appreciation to the simple thing being done--as, for instance, being married. The accompanying ceremony may give the couple an awareness of the importance and significance of what they are doing. Sometimes it can be amusing....
Economics for Dummies
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Paul Hein 2014-07-31 08:06
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I don’t want to deceive you: I am not going to present a sort of Economics 101 for the benefit of the economically illiterate. In fact, I am myself among that number, never having studied economics. What I am suggesting is that, in the current financial crisis, economics may be, in my opinion, somewhat irrelevant. It may be foolish to think that there...
Who?
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Paul Hein 2014-09-23 08:38
Column by Paul Hein.  Exclusive to STR Hillary is being coy about declaring her ambition to be president, and the first female Ruler of the World. While she dithers about the announcement, let me make mine: Once again I declare my candidacy for the presidency. You may recall that the last time I garnered 15 votes; this time I hope to get at least twice as many. The usual question is raised...
'Tis Folly to Be Wise
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Paul Hein 2015-01-13 09:52
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The old saw doesn’t say it’s blissful to be ignorant, or even that it’s folly to be wise, but rather, that IF ignorance is bliss, then wisdom becomes folly. That makes a lot more sense. We saw this axiom in action in a recent presidential campaign. The only candidate whose opinions reflected wisdom was Ron Paul, and the establishment—...
Sooner Or Later
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Paul Hein 2015-07-10 07:49
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }We are living in a world in which the absurd is accepted, the foolish is ignored, and just plain evil is tolerated. Eventually, I expect, things will get so bad that what is accepted, ignored, or tolerated will no longer enjoy that status. Enough will be enough. These thoughts were triggered by an article in a newspaper detailing...
Yes or No?
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Paul Hein 2015-09-16 07:53
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There can be good reasons for not answering questions. If you are being questioned by the police, for example, prudence would dictate that you remain silent. Or perhaps you do not know the correct answer to a question, and would prefer not to guess and subsequently be proven wrong. But you might also decline to answer if your answer could put you in an...
Jackass Abiding
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Paul Hein 2016-01-20 09:48
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR If you were to ask people on the street, “Are you law-abiding?” the vast majority would say, some with evident pride and self-righteousness, “You bet I am!” A smaller percentage would say, after some hesitation, “Sure, I guess I am,” and a very few might grimace and say, “Only when I have to be!” Thank God for...
THE Question
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Paul Hein 2016-02-10 09:14
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The Missouri Department of Revenue, like most modern businesses, publishes a website, on which it provides answers to commonly asked questions, of which there are a great many. Typically, they deal with rather narrow, technical issues. For instance: How do I file a request for a refund for a decedent? Or: How do I claim gambling losses on my Missouri tax...
Funny Non-Money
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Paul Hein 2016-04-01 07:41
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There is the possibility, as pointed out by writers on subjects financial, that the government, which is in debt up to, and beyond, its ears, might seize the retirement funds of its subjects. By this means, we are told, our Rulers might reduce their debt by paying off at least part of it with the stolen--er, taxed--funds. In truth, in seizing its subjects...
What's a Public Purpose?
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Paul Hein 2016-04-21 08:08
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The next time you’re in Missouri, go to the penitentiary in Jefferson City. As a visitor, of course: a tourist. The penitentiary is now retired from active duty, and its conscriptees confined to a newer facility some distance away. But the original building, grim and grey, is open for tours. I’ve toured Alcatraz, which held about 500 prisoners at...
Backing Bunk
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Paul Hein 2016-10-26 08:03
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR A monetary system that has replaced money with non-redeemable notes that can only enter circulation as a loan is doomed to collapse, and many have warned of that fate regarding our own system of ever-growing debt. Our situation is not unique, however. Governments all over the world have realized the advantage--temporary, of course, of issuing IOUs--never to...
The Senator and Democracy
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Paul Hein 2017-03-21 08:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Our political system is based upon democracy, as we are frequently told. Democracy is such a good thing that our Rulers would like the whole world to enjoy it, even if it means introducing it and maintaining it by force, as seems to be happening in the Middle East, for example. Yes, people may be dying and cities destroyed, but in the long run, democracy is...
Conscription
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Paul Hein 2017-08-29 08:06
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR From time to time our Rulers, and the individuals and firms with whom they have a close financial relationship, find it necessary to threaten, or even employ, force to protect their interests and further their objectives. If the situation warrants it, they are willing to fight. Their importance precludes their doing the actual fighting themselves, but they...
When Will It End?
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Paul Hein 2018-02-23 10:32
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The public schools are dangerous places. I’ve lost count of the number of shootings in those schools, and the number of students killed or injured. It reminds me of space exploration. We were glued to our TV sets when the first Americans went into space, even if only for a suborbital trip. After a while, the fascination waned. Do you remember the most...
Government Types
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Paul Hein 2018-05-30 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Several decades ago I joined an organization of my fellow physicians called, appropriately, Iatros. It was an ideal group, having neither meetings, dues, nor by-laws. We were simply individuals with a common concern for the growing role of government in medical care, or, more specifically, medical financing. There was a monthly newsletter carrying articles by...
An Important Distinction
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Paul Hein 2018-06-08 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Governments are established by people who, obviously, do so for their own betterment. Specifically, the government is to protect the rights of its founders. A laudable idea, without doubt. A problem arises when the people who actually constitute the government realize that they have power, and power, it must be admitted, corrupts. The result, as we see today...
Nothing Ado About Much
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Paul Hein 2018-11-26 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR In November we will have an election which the pundits assure us will be a monumental one. It will determine the future of America: the land of the free and the home of the brave, or the brave New World Order of free everything for everybody. The stakes, we are warned, are very high. The candidates have been assailing us with their ads since August, if not...
The Oldest Institution
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Paul Hein 2011-09-29 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   No, I’m not referring to the oldest occupation--assuming it IS the oldest. I am speaking of a social institution which must have begun when Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden, and which has flourished ever since. It is slavery.   In its most obvious and elemental form (which is the only way most people think of it), it consists of...
Much Ado About Nothing
9.8
Paul Hein 2013-01-25 07:56
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR My wife likes to watch political discussions on TV, and from time to time, for as long as I can stand it, I’ll join her. I am invariably puzzled and saddened by the vehemence exhibited by some of the commentators. Voices are raised, speakers are interrupted, and tempers flare. Why? These are all people with, I assume, some level of education and...
All-Purpose Platitudes
9.75
Paul Hein 2010-12-02 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   During the pre-election propagandizing, I heard enough platitudes to last me a lifetime, but it hasn’t ceased with the cessation of voting. Now the president, seeking to make the best of a bad (for him) situation, is giving us still more, but they’re the old familiar, tried-and-true blatherskite we’ve come to know and despise...
Pay? How?
9.75
Paul Hein 2011-06-06 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   I can’t stand it any longer. For days--weeks, even--the chatter on the TV news has dealt, almost exclusively, with the debt “crisis.” Despite the thousands of words uttered about it, none have hit the mark. The problem, as any Monetary Realist could tell you, has little or nothing to do with the way money is spent, or saved, or...
Who Owns What?
9.75
Paul Hein 2012-03-28 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Are you the owner of some property? For many of us, the answer would be, “Of course. I own a home, and a car.” Maybe, for some, an additional home, and several cars, plus a boat. But whatever it is, it’s yours, and you own it, right? You even have impressive documents like “Title,” or “Deed.”   It is interesting...
Keep the Home Fires Burning
9.66667
Paul Hein 2011-03-09 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   As the economy collapses, and civilization disintegrates, increasing numbers of people are becoming aware of the corrupt, vicious, and arrogantly stupid nature of government—especially the federal government--and its role in the dissolution.   But wait! Do we really want to believe that government is the problem? Keep in mind...
The Irrelevance of Government
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Paul Hein 2014-05-13 08:17
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Today has been, so far, like many others. My wife and I rose early and had breakfast. We went to Mass at 8:30--we’re old-fashioned Catholics--and then came home to a few chores around the house: unloading the dishwasher, changing the bed, vacuuming, sweeping leaves out of the garage, and other such mundane chores. We’ll have lunch in another hour...
Volunteer--Or Else!
9.66667
Paul Hein 2015-05-27 08:07
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The waiter informs you that there is a special, off-menu item available. “Today we have a special: blackened snapper with a mango chutney, served on a bed of wild rice.” It sounds good, but you have your heart set on a meat entree. So you tell him, “Sounds good all right, but I think I’ll have the one-inch thick pork chops, with green...
Going Down With the Ship
9.5
Paul Hein 2010-10-05 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   In 1939, a movie entitled “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” made its debut, to critical acclaim. It was the story of an idealistic young man who went to Washington to fight corruption and cronyism.   One of the first things our young Congressman did, however, was to propose a government purchase of some land in his own state, for a...
Laws, or Men?
9.5
Paul Hein 2015-08-19 08:20
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Many years ago I read a book entitled, if memory serves, A Nation of Laws, Not Men. I wasn’t sure what was meant by that title until I read a few chapters. The author, a noted lawyer, gave example after example of politicians acting in their own best interests, or those of their cronies, to the detriment of the public at large, and with no regard for...
The Wonder of Words
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Paul Hein 2018-04-13 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Increasing numbers of Americans are becoming aware that things are not as they should be in America. It is not the country of our fathers, and certainly not of our grandfathers. This is particularly true where it is most intensely felt: the economy. A recent survey reveals that 57% of Americans have only about $1,000 in a savings account, and 39% have no...
A Right To...
9.5
Paul Hein 2019-03-25 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There’s nothing new about the idea of socialism. In the first 20 years of the 20thCentury, socialist Eugene Debs ran five times for president on the Socialist ticket. He didn’t make it. Well, never mind. The old socialist slogans have been reworked, encompassing the trendy new “green” concept. Maybe that’s all that’s...
A Robber By Any Other Name
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Paul Hein 2012-12-18 08:40
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR From time to time I receive in the mail demands from strangers for money, often a rather large amount of money. The people making these demands may have impressive titles, such as Revenue Director, or Collector of Revenue, but the writer is often anonymous, although on an impressive letterhead that, presumably, is sufficient to convince you to send the money...
Psychology Rules Again!
9.25
Paul Hein 2012-03-09 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Readers of STR are no doubt familiar with George Washington’s characterization of government as force, not reason. (Has any president since ever acknowledged that?) In our time, we can find plenty of examples of government achieving its goals with violence, and I’m thinking not only of the federal government, but even local government. Just search...
Here's Looking at You, Kid
9.25
Paul Hein 2015-06-23 07:56
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The conversation around the lunch table got around, not surprisingly, to the NSA and its surveillance activities. Nobody liked it. It was Virgil who said what many were probably thinking: “I don’t like it either, but if you’re doing nothing wrong, what’s so bad about it?” There were nods of assent, and a few murmured “It...
It Never Stops!
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Paul Hein 2010-10-28 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   As a younger man, I had plenty of patients, but little patience; and my meager supply is diminishing with age.   Elections are particularly annoying, with the same inane platitudes voiced over and over again, until I wonder how the public, even as numbed and dumbed as it is, can stand it.   There is, for example, the incessant...
Psychology Rules!
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Paul Hein 2011-02-03 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   By coincidence, I recently watched two television programs in the same evening that, upon reflection, said a great deal about society. One was a documentary about the President’s airplane, “On Board Air Force One.” I had seen it before, but it seemed worth a second look.   The other was “Downton Abbey,” a sort...
Bad News Is Good News
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Paul Hein 2011-12-05 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The pretty TV newsperson was interviewing a doctor about the coming crisis in the funding of health care. It seems that physicians will be taking a 27% cut in reimbursements by Medicare, which will not, however, make a corresponding cut in their expenses. (Thank God I’m retired!) Can a doctor opt out of Medicare? Sure, but then he’s not...
Theft by Any Other Name Is Still Theft!
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Paul Hein 2012-05-04 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   You encounter an ominous character on the street who stops you, points his finger at you and declares that he wants your money—all of it---and he wants it now, and you’d better give it to him, or face the consequences.   You reach into your pocket, but instead of pulling forth your wallet, pull forth your .38 caliber automatic...
Being Rich--Even a Little Bit
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Paul Hein 2012-06-05 00:00
Column by Paul Hein   Exclusive to STR   I’ve said this before, with the usual worldwide repercussions that greet all of my pronouncements. I’m going to say it again, so prepare yourself. I do not want to frighten, alarm, or shock anyone, but there are some things that simply must be said, so here goes: THERE ARE ADVANTAGES TO BEING RICH!! I’ll go even further: There...
A Couple of Fallacies
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Paul Hein 2012-09-18 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Forgive me for repeating myself, for I have written about these matters before. However, my readership in those days, decades ago, varied between one and two, and today it must be at least ten times as large, and, as the economy crumbles, these ideas seem worth repeating.   First let’s consider the truly absurd statement: “There’s no...
The Little Issues
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Paul Hein 2012-11-05 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Although I have little interest in politics--except as outstanding examples of the madness of crowds--there was no avoiding them during the final days of the 2012 electoral campaigns. There seem to be two predominant campaign types. There are the well-known negative campaign ads, in which candidate A points out the utterly baseless character, lack of...
The Name Game
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Paul Hein 2014-04-14 08:23
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR An interesting phenomenon: You receive a letter, signed by a group of people unknown to you, asking you to send them a large check, and implying that if you don’t, there could be unpleasant consequences. You laugh, and throw it away. Perhaps, if you’re sufficiently annoyed, you could send a copy to the authorities, asking that they put a halt to...
Malum Prohibitum, Ad Nauseum
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Paul Hein 2014-08-25 07:40
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR “I’ve got a tremendous idea,” you announce to your colleagues. “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone had health insurance?” “You bet,” they agree--at least most of them. “Well, let’s make everybody buy it. If some can’t afford it, we’ll subsidize it, somehow, and if they refuse, we’ll...
Who's On First--And Where Is It?
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Paul Hein 2014-10-03 08:01
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I am bemused at the concern shown about the problem of illegal aliens, but perhaps that can be attributed to the fact that I live hundreds of miles from the border. There seems to be some controversy about the role of the federal vs. state governments. I think this would be an ideal situation to employ the principle of subsidiarity, which states that problems...
Two Modest Suggestions
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Paul Hein 2014-10-15 08:31
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR A long time ago, in a different galaxy, I offered a suggestion for the relief of the financial problems of the airline industry. My advice went unheeded, and today we see the sorry mess that constitutes that industry today. I told you so! My idea, as I’m sure you remember, was to enhance the profitable aspects of airline operation, while reducing the...
Us, or U.S.?
9
Paul Hein 2015-04-06 07:39
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I was watching a television program recently dealing with the events leading up to World War II, but primarily concerned with the attacks by Japan upon China, and the presidential order establishing the American Volunteer Force to provide American pilots and aircraft to fight for the Chinese. The commentator remarked, “The U.S. realized that it could...
The Pros and the Con
9
Paul Hein 2015-04-27 07:48
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR You are notified by a group of strangers that you must send them a large amount (by ounce? gram?) of money. The request is reasonably polite, although there is, in small print, or hushed, mumbled tones, a promise of unpleasantness should you decline the request. Or perhaps you learn, by TV or newspaper, that henceforth you will be required to do something...
Jurisdiction
9
Paul Hein 2015-05-08 07:52
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR If I correctly remember my high school Latin, the word “jurisdiction” is from two Latin words, “dicere,” to say, and “juris,” of the law. So if you have jurisdiction, you can “speak” the law. What you say is the law. A synonym for jurisdiction is “authority,” referring to a creator, an author. What...
A Candle in the Darkness
9
Paul Hein 2016-03-03 08:32
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Those of us of a certain (old!!) age find it easy to be pessimistic about the future, and depressed by the present obvious disintegration of the America of our youth and young adulthood. Considering that garrulous gaggle of gangsters seeking the presidency is enough to ruin my day. The shrinking of the middle class--the productive class!!--convinces me that...
Men, Women and Automobiles
9
Paul Hein 2017-06-23 09:55
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR It comes as no surprise that “mater,” (Latin for mother) forms the root for “MATERnal.” But it also forms the root for “MATERial.” That’s significant, I think, suggesting that the woman’s world is the world of stuff, of things. Men, on the other hand, live in a land of ideas, abstractions, and dreams. How nicely...
Monetized Debt
8.66667
Paul Hein 2010-06-14 03:00
Exclusive to STR   The TV anchor--anchorette?--was interviewing her financial guru, who had just pointed out that the rapid growth of debt, if graphed, would be a virtually vertical line. Nothing like it had ever happened before in American history--at least not in living memory.   “How did we get in this mess?” anchorette asked. “How are we ever going to pay this debt...
The Camel's Nose
8.66667
Paul Hein 2011-04-04 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   In considering how one might overthrow the state government, I have decided the safest course is by baby-steps, so to speak. Attacking the requirement to re-new your auto license yearly is a good initial procedure. Not too controversial, and without dire consequences if unsuccessful.   Don’t be put off by the term “overthrow....
Of Dogs and Men
8.66667
Paul Hein 2011-12-14 01:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   We have two dogs. They are both miniature poodles, pure-bred, with papers (gosh!). What I am about to reveal now may make you despise me and my dogs, but at least give me credit for honesty: our dogs are defective. I cringe to admit it, but it’s true.   A poodle, I have learned from the appropriate authorities, may be any color (...
Where Have They Been?
8.5
Paul Hein 2010-06-15 03:00
By Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR     It would be difficult to watch television news for more than five minutes without some mention of the debt “crisis.” Economists are interviewed, and express deep concern about the fact that Uncle Sam is printing money at an unprecedented rate. And, yes, they are very worried about this mountain of debt, and how it can be paid....
A Rose By Any Other Name Is Still Vegetation
8.5
Paul Hein 2011-09-01 00:00
Column by Paul Hein   Exclusive to STR   Suppose you hired a landscape architect, and asked him to submit a plan to beautify your yard. He would ask you what you had in mind. “Well, how about some vegetation?” He might smile at that, or frown; but he would want you to be more specific. “What vegetation would you like?” “You know, green plants, maybe...
Respect for the Law
8.5
Paul Hein 2013-02-15 09:02
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR If you have any--that is, respect for the law--you ought to reconsider. We are controlled, after all, by psychology, and the “law” is a key player in the ploy. There is a division of the company called the State that writes down, solemnly, the desires of the company, and calls the finished product The Law. We are supposed to take this law very...
The Emperor's Clothes
8.33333
Paul Hein 2010-09-09 03:00
By Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Having, by sheer good fortune, escaped any formal training in economics, I often feel like the little boy who observed that the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes. “Shush,” I’m told. “You don’t know anything about it. It’s too complicated for you to understand.”   Well, maybe so. Despite that,...
Walks and Talks
8.33333
Paul Hein 2010-11-08 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   I enjoy taking the dog for a walk, although he probably enjoys it more. These Fall mornings the fresh air is bracing, and the chance to be alone with my thoughts is welcome.  I’ll even grudgingly admit that the exercise might be beneficial, although I’m not convinced of that. It’s meeting other walkers that pleases me most...
Economics for Dummies
8.125
Paul Hein 2010-03-15 03:00
Exclusive to STR I don’t want to deceive you: I am not going to present a sort of Economics 101 for the benefit of the economically illiterate. In fact, I am myself among that number, never having studied economics. What I am suggesting is that, in the current financial crisis, economics is, in my opinion, somewhat irrelevant. It may be dumb to think that there is an economic solution to...
What Took So Long?
8
Paul Hein 2009-08-23 16:00
Exclusive to STR The public reaction to President Obama's health care program is at the same time pleasing, disappointing, and puzzling. But before we get into that, let's clear up something: Health is a right. It's something inherent in your very life, and no one can intentionally deprive you of it without seriously wronging you. But health care is no such thing. Care, of any kind, is provided...
A Journey of a Thousand Miles
8
Paul Hein 2011-03-23 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Yes, it starts with a single step. That’s so obvious that it’s easily overlooked, but it’s worth considering when confronted with the realities of life today--especially if what you’re confronted with are the growing challenges to your life, liberty, and property.   In shaking off the rule of George III, the...
I Can Do It; You Can't
8
Paul Hein 2012-01-30 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR President Obama was served with a subpoena to appear in an Atlanta court on January 26, to offer proof of his eligibility to be on the ballot in Georgia in the upcoming presidential election. Georgia law, as I understand it, requires that all candidates for federal office be qualified to hold the office to which they aspire.   Of course, Obama did not...
Crime and Punishment
8
Paul Hein 2014-09-03 08:05
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }About three decades ago, I was visiting a friend at the penitentiary in Jefferson City, where he was about at the end of his sentence for the ghastly “crime” of buying cigarettes cheap in a neighboring state, and selling them to his clients in Missouri. It was the practice at the time to allow soon-to-be-released...
The Elastic Standard
8
Paul Hein 2016-07-20 08:06
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The needle is approaching “E.” Not to worry; there’s a gas station in the next block. Your car’s owner’s manual gives the gas tank capacity as 20 gallons, but when the pump finally clicks off, you find it’s taken 500 gallons to fill your tank. Well, that’s not surprising. Your car is nearly ten years old, and...
Assumptions, Assumptions
8
Paul Hein 2016-12-16 09:16
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Our trash is picked up on Tuesdays. Well, I should not simply say “trash,” because only one of the containers holds officially defined trash. The others are for recyclables and yard waste. (Ah, the carefree days of my youth, when trash was trash, and not analyzed and segregated.) Recently, while writing out the check for these services, which are...
A Den of Thieves
8
Paul Hein 2017-06-06 08:31
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Income tax day usually falls around Easter, but while many people do not celebrate Easter, nearly all venerate the Internal Revenue Code on April 15. It is a cause for wonderment, since the income tax, being robbery (or theft) ought to rouse massive civil disobedience, rather than slavish adherence. Of course, in saying that, I run the risk of being placed...
Fear
8
Paul Hein 2017-08-08 09:12
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Back in the Christian era, one sometimes encountered the phrase “fear of the Lord.” The fear referred to was not so much a fear of punishment at the hands of powerful but capricious and spiteful gods, but rather a sense of awe and respect towards someone you loved, not feared. It was the “fear” that you might feel for neglecting a...
The Divine Right
8
Paul Hein 2018-01-19 01:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR For centuries, from medieval times until, perhaps, the 17th Century or thereabouts, the theory of the Divine Right of Kings was widely accepted. At a time when religion was taken seriously, it made sense. God was the author of all good things, certainly, and if a man was king, it was because God willed it so, since He would not bestow His blessings upon...
A Different Perspective
7.5
Paul Hein 2012-06-14 00:00
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I recently watched a video clip of a TV commentator remarking about random shootings, in Tucson, as I recall. He said that the shootings presented three elements for our consideration. The first one, he said, was the fact of mental illness, and the need for better treatment of the mentally ill. He then, perhaps predictably, questioned whether gun ownership or...
What's the Difference?
7
Paul Hein 2015-03-04 08:39
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR Let’s pretend that something quite momentous and unprecedented will happen in the next election. First, there will be two candidates for president. No surprise there. Now for the incredible part: both candidates will actually take their oath of office seriously! No, really! I know it’s unthinkable, but think about it anyway. We know the...
Weltschmerz, Anyone?
7
Paul Hein 2015-10-27 08:55
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR The Germans have a knack, if that’s the word for it, of making new words by putting old ones together. So “weltschmerz” is a conjunction of two words meaning, literally “world pain.” The term refers to the frustration, depression, etc., that one experiences on appreciating the difference between the way things are, and the way...
It's Very Simple
7
Paul Hein 2016-09-08 07:22
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I have often wondered why candidates for political office are never asked the most fundamental question: What, in your opinion, is the purpose of government? I have posed this question to several office-holders, both state and federal, even including a self-addressed envelope for their convenience. The question is never answered. If pressed, a politician...
Extortion/Bribery
6.33333
Paul Hein 2011-06-29 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been convicted on 17 of 20 counts of extortion and other forms of corruption, centering mainly around his attempt to sell the senate seat of Barack Obama to the highest bidder. Shame on him. His behavior was typical of Illinois politicians, or even politicians in general. He should go to jail!  ...
Fundamentals
6
Paul Hein 2016-11-30 09:47
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR There doesn’t seem to be any debate about the fact that things are seriously wrong in America. The octogenarians among us--present writer included--can recall a vastly different America, with no “checkpoints” or rioting, or SWAT teams, or invasions of foreign countries which had not—and could not--attack us. But why has this happened...
Never Volunteer
5.5
Paul Hein 2011-05-11 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.  Exclusive to STR  In the spring of 2008, Senator Harry Reid gave an interview on television in which he stated that the income tax was voluntary. His remark caused quite a stir. Google “Harry Reid and voluntary income tax,” and see for yourself. His kindest critics thought him crazy, the less charitable used the word “idiot.” If the Senator...
The Money Ceiling
5
Paul Hein 2011-02-21 04:00
Column by Paul Hein.   Exclusive to STR   4th place in the "Odious Debt" essay contest   Coincident with the swearing in of the newly elected Congressmen is the impending end of the present debt ceiling. It is a topic of much discussion, with various pundits weighing in with this or that recommendation. Universally, they deplore the necessity of raising the ceiling, but...
State of Civilization
5
Paul Hein 2015-01-28 08:47
Column by Paul Hein. Exclusive to STR I didn’t watch the president’s State of the Union address, and I haven’t read it. Even so, I can state confidently that Union is strong! We need only to consider what happened to the 13 sovereign states that tried to extricate themselves from it to see just how strong it is: almost 800,000 people dead! Today we hear tantalizing talk of...