Off Azimuth

Lobbying and Insider Trading

Our Legislative and Executive branches have become stepping stones for wealth. Beginning with Willaim Hull in 1792, lobbyists have become an invasive species within our government, eroding the political process to benefit corporations and wealthy individuals. As new legislation has closed lobbying loopholes, some politicians have shifted their focus to a legal, albeit morally gray area, by conducting large stock trades on sectors managed by the very congressional committees on which they sit. New legislation is required to ensure the integrity of our political system.

Without Firing a Shot

While the United States' military might has been irrefutable for nearly a century, that's not the only - or even primary way - the United States has influenced global relationships. It was the nation's soft power, or ability to influence political and economic trends through humanitarian efforts and without coercion, that kept the US forefront on the political stage. With the end of USAID - the US's primary source of soft power - the world is now in a vacuum and it's our political rivals who are more than willing to fill the void left by the growing US isolationism.

The Frog in Hot Water

As the debate rages for and against universal healthcare and free college tuition, the opposition quickly points out that all other developed nations who provide both often have over 50% realized taxes to cover the government's costs. The United States, conversely, has a much lower tax rate. Or do we? Join me as we explore the piecemealed US tax code and discover if we are actually saving money or if we are just frogs in slowly heating water.

The Darker Side of Science

During World War 2, the United States conducted a secretive operation - Operation Paperclip - where they recruited German scientists who were experts in the fields of aero medical treatment, rocket propulsion, and armor innovators. While many of the scientists worked on projects like the Saturn modules for NASA, some were sequestered in bases surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by military police. These scientists essentially vanished from public view as they worked on a top secret research program: The Manhattan Project. A recent string of missing and dead scientists in the United States seems eerily similar to Operation Paperclip. Could the United States be working on a new secret operation? And if so, what conclusion can be drawn from the data available?

The Invisible Cost of Healthcare

Healthcare inflation has reached a tipping point, with patients receiving bills from emergency room visits that include $47 for band aids, $60 to be handed ibuprofen, or $2,000 for stitches. As the healthcare inflation outstrips standardized US inflation rates, how can the government mitigate the growing expenses in hospital visits, pharmaceutical costs, and healthcare debt?