Category: Opinion
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What will they think a million years from now?
Pondering what human-made items will look like millions of year from now as our descendants search for “technfossils”, Sci News wondered what wind turbine blades would look like. They said, “The enormous wind turbine blades . . . are made of materials like fiberglass and epoxy resin and carbon fibers, which are terribly hard to…
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‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death,’ 250 Years Later
Marking the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s famous speech. By Lawrence W. Reed, Foundation for Economic Freedom In St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, delegates from around the colony gathered to discuss matters that would rile Britain’s distant King and set Virginia on a path to rebellion. It was March 23, 1775. One man,…
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Wolves, Hyenas and Legislators Run in Packs
By Roger Koopman At an early age, we taught our kids to learn from others and to think for themselves. I still remember telling one child, “Truth doesn’t fly in flocks. You need to seek and find it on your own. And never be afraid to test and re-examine what you believe is true. Belief…
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Climate Change Energy Policy Lost In General Election
Calling the election results in November, “nothing short of seismic,” Robert Bryce in a substack.com opinion piece, stated, “While this race was about many things, one issue lurked throughout: climate policy.” Election results “show that the Democratic Party is woefully out of step with mainstream voters on energy and climate policy,” he said. There was…
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Counter Intuitive Sales Ideas that Work
Some sales ideas that at first glance may seem counter intuitive were recently recommended in Inc. magazine. The ideas are based upon human psychology and their instinct to assure that they are in control. For example, right up front, tell the customer in one way or another that they don’t have to buy. Telling someone…
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Will the Mutant Elephants Hijack Another Session?
By Roger Koopman If you happen to be at the state capitol during the coming session, you are likely to encounter Mutant Elephants in the hallways, restrooms and chambers. Although their footprint on the legislative process is immense, their presence goes mostly unnoticed by the voting public. They appear mild-mannered, but are actually quite dangerous.…
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US Freedom Level Drops
By Ian Vásquez The United States has slipped in its ranking as a free country from 7th in 2000 to 17th in the tenth edition of the annual Human Freedom Index, which is co-published by the Cato Institute and the Fraser Institute. The 2024 report paints a picture of the state of global freedom and…
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Montana Court Oversteps And Makes a Mess
By Chris Cargill, Mountain States Policy Center Typically, courts provide clarity. They do not exist to make or enforce law but rather interpret what the law says. Nothing more, nothing less. But a week of tumultuous rulings in Montana has, in many ways, upended the state’s legislative authority and made an overall mess of the…
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Turn off the politicians and Listen to yourself
By Roger Koopman I wonder if it ever dawns on all those well-paid, city-bred consultants who come in to run most of Montana’s major campaigns, that nobody is listening anymore? Oh, sure. There are the political junkies, left and right, who thrive on the junk food of campaign advertising, doused with the vinegar of vitriol. …
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Agriculture Faces a Continued Decline in 2024
Joe Mahon, Director, Regional Outreach Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis After turning south in 2023, agricultural producers in the Ninth District saw their earnings decline further through the middle of 2024, according to results from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’ second-quarter agricultural credit conditions survey. Farm incomes decreased broadly from April through June relative…