DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING "Cost of Freedom Recap" CONTAINS STRONG OPINIONS WHICH ARE NOT A REFLECTION OF THE OPINIONS OF FOX NEWS AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS INVESTMENT ADVICE WHEN MAKING PERSONAL INVESTMENT DECISIONS. IT IS FOX NEWS' POLICY THAT CONTRIBUTORS DISCLOSE POSITIONS THEY HOLD IN STOCKS THEY DISCUSS, THOUGH POSITIONS MAY CHANGE. READERS OF "Cost of Freedom Recap" MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN INVESTMENT DECISIONS.
CRITICS SLAM BELGIAN LAW LIMITING OVERNIGHT RAIDS IN WAKE OF TERROR ATTACK
Steve Forbes: Absolutely, David. This is not game of cops and robbers any more, which the president's attitude seems to convey. In Belgium you mentioned those overnight raids being banned so guess what the terrorists operated night putting together their bombs and their bomb factories and this has been a suicide pact. Freedom as Lincoln said, the constitution is not a suicide pact, freedom is not a suicide pact. We have to protect ourselves; we have a war, wage the war.
Bruce Japsen: Well, I don't even really know given the election campaign if I know what politically correctness means any more. When you have a lot of these people on the GOP side talking about a campaign of small hands and attacking each other's wives, I think the rhetoric needs to be toned down and we need to get serious about, you know, what we're going after here. I know even in one of the few complete sentences that George W. Bush had in his presidency, he said we’re not at war with Islam; we're at a war against evil. I think we just need to focus on that and tone the rhetoric down a little bit.
Elizabeth MacDonald: Yeah, that’s right. Brussels, the capital of Eurocracy, basically, as Steve pointed out, they can't do searches between nine o’clock at night and five o’clock in the morning unless the occupants give permission.
John Tamny: Well you know, it's not politically correct to say it, but I’ll say it. The governments, neither ours nor governments overseas can legislate it away, they can’t invade away, they can’t imprison away despicable acts. I think we've seen this over the last fifteen years that no matter what we try or our efforts, we haven’t changed a dysfunctional part of the world and the people that spring from it. I think at the very least, we have to rethink what democrats and republicans have been doing in this war on terror.
Rich Karlgaard: Yeah, but that's a lucky break due to geography and the Atlantic Ocean. I'm not all that confident that if we were in Europe’s place given the current administration that is so politically correct that it won't even link the words Islam and terrorism that we wouldn’t do just as bad a job as Europe. Language produces thoughts, thought produces action so if you want bad action, you corrupt language. Every two bit dictator knows that and our own president is not using straight language.
Mike Ozanian: The problem is, David, the president's political correctness has infected our military and has also infected law enforcement and you can make it difficult to proper legislation, more difficult for the terrorists to get in. With one of the things we need is better border security. The Obama administration has left many of these border posts deliberately vacant. He's doing the exact opposite of what needs to be done.
HILLARY CLINTON: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO OBAMACARE
Rich Karlgaard: Well, that's the big question. What I don't get or I guess what I do get is that both Sanders and Clinton have no worries whatsoever about the illegal immigration problem because they are, in fact, in favor of creating more incentives for people to come across the border and take up residency here and as for the idea that once people would then sign up for ObamaCare, that is just absolutely ridiculous. Go visit an emergency room on a Saturday night.
Bruce Japsen: Well there is a rise in the number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
Steve Forbes: That shows you can have the insurance and not get any more medical coverage or even less than you had before. As for illegal immigrants, people come here legally; they can't go on Medicaid; for five years. So, to reward illegals over legals is preposterous. In terms of the exchanges, if an illegal immigrant wants to buy health insurance I say they can with no subsidies. On the Obama exchange they have subsidies. Pay for it, all of it.
Elizabeth Macdonald: Here’s what’s going on, Treasury inspector general found half a million people, many of them illegals were getting tax credits, were getting the subsidies. Obamacare is basically a retail store front for fraud. Talking hundreds of millions potentially billions of dollars of taxpayer money wasted every year.
John Tamny: Well, I don't know that that's necessarily true. Why would we foist on illegals what legal Americans plainly don't want? I mean, we see all the time in the free market the free markets turn scarcity into abundance. Healthcare is no different so I think the better answer is let's not force government run healthcare on anyone. Legal or illegal, it doesn't work.
Mike Ozanian: And they count for Hillary, David. Her entire presidential campaign is based on pandering to freeloaders. So, by doing this, she expects to get more votes. You have to remember her foreign policy was a complete disaster when she was secretary of state. The people in Benghazi were murdered, she let top secret evidence off of her own server go out and who knows what our enemies are doing with that. So, the only way she can get elected is by telling people, I will give you this for free but she is going to have to raise taxes on the middle class in order to pay for it.
PRESIDENT’S ACTIONS IN CUBA FUELING DEBATE IN WAKE OF BRUSSELS TERROR ATTACKS
Steve Forbes: Oh, absolutely, David. Security always trumps crony capitalism because that's what you have with the Cuban government. You pay them the dollars, then they pay the workers that you hire with worthless Cuban pesos. So, I say security always trumps this kind of cronyism that is taking place in Cuba. Or will take place.
Bruce Japsen: I thought, the tango, he was pretty good at it. I would say, listen, diplomacy and coalitions and having good relationships with one of your closest neighbors will help us in the fight against terror and also some of these health crises like the Zika virus. I really think that the trip and the relationship with Cuba makes us, helps makes us safer than you have a cold war against them.
Elizabeth Macdonald: A state sponsor of terrorism up until May of last year or at the State Department. Yes we’re all for capitalism and capital markets and entrepreneurial spirit and we get that, understood. But watch this in the '90s Fidel Castro, basically the economy in Cuba was on the ropes. He said, I’m going to do capitalist reforms and Venezuela started making even more money off its oil supplies. So Castro ditched that and turned to Venezuela. I'm saying that with oil so, you know, with oil prices crashing, I think Cuba is in trouble. They need U.S. loans to float their welfare state.
John Tamny: Well, I think you have to separate the two. The policy towards Cuba since the 60’s has been mindless we needlessly elevated a brutal government that has done terrible things to the citizenry. So I'm glad we're opening up relations there. As far as terrorism, I don’t think we can have it both ways if Obama is incompetent in the U.S. and everyone seems to agree that he is. Why do we want him acting globally? I don't get it.
Mike Ozanian: It all goes to the military, David. Cuba is a military dictatorship. So the money goes to support the military. But I do agree with John Tamny. The longer Obama stays in Cuba, the safer America is.
Rich Karlgaard: Well look, Nixon went to China in 1972 knowing Mao wouldn’t be around forever it was a good thing. The Castro brothers aren't going to be around forever. I support the president on this one. It was a good thing he went.
SAFE BETS
Elizabeth MacDonald: Vanguard (VHDYX)
John Tamny: The Home Depot (HD)
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