Society cannot avoid facing the trade-offs involved in producing medicines and medical devices such as implantable pacemakers and defibrillators. We want these products to be effective and safe. We also want them to be as inexpensive as possible and available…
Pork-barrel politics hurt war on terror
It is easy for governments to spend money. Spending it effectively is harder. That was apparent Monday when Thomas Kean, the former governor of New Jersey who headed the Sept. 11 commission, went after homeland defense spending to date. The…
Short-term fear derails long-term gain
Long-term gains often can only be achieved by taking short-term risks. There are financial risks to starting one’s own business or buying stock in a shaky new startup firm, but there can also be rich rewards. Similarly, changing economic policies…
Sometimes, a parliament holds appeal
Despite a long common border, Minnesotans don’t pay much attention to Canadian politics. We will pay little interest to the sudden — and, by U.S. standards, very short — election campaign that will take place there over next seven weeks.…