I've read Atlas every year since 1960 and it never gets old for me. It seems to be even more relevant now. If she were not already dead, Rand would have had apoplexy over Obama, Pelosi and Reid, plus the stupidity of some of the rich people who seem to apologize for being rich and want to give it all away and don't mind if they're taxed because they feel guilty about making money.

I think one of my favorite parts of Atlas is the story of the 20th Century Motor Company's experiment with socialism.

People with money vote with their feet and move from New York to Florida, from California to states with no state income tax and to states with a freer business climate. High taxes will work here in the U.S. just as it works in France -- drive out people who can move and make it clear to producing people that they are the victims and they are being ripped off . Eventually, the govt can't rip off high incomes because there won't be any.

The problem when govt benefits are pretty close to the wages the family can earn is that most people would rather not work and still get enough money to live. Some people have a work ethic and would rather work than take the benefits, but many others don't see why they should work when they don't have to. If these benefits go on forever and unemployment benefits are given whether a person looks for work or not, then there's no incentive to actually take a job, especially if the wages are close to the benefit levels.

The problem is the ignorance of economics that is rampant and Romney shared in that ignorance. Too bad he wasn't introduced to Sowell's Basic Economics. It doesn't take a long time to read some of Dr. Sowell's books and Walter Williams. Romney had trouble arguing against Obama's statements because of his lack of economic knowledge. He couldn't argue against Obamacare when his plan in Mass. looked so much like it. Romney was characterized as something he wasn't: a conservative. He's a nice guy, just like John McCain, but ineffective.

I hope Iron Dome is well supplied. Gaza should never have been surrendered by Israel. Rockets fired at random into civilian targets is the definition of a terrorist act. Israel can take any measures necessary to prevent the attacks and prevent resupply of terrorists. There's always a lot of civilian suffering when a war is conducted in a populated area. Both sides can show pictures of dead babies. It's a sad thing that this situation has continued for so many years.

We can only hope that at least 51% of the people wake up for election day and understand if they don't vote for Romney they are voting for a mini-Chavez. Obama isn't as honest as Chavez; he doesn't announce he is a socialist. Instead, Obama depends on the Big Lie, the straw man, the ad hominem, the reductio ad absurdum and since many people don't understand these techniques and don't do any research, the techniques are believed by many to state the truth. Research everything Obama says.

Dr. Sowell is so right about Dinesh d"Souza's book The Roots of Obama's Rage. I didn't understand how Obama could say some of the things he said until I read this book. Those leaks about sources and methods in the effort to sabotage Iran's nuclear program probably came from high up in the Obama administration. No excuse for such leaks, and we see nothing about investigating where they came from. Obama has not had good communication with Netanyahu and continues that with being "too busy" to see him in the next couple of weeks. I'm convinced that Obama would prefer Israel not to be a thorn in his side. Perhaps he won't help Israel because he thinks, like islamists, that the Jews are not entitled to a homeland.

The real question is why do Jews vote Democrat in overwhelming numbers? I wonder if they will wake up this time and discover that Obama is no friend of Israel.

This is true. Finally, CMS realized that Advantage was going to use up billions of dollars because the reimbursement rate for insurance companies participating in Advantage was so high. Obama and Romney realize that Advantage has to be reined in. Whichever plan prevails (whether Romney wins or the ACA gets implemented), Medicare is unsustainable and recipients face the brick wall of refusal of providers to participate if Advantage is cut and reimbursement rates for providers are cut, as they must be. Between a rock and a hard place?

There's no evidence that a voucher program for Medicare would increase what an average person (whatever that is (would pay ($6,000 a year is cited with no evidence). We don't even know what the results will be with the ACA because most of the regulations haven't been written. The voucher program wouldn't even effect anybody over the age of 55. Since people are reaching the age of 65 at the rate of 10,000 PER DAY, it's easy to see that Medicare won't be saved either by Romney or by Obama because it's unsustainable. Eventually, recipients will run into nonpayment, either through stronger price controls or through provider unwillingness to participate in the program due to low reimbursement.