Blog posts
The FDA, Opioids and Altruism
An opioid pill (Opana ER) that successfully relieves pain is being removed from the market by the FDA—not because of any claims of unsafety or inefficacy, but because people have found a way to pulverize the drug and inject it to get “high.” Since such people risk contracting HIV or hepatitis C through the sharing
Saudi’s “Legalized Jihad” Is Still Jihad
President Trump has embraced Saudi Arabia, praising it as an ally in the battle against Islamic jihadists. As Secretary of State Rex Tillerson explains this new relationship: “The president clearly was extending a hand and understanding that only together can we address the threat of terrorism.” This is a decision, however, that will only advance
Trump’s Bombing of Syria:
Self-Interest or Self-Sacrifice?
Here are some belated observations on President Trump’s recent decision to launch cruise missiles against Syria in retaliation for its use of a deadly gas against its own citizens: Americans generally applaud the decision. And it’s an understandable, and laudable, response. It’s a reaction to years of a foreign policy that dealt with our enemies
Fact-Checking the Fact-Checkers
Journalism’s fact-checking process is supposed to identify errors, or outright lies, by presenting clear, undeniable facts that contradict someone’s statement. Instead, however, the process has become a means of blurring the line between fact and opinion — between easily demonstrable truths and more abstract, more challengeable viewpoints. For a striking example, consider this recent N.Y. Times story
The Zika Virus and Politicized Science
Science today is regularly distorted to serve other ends. The religious right, for instance, claims that “creationism” should be taught in public schools as a scientific alternative to the theory of evolution. The environmentalist left, for instance, claims that science reveals genetically modified foods to be harmful to one’s health. Both groups subordinate the facts
The Shackles of Paternalism
Today, the “nanny-state” is omnipresent. Its latest pernicious intrusion pertains to pain-relief medication. Doctors are being told to restrict their prescriptions of opioids, the drugs (such as Percocet and Vicodin) used to reduce extreme pain. Why? Because the government is concerned about patients who overuse the drugs, leading to addiction and sometimes death. The idea