SHIKHA DALMIA: President Trump: Market-based visas can buy you a lot of border security: “Cato Institute’s Alex Nowrasteh has proposed creating an additional visa category called the gold card that would give foreigners the option of working and living legally in the United States— but not citizenship—after paying a tariff. Congress could adjust tariff rates by age and education to guarantee that all immigrants make a net positive fiscal contribution. This would potentially cut back illegal flows and give the country much greater operational control over the border than physical barriers ever could. It would also generate additional funds to go after drug traffickers or criminals who pose a genuine security threat.”
Ed: This is a wonderful idea, and such a reasonable alternative to the black-and-white choice of either full citizenship or undocumented status. Given the reality of how much the human smugglers charge to get people into the US illegally, why not create a situation where that money isn’t funding human trafficking?
Military Times: Did Defense officials hide details of border mission from Congress?
BONNIE KRISTIAN: America’s abuse of national emergencies is the real national emergency : “Trump’s moseying course toward an emergency declaration is revealing, but not only where his border wall nonsense is concerned. Our entire national emergency system, governed in its present form by the National Emergencies Act of 1976, is ill-considered and ripe for abuse. It provides the president with a convenient sidestep of the legislature and Congress with yet another opportunity to abdicate responsibility to the executive. It is overdue for reform.”
RYAN MCMAKEN: The unseen costs of humanitarian intervention
FEE: If you’re warm right now, thank capitalism
The Intercept: Police make more than 10 million arrests each year, but that doesn’t mean they’re solving crimes
Forbes: Scientists rethink psychedelics as attitudes change toward formerly illicit drugs
