By Dr. Mercola Depression and other mental health problems are at epidemic levels judging by the number of antidepressants prescribed each year. According to CDC data,1 one in 20 Americans over the age of 12 report some form of depression, and 11 percent of the US population over the age of 12 is on antidepressant medication.2 This despite overwhelming evidence showing that antidepressants do not work as advertised. At best, antidepressants are comparable to placebos. At worst they can cause devastating side effects, including deterioration into more serious mental illness, and suicidal or homicidal tendencies. Virtually all of the school … Continue reading →

I’m about to witness my 61st “Independence Day” in the US Collective. And all I see forthcoming is still another celebration of failure, still another empty gesture from clueless citizen/slaves who have no independence. The supposed “independence” noted and celebrated is recorded in the document known as The Declaration of Independence.  Those enslaved by a king at that time, declared themselves subjects instead to some, as yet, undefined government master (later to be defined as a “republic”). The document rails about such worthy goals as equality among men, inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and government … Continue reading →

In the United States, law enforcement agencies have the power to seize the assets of those suspected of criminal activity. On its face, this seems somewhat reasonable. However, the threshold for suspicion of criminal involvement is perilously low and allows law enforcement agencies to abuse the power afforded through civil forfeiture. Many innocent citizens have had their property seized as a result, and the following instances of civil forfeiture abuse are particularly egregious. 10 DEA Agents Seize $16,000 From Amtrak Traveler After saving up enough money to pursue a career in the music industry, Joseph Rivers, 22, bought a one-way … Continue reading →

PARIS – As the squalid drama of Greece’s bankruptcy unfolds, many alarmists claim the European Union is about to disintegrate. British and Americans are cheering the ills of the EU.  On top of all this, it’s a blazing 39.8 C here in the City of Light. In spite of all the bad news from Greece,  we must not lose sight of the miracle on the Rhine. Having covered 14 conflicts and observed the world’s problems and woes for decades,  I never forget that the greatest miracle I have ever seen was the profound reconciliation between historic foes France and Germany.  … Continue reading →

This weekend we celebrate the changing of our guard. Which, when you stop to think about it, is more than a little odd. Do the inmates of Rikers Island throw a party when they get a new warden? To celebrate the changing of the color of the uniforms worn by their cagers? And yet, we do. This coming weekend, Americans will celebrate not being free to – among other things: Buy and display fireworks themselves. Choose whether to wear a seat belt. Say “no thanks” to the health insurance mafia. Travel without permission (and decline to produce your “papers” on demand). … Continue reading →

In a recent New York Times column, “Hooray for ObamaCare,” Paul Krugman tells us how successful the program has been. “Start with the act’s most basic purpose, to cover the previously uninsured. Opponents of the law insisted that it would actually reduce coverage; in reality, around 15 million Americans have gained insurance.” How did the government achieve its goal of increasing health insurance coverage?  The same way the Corleone family achieved its goal of expanding olive oil distribution, or a gang member achieves his goal of getting your wallet. When you file your tax return, you must inform the government … Continue reading →

US scientists have found a way to estimate the time of the next eruption of the dormant volcano in Yellowstone National Park from 10 months to 10 years beforehand. They promise it won’t be cataclysmic, yet its lava and ash could cause a volcanic winter. A new Arizona State University research focused on past eruptions at Yellowstone volcano, with the most recent happening nearly 70,000 years ago, in order to learn more about the time when its sleep is over. The study on the supervolcano’s giant chamber of hot, partly molten rock was published on Wednesday in the journal Geology. … Continue reading →

Despite what you might think, our grandparents (or great-grandparents) weren’t all prudes or blue-nosed moral crusaders. As evidence, Hollywood, from the silent era until the mid-1930s, often produced feature-length films that dealt explicitly with adult themes, such as premarital sex, criminality, drug abuse, and prostitution. On other occasions, filmmakers titillated audiences with graphic images that included nudity or gruesome acts of violence. Then, when sound was introduced, a whole slew of films and filmmakers tried to capitalize on the public’s interest in the criminal underworld that was created as a result of Prohibition by producing a series of brash and … Continue reading →

Thirty years ago today marked the release date of Back to the Future. I mention this to call attention to a life marker. When it came out in 1985, it inspired a wave of nostalgia about 1955. I was in high school in 1955. A lot of that movie looked familiar. Now comes the double whammy. It has been as long since the movie was released as it was between 1955 and 1985. Younger people notice a single marker. They perceive that things are speeding up. Older people notice the double markers. “It has been as long from Y to … Continue reading →

Assuming “growth” will fund all promised pensions and entitlements is magical thinking. The core problem with pension plans is that the promises were issued without regard for the revenues needed to pay the promises. Lulled by 60 years of global growth since 1945, those in charge of entitlements and publicly funded pensions assumed that “growth”–of GDP, tax revenues, employment and everything else–would always rise faster than the costs of the promised pensions and entitlements. As the 60+ million baby Boom began qualifying for Social Security and Medicare entitlements, the percentage of beneficiaries rose quickly from a decades-long level of about 16% … Continue reading →