Wesley J. Smith

Leon Kass is one of the great thinkers in bioethics (and a friend), a man of great eloquence whose rare depth of thought and knowledge sometimes makes my jaw drop.In honor of his many years of contribution to bioethical discourse and his many services to society, the Center for Bioethics and Culture . . . . Continue Reading »

Animal rights advocates and their emotionalist allies often wail, “They’re killing the elephants!” when castigating needed culling in the African wild animal parks. They are wrong about that.  Failing to cull would result in destroyed environments and possible elephant . . . . Continue Reading »

Oh golly, oh gee: Another shiv between the ribs of the global warming hysteria meme.  Rather than warming causing a radical Arctic melt, much of the 2007-08 ice loss appears to have been actually caused by wind.  From the story:Much of the record breaking loss of ice in the Arctic ocean in . . . . Continue Reading »

The CIRM is funded by state bonds, billions in borrowed money that the people of the impecunious State of California will have to pay back with interest. That is why it is enraging that they want to pay a new VP more than $300 K in salary.  From the California Stem Cell Report”s . . . . Continue Reading »

Stories like the one I discuss below are ubiquitous.  Indeed, my first hospice patient (I was a volunteer) got kicked out because he unexpectedly got better.  But when he entered the program, he wailed in my arms that he wanted to die immediately because he was a burden. Under . . . . Continue Reading »

I am not in the least surprised that Rep. Bart Stupak voted for Obamacare—and then fought against a move by Republicans to put his own original language back in the bill.  This is “the show,” politics at its hardest, and Stupak is a Democrat first, last, and always.  He . . . . Continue Reading »

I am traveling all day, but I wanted to weigh in a bit about today’s vote on Obamacare.  I suspect it will pass.  Otherwise, Speaker Pelosi wouldn’t hold the vote.  If it does, it will demonstrate several things:1. The Democratic Party could care less about the will of the . . . . Continue Reading »

The CBO has scored Obamacare version 543—or is it 642?—and it either cuts the deficit, or it doesn’t, is neutral on the deficit, or has no idea. In the latest wrinkle, the CBO says that Medicare fixes—whatever those are—will put the bill in the red. From the . . . . Continue Reading »

As mentioned here yesterday, Idaho will sue to stop Obamacare’s mandatory purchase provision.  Virginia’s bill, soon to become law, in effect, opts its citizens out of the mandatory purchase requirement altogether.  From the story:The Virginia General Assembly [official . . . . Continue Reading »

Obamacare would require each and every one of us buy private health insurance unless we are covered by our employers. That sure seems unconstitutional to me.  While the Feds certainly have the power to regulate commerce among the states, I don’t think they have the power to require . . . . Continue Reading »