38 Government Press Release, "China to Boost Military Spending," op cit.

39 Aprille Muscara, "China: Wikileak Cables Reveal China Focus on Military Upgrades," Inter Press Service English News Wire.

40 Kelvin Wong, Nichola Saminather, and Hui-yong Yu, "The Chinese Go on a Global Homebuying Spree: Facing domestic restrictions, buyers boost markets abroad," Bloomberg Businessweek, June 23, 2011.

Chapter Four.

1 Ronald Reagan, An American Life: The Autobiography (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990), 233.

2 Gifts to the United States Government, U.S. Department of the Treasury, http://fms.treas.gov/faq/moretopics_gifts.html.

3 Barbara Hollingsworth, "Virginia's 'Tax Me More Fund' is a big flop," Was.h.i.+ngton Examiner, March 29, 2010, http://was.h.i.+ngtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/virginia-s-tax-me-more-fund-big-flop.

4 Ronald Reagan, An American Life: The Autobiography, 232.

5 Ibid., 233.

6 "Economic Overview of Federal Tax Expenditures," Invest in Kids Working Group, The Partners.h.i.+p for America's Economic Success, February 20, 2007, http://www.partners.h.i.+pforsuccess.org/docs/ivk/iikmeeting_slides200702weinstein.pdf.

7 Stephen Ohlemacher, "Half of U.S. pays no federal income tax," a.s.sociated Press, April 7, 2010, available at MSNBC.com, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36226444/ns/business-personal_finance/t/half-us-pays-no-federal-income-tax/.

8 Steve Forbes and Elizabeth Ames, How Capitalism Will Save Us: Why Free People and Free Markets Are the Best Answer to Today's Economy (New York: Crown Business, 2009), 148.

9 Jason Pye, "Top 1% pays more in taxes than bottom 95%," United Liberty, July 30, 2009, http://www.unitedliberty.org/articles/top-1-pays-more-in-taxes-than-bottom-95.

10 Neil Cavuto, Your Money or Your Life (New York: Regan Books, 2005), 84.

11 Steve Forbes and Elizabeth Ames, How Capitalism Will Save Us, 148.

12 Ronald Reagan, An American Life: The Autobiography, 232.

13 "The Dead Enders," Wall Street Journal Review & Outlook, December 1, 2010, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703326204575616843991237032.html .

14 "What Do Corporate Income Taxes Cost American Families?" Tax Watch, Tax Foundation, http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/corporate_income_taxes_cost_families-20080818.pdf .

15 Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation on the Economy," February 5, 1981, transcript available at http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1981/20581c.htm .

16 "Hidden taxes you pay every day," MSN Money Central, http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Taxes/CutYourTaxes/HiddenTaxesYouPayEveryDay.aspx?page=2.

17 Scott Burns, "US tax disparity may be flatter than it seems," Boston Globe, January 28, 2007, http://www.boston.com/business/taxes/articles/2007/01/28/us_tax_disparity_may_be_flatter_than_it_seems/.

18 W. Kurt Hauser, "There's No Escaping Hauser's Law," Wall Street Journal, November 26, 2010, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703514904575602943209741952.html#printMode.

19 David Brooks, "The Genteel Nation," New York Times, September 9, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/opinion/10brooks.html.

20 "Night of the Living Death Tax," Wall Street Journal Review & Outlook, March 31, 2009, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123846422014872229.html.

21 Ibid.

22 "Solutions for America: Tax Reform," Heritage Foundation, August 17, 2010, http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/08/Tax-Reform.

23 Adam Aigner-Treworgy, "Obama talks estate tax at final bus tour stop," CNN.com The 1600 Report, August 17, 2011, http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/17/obama-talks-estate-tax-at-final-bus-tour-stop/.

24 Curtis Dubay, "The Economic Case Against the Death Tax," Heritage Foundation The Foundry, July 21, 2010, http://blog.heritage.org/2010/07/21/the-economic-case-against-the-death-tax/.

25 Sam Stein, "Obama Wants Higher Capital Gains Tax Rate: Too Far Or Not Enough?" Huffington Post, February 26, 2009, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/26/obama-wants-higher-capita_n_170237.html 26 J. D. Foster, "Obama's Capital Gains Tax Hike Unlikely to Increase Revenues," Heritage Foundation, March 24, 2010, http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/03/Obamas-Capital-Gains-Tax-Hike-Unlikely-to-Increase-Revenues.

27 Janet Novack, "Tax Waste: 6.1 Billion Hours Spent Complying With Federal Tax Code," Forbes, January 5, 2011, http://www.forbes.com/sites/janetnovack/2011/01/05/tax-waste-6-1-billion-hours-spent-complying-with-federal-tax-code/.

Chapter Five.

1 Quote available at Gerald R. Ford Quotes, http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/grf/quotes.asp.

2 Guest Writer, "The debt ceiling deal-an agreement to do nothing," MLive.com, August 4, 2011, http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/08/guest_commentary_debt_ceiling.html?utm_source=Justin+Amash+for+Congress+Email+List&utm_campaign=af602ae2f7-Justin_s_Editorial_on_Debt_Ceiling_8_4_2011&utm_medium=email.

3 Stephen Ohlemacher, "Can tiny changes save Social Security?" a.s.sociated Press, May 17, 2010, available at MSNBC.com, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37195779/ns/business-personal_finance/t/can-tiny-changes-save-social-security/#.TojfqLLh5Bk.

4 Ronald Reagan "Remarks on Signing the Social Security Amendments of 1983," April 20, 1983, http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1983/42083a.htm 5 "Sen. Rubio: 'We Don't Need New Taxes, We Need New Taxpayers,'" RealClearPolitics. com, July 7, 2011, http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/07/07/sen_rubio_we_dont_need_new_taxes_we_need_new_taxpayers.html.

6 "Government Waste By the Numbers : Report Identifies Dozens of Overlapping Programs," FoxNews.com, March 1, 2011, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/01/government-waste-numbers-report-identifies-dozens-duplicative-programs/.

7 Emily Kopp, "OPM commits to stopping payments to dead people," FederalNewsRadio. com, September 23, 2011, http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=520&sid=2560010.

8 "Dr. Coburn Releases New Oversight Report: 'Wastebook 2010: A Guide to Some of the Most Wasteful Government Spending of 2010,'" Tom Coburn, M.D., December 20, 2010, http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=054487a3-ff6e-4df9-a025-48de764abe55.

9 Edwin Mora, "U.S. Has Paid $1.44 Million for Project That is Studying the 'Social Milieu' of Male Prost.i.tutes in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi," CNSNews.com, June 28, 2010, http://www.cnsnews.com/node/68628.

10 "Scores charged in ma.s.sive US healthcare fraud scams," Reuters, September 8, 2011, http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/09/08/idINIndia-59213620110908.

11 "Medicare fraud strike force charges 91 individuals for approximately $295 million in false billing," HHS.gov news release, September 7, 2011, http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/09/20110907c.html.

12 "Medicare Fraud: A $60 Billion Crime," CBSNews.com, September 5, 2010, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/23/60minutes/main5414390.shtml.

13 Sharyl Attkisson, "Federal fraud: Healthy workers took disability," CBSNews.com, February 18, 2011, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/18/eveningnews/main20033639.shtml?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea.

14 Tom Murse, "LIHEAP Fraud Costs Taxpayers At Least $116 Million," About.com US Government Info, November 2, 2010, http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/moneymatters/a/LIHEAP-Outrageous-Example-of-Fraud.htm.

15 Mary Meeker, "USA Inc.: Red, White, and Very Blue," Businessweek, February 24, 2011, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_10/b4218000828880.htm .

16 Stephen Ohlemacher, "Can tiny changes save Social Security?" a.s.sociated Press, May 17, 2010, available at MSNBC.com, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37195779/ns/business-personal_finance/t/can-tiny-changes-save-social-security/#.TojfqLL-H5BK.

17 "Mary Meeker's Definitive Guide To The American Public Debt Crisis," Business Insider, http://www.businessinsider.com/mary-meeker-usa-inc-february-24-2011-2#-120.

18 "The Obama Fisc," Wall Street Journal Review & Outlook, January 27, 2010, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703906204575027181656362948.html.

19 Victor Davis Hanson, "Obama's Spending Addiction," RealClearPolitics.com, July 28, 2011, http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/07/28/obamas_spending_addiction_110741.html .

Chapter Six.

1 George Was.h.i.+ngton, "Fifth Annual Address," December 3, 1793.

2 David Ignatius, "Caution fills Obama's playbook," Was.h.i.+ngton Post, September 23, 2009, http://www.was.h.i.+ngtonpost.com/opinions/caution-fills-obamas-playbook/2011/09/22/gIQAdNKfrK_story.html.

3 Sam Youngman and Jordy Yager, "Obama to resume Gitmo military trials," The Hill, March 7, 2011, http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/147871-obama-military-commissions-to-resume-for-gitmo-detainees.

4 Editorial, "Mr. Obama's defense cuts," Was.h.i.+ngton Post, April 20, 2011, http://www.was.h.i.+ngtonpost.com/opinions/mr-obamas-defense-cuts/2011/04/20/AFlMqNEE_story.html.

5 "Defending Defense: China's Military Build-up: Implications for U.S. Defense Spending," American Enterprise Inst.i.tute, Heritage Foundation, Foreign Policy Initiative, March 2011, http://www.aei.org/docLib/DefendingDefenseChina.pdf.

6 Ibid.

7 Joseph A. Bosco, "China Lobbies Was.h.i.+ngton for Arms," Weekly Standard, June 1, 2011, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/china-lobbies-was.h.i.+ngton-arms_573140.html. .

8 Dan Blumenthal and Michael Mazza, "Asia Needs a Larger U.S. Defense Budget," Wall Street Journal, July 5, 2011, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304803104576425414030335604.html.

9 Irwin M. Stelzer, "Our Broken China Policy," Weekly Standard, January 17, 2011, http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/our-broken-china-policy_526878.html.

10 Dan Blumenthal, "China Humiliates Gates, Obama," Weekly Standard, January 12, 2011, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/china-humiliates-gates-obama_533550.html.

11 Thomas Donnelly, "The Real Meaning of China's 'Stealth Fighter,'" Weekly Standard, January 13, 2011, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/real-meaning-chinas-stealth-fighter_533614.html.

12 Ewen MacAskill, "WikiLeaks: Hillary Clinton's question: how can we stand up to Beijing?" The Guardian, December 4, 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/04/wikileaks-cables-hillary-clinton-beijing.

13 Irwin M. Stelzer, "Our Broken China Policy," op. cit.

14 "Defending Defense: China's Military Build-up: Implications for U.S. Defense Spending," op. cit.

15 Julian E. Barnes and Megan K. Stack, "Russia's Putin praises Obama's missile defense decision," Los Angeles Times, September 19, 2009, http://articles.latimes. com/2009/sep/19/world/fg-missile-defense19.

16 Ibid.

17 "Obama: Missile defense plan not about Russia," MSNBC.com, September 20, 2009, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32937784/ns/world_news-europe/t/obama-missile-defense-plan-not-about-russia/#.TpDQobLh6uI.

18 Paul Richter, "Russia pus.h.i.+ng back on tougher sanctions against Iran," Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2010, http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/24/world/la-fg-russia-sanctions-20100925.

19 Daniel Halper, "U.S. Intelligence Confirms: Russia Bombed U.S. Emba.s.sy," op. cit.

20 Graham Allison, "Obama should test Iran's nuclear offer," Was.h.i.+ngton Post, October 6, 2011, http://www.was.h.i.+ngtonpost.com/opinions/obama-should-test-irans-nuclear-offer/2011/10/06/gIQAdAmDRL_story.html.

21 Jay Solomon, "Iran Rejects Proposed U.S. Military Hot Line," Wall Street Journal, October 4, 2011, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203791904576609093178338996.html.

22 Trita Parsi, "Iran's growing bl.u.s.ter spells danger," Los Angeles Times, October 2, 2011, http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/02/opinion/la-oe-parsi-iran-20111002.

23 Jay Solomon, "Iran Rejects Proposed U.S. Military Hot Line," op. cit.

24 Ibid.

25 William J. Broad, John Markoff, and David E. Sanger, "Israeli Test on Worm Called Crucial in Iran Nuclear Dely," New York Times, January 15, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/world/middleeast/16stuxnet.html?pagewanted=all .

26 David E. Sanger, "Iran Moves to Shelter Its Nuclear Fuel Program," New York Times, September 1, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/02/world/middleeast/02iran.html .

27 See "Obama: Iran Doesn't Pose a Threat . . . Iran is a Grave Threat," posted on YouTube.com, May 20, 2008, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaG6s05MKeM .

28 Sara A. Carter, "U.S. confirms attacks by Pakistani military units," Was.h.i.+ngton Examiner, October 2, 2011, http://was.h.i.+ngtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/10/us-confirms-attacks-pakistani-military-units.

29 Max Boot, "Frenemies in Pakistan," Weekly Standard, October 10, 2011, http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/frenemies-pakistan_594669.html.

30 Sara A. Carter, "U.S. confirms attacks by Pakistani military units," op. cit.

31 Max Boot, "Frenemies in Pakistan," op. cit.

32 Neil Munro, "Free for all: Up to 20,000 anti-aircraft missiles stolen in Libya," Daily Caller, September 27, 2011, http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/27/free-for-all-up-to-20000-anti-aircraft-missiles-stolen-in-libya/.

33 Brian Ross and Matthew Cole, "Nightmare in Libya: Thousands of Surface-to-Air Missiles Unaccounted for," ABCNews.com, September 27, 2011, . http://abcnewsgo.com/Blotter/nightmare-libya-20000-surface-air-missiles-missing/story?id=14610199 .

34 Neil Munro, "Free for all: Up to 20,000 anti-aircraft missiles stolen in Libya," op. cit.

35 "Iran 'discreetly aided Libyan rebels,'" AFP, August 28, 2011, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jj6m9cMuH8ZXj5AgMQLjLVHFDhlA?docId=CNG.9b666507647200654b641466e2317b3d.501. .

Chapter Seven.

1 Katherine Bradley, "Confronting the Unsustainable Growth of Welfare Ent.i.tlements: Principles of Reform and the Next Steps," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder #2427, June 24, 2010, http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/06/confronting-the-unsustainable-growth-of-welfare-ent.i.tlements-principles-of-reform-and-the-next-steps.

2 Ed Feulner, "A better way to reform welfare," Was.h.i.+ngton Times, April 5, 2011, http://www.was.h.i.+ngtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/5/a-better-way-to-reform-welfare/ .