01 | November | 2011

Sunday, May 19, 2013

If you want to end corporate welfare, privatize the postal service!

Richard Geddes | November 1, 2011, 4:03 pm

The Postal Service has long been considered a bastion of integrity among government institutions. That makes it all the more startling to realize that the primary function of that venerated institution is now in supporting the delivery of commercial mail. … read more >

Carpe Diem

Quote of the Day on Payday Loan Propaganda

Mark J. Perry | November 1, 2011, 2:33 pm

“The mindset of the left was recently displayed in a big, front-page story in the October 30th issue of the San Mateo County Times. It was an investigative reporter’s expose of the “payday loan” business and its lobbyists. According to … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Leaving behind ‘leading from behind’?

Marc Thiessen | November 1, 2011, 2:09 pm

Now that the Qaddafi regime has fallen, the Obama administration is distancing itself from its doctrine of “leading from behind,” claiming that they really didn’t lead from behind on Libya—they led. Foreign Policy’s Colum Lynch reports: So, what does Susan … read more >

Economics, U.S. Economy

The one chart that explodes the myth of U.S. income inequality

James Pethokoukis | November 1, 2011, 1:58 pm

Promoters of the income inequality meme—Occupy Wall Street, the Obama White House, liberal think tanks, “progressive” bloggers—typically point to data showing how “rich” households and families have been getting even richer vs. those in the middle class. But yet there’s … read more >

Economics

Infrastructure spending: An idea for when you’ve run out of ideas

James Pethokoukis | November 1, 2011, 1:09 pm

First, this helpful bit of information from the LA Times: California’s bullet train will cost an estimated $98.5 billion to build over the next 22 years, a price nearly double any previous projection and one likely to trigger political sticker … read more >

Economics, U.S. Economy

Shining more light on income inequality myths

James Pethokoukis | November 1, 2011, 11:20 am

Liberal economics writers Ryan Chittum, Kevin Drum, and Matt O’Brien continue to find fault with my posts (here, here and here) on income inequality. Let’s boil it down to two big issues: 1. Is income growth becoming more unequal? Chittum, Drum, … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Europe and Russia

Greece’s EU referendum: Just say Όχι

James Pethokoukis | November 1, 2011, 9:43 am

Now this, my friends, is a lede, courtesy of Daniel Hannan: I wish I could convey the sheer writhing horror that George Papanderou’s referendum proposal has provoked in Brussels. Eurocrats instinctively dislike referendums. … A referendum at any time would be … read more >

Economics, U.S. Economy

Occupy Jon Corzine?

James Pethokoukis | November 1, 2011, 9:32 am

Another “smartest guy in the room” isn’t looking so good. Jon Corzine’s attempt to turn MF Global Finance into a mini-Goldman Sachs has imploded spectacularly because of his ill-advised bets on EU sovereign debt. But Joe Nocera says the former … read more >

Economics

Warren Buffett’s staff need access to accountants

Nick Schulz | November 1, 2011, 9:20 am

Tim Taylor writes: … see Buffett’s August 14 article, “Stop Coddling the Super-Rich,” in the New York Times, where he writes: “Last year my federal tax bill—the income tax I paid, as well as payroll taxes paid by me and … read more >

Lean In… to Government?
Sheryl Sandberg's runaway best-selling book Lean In has managed to offend both the Left and the Right. Sandberg touts female hard-headedness, yet also calls for an elaborate government- and employer-supplied support system for women. […]
Are American Voters Racist?
Racial prejudice plays a very small role in American politics, but a highly disciplined sense of self-interest on the part of one group may play a very large role in the way the federal government functions. […]
The Perpetual Passion for Paper
Paper is becoming less important in some respects, but its strengths — prestige, utility, permanence, and security — are more essential than ever. […]
Could California Make a Comeback?
An unexpected glimmer of hope might cast a new light on the Golden State. […]