Istanbul, Turkey. How free is Turkey? Turkey is almost entirely Muslim but lacks most of the repressive characteristics of many of the Arab Muslim countries.

It has a largely free market with a high rate of economic growth. But it ranks in the middle among other countries in terms of economic freedom and per capita income. It also has less religious freedom and freedom of speech than is common in most of Europe and the United States and, thus, less liberty.

The Mont Pelerin Society, most of whose members are economists and other scholars who were inspired by the great economist and philosopher F.A. Hayek, is holding a meeting here in Istanbul to discuss the nation, the state and liberty. The discussants are drawn from many countries and cultures, resulting in a very stimulating debate, some of which is summarized here, along with my own observations and thoughts.

It was certainly no coincidence that on the 4th anniversary of 9/11 last Sunday, front page headlines appeared in the nation’s newspapers entitled Pentagon Revises Nuclear Strike Plan .

It was a public shot across the Jihadi Terrorists’ bow, meant to make them and folks in Mecca nervous. You know why, since you read Mad in Mecca in To The Point back in October, 2004, and George Bush and the Sword of Damocles: Why There Hasn’t Been Another 9/11 last January.

It’s the clearest sign yet that Mecca is being held as a nuclear hostage.

The collapse has begun. Nihilism thrives in Europe.

A new book written by Alejandro Macarrón Larumbe, El Suicidio Demográfico de España" (The Demographic Suicide of Spain - although in Spanish, here is a Power Point summary in English) delivers a death sentence for Europe.

The German giant is also ditching.  The weekly Der Spiegel has a long article titled "A Land without Children."  The European Union, which offers its citizens every comfort, with first-rate health care, long holidays and sit-down lunches, protected jobs and generous welfare, has the world's lowest fertility rate (1.47 children per woman) and the highest percentage of a population that is over 65 years old (16.4 per cent of the population in the EU).

Meanwhile, nearly one in three pregnancies in Europe is terminated by abortion, according to the Gutmacher Institute in the US, and all over Europe gay marriage is advancing (France and UK will soon approve it). The model is Spain, where you have no more "father" and "mother", but Parent (progenitor) A, and Parent (progenitor) B.

In the Netherlands, you can order a mobile euthanasia van to your house. It's the first experiment in the world of door-to-door euthanasia and the insurance covers the cost of the operation.

The two most intriguing words of the week:  "I'm game."  It's was Sarah Palin's answer to Eric Bolling on Fox's Follow The Money show on Wednesday (2/15). 

She agreed with Bolling that we could end up with a brokered GOP convention, and that while she respected "all four" remaining candidates in the race (Romney, Santorum, Gingrich & Paul), "all bets are off" if it comes to that.  "If it does," asked Bolling, "then, Governor, would you be interested?"

Sarah's answer:  "I would be willing to help any way that I can."  And: "If that means running for office at some point in the future, I'm game."

No wonder everyone wants a brokered convention.  As Jenny Beth Martin and Mark Meckler, founders of Tea Party Patriots, told Neil Cavuto on Fox News on Wednesday (2/15), "Nobody is satisfied with the (four) candidates out there. They're all losers."

Jenny and Mark could have done a mea culpa at this point, for after going ga-ga over Herman Cain, they pouted in a corner when he cratered.  If Tea Party Patriots had gone all-up/all-in for Rick Perry, we wouldn't be in this loser-mess now.

But we are.  So, what would it take for an "all bets are off" convention?  The short answer is...

Many on the political left are quick to recognize that tax rates affect behavior when applied to behaviors they do not like, such as smoking. They want to have high taxes on certain foods, such as candy, drinks containing sugar, and transfats, to discourage their use.

But when it comes to labor and capital, those on the left often argue that those taxes have little effect on the willingness of people to work or invest in productive enterprises, despite both the empirical evidence and good economic theory.

President Obama, you assert that it is fair for the rich to pay more, but you never define ‘fairness' or how you derived this undefined concept. Why?

I have asked the White House to provide the answer but have received no response. We know from previous experience and from good dynamic economic studies that higher capital gains taxes will result in fewer new jobs and even less tax revenue. How is that fair, Mr. President?

Now that Bush has utterly outfoxed the Dems on his first Supreme Court nomination - John Roberts is a done deal for Chief Justice - everyone inside the Beltway is handicapping his next choice.

He has confided in no one, including me. Maybe Laura knows, but she’s only given hints. Those hints and everything else points to a feminine direction. The next nominee, replacing Sandra Day O’Connor, almost has to be a woman.

It could be Priscilla Owen, it could be Edith Jones, but I am crossing my fingers for Janice Rogers Brown.

I've been getting lots of questions on the Dubai ITU conference, which begins next Monday (12/03-14). There are a lot of misleading stories floating around. Each group in this fight has journalists that they control, and these "noble servants of the fourth estate" are dutifully raising concerns from several different angles at the same time.

Now, before I explain what's happening, let me warn you that it's an ugly mess, and that none of the players are clearly "the good guys." 

So here's a breakdown on the Players, the Fights, and What Will Happen.

Thanks to Herculean efforts by Miko and Joel Wade, we have finally reached closure on RXII - the Plan B Rendezvous.

First is when.  Memorial Day weekend turned out to be booked up everywhere and impossibly expensive to boot.  After much scrambling, the dates that work are for the following weekend, Friday June 1^st to Sunday June 3^rd. 

Second is where.  It's really hard to come up with a fabulous place in a fabulous location at an affordable price - but after endless hardball negotiating, Miko & Joel did it.  So here we go.  RXII will be at the Seascape Beach Resort on Monterrey Bay in Santa Cruz, California. 

All the info and details will be up early next week.  For now, plan to join us for the 12^th TTP Rendezvous - RXII - the Plan B Rendezvous, Friday June 1^st to Sunday June 3^rd at the Seascape Report in Santa Cruz.  Maybe we should call this the Beach Party Rendezvous!

************
The big CPAC convention is going now in DC, and yesterday there was a extraordinary speech - it was exhilarating and depressing, uplifting and infuriating, so galvanizing you stood up and cheered, so immensely sad you sat down and cried.