LATIN AMERICA is rich in sought-after commodities, including narcotics. The coca leaf, from which cocaine is refined, is grown only in the foothills of the Andes. Mexico produces more heroin than anywhere but Afghanistan, as well as much cannabis. Latin American traffickers are even diversifying into synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine.
The illegality of this successful export business means that its multi-billion-dollar profits go to criminal gangs. Their battles for market control have a high cost: according to the UN, eight of the world’s ten most violent countries are in Latin America or the Caribbean. Drugs are not the only business of organised crime, but they account for the bulk of the gangs’ income and thus their firepower. Honduras, a strategic spot on the trafficking route, has the world’s highest murder rate, about 80 times that of western Europe." - The Economist - See full article immediately below.
Individual Liberty
War on Drugs:
Economist – Drug Policy in Latin America: Burn-Out and Battle Fatigue
Internet Freedom:
NBC - Lawmakers Consider Digital Download Tax
InfoWorld - Why Software Patents Are Evil
School Choice:
The Foundry - School Choice Momentum Continues Across the Country
Gun Control:
Christian Science Monitor – Gun Control: Will Campus Carry Get Boost from Virginia Tech Ruling?
Sound Money
Federal Reserve:
Forbes – Where Will Rates Go Once the Fed Stops Meddling?
Daily Caller – Federal Reserve Joins Twitter, Prompting 140-Character Insults
Bloomberg – Shales: Watch Bernanke’s Little Inflation Capsize U.S.
Debt/Budget:
Politico - Time for a Cut, Cap & Balance Budget
Taxes:
Cato Institute - Canada's Corporate Tax Cuts
Energy:
National Review - Dr. Science vs. the Market
Foreign Policy
Afghanistan:
New York Times - Accused G.I. 'Snapped' Under Strain, Official Says
Yahoo! News (AP) - Afghan Leader Blasts US Over Probe Into Shootings
Reason - The Perils of Staying in Afghanistan
Christian Science Monitor – Why Taliban Really Decided to Suspend Talks With U.S.
Constitution
Obamacare:
Investor’s Business Daily – Obamacare Subsidies Dwarf Tax Benefit of Employer Care for Modest Earners
Forbes – I’m Shocked! Obamacare Costs More Than Promised
Reason - The Coming Medical Ethics Crisis
The Atlantic - The Many Legal Barriers Standing in the Way of Health Care Reform
Huffington Post - Arizona Birth Control Bill Penalizes Women For Using Contraception For Non-Medical Reasons
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