26 | July | 2012

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Move over Bakken, here comes Eagle Ford Shale

Mark J. Perry | July 26, 2012, 11:57 pm

The world’s largest economics organization IHS Global Insight is reporting today that the Eagle Ford Shale area in South Texas will likely be an even more prolific oil-producing area than the booming oil-rich Bakken region of North Dakota: “Strong drilling … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion, Elections

Go big or go home: Why Obama and Romney should propose institutional reform if they want to win Election 2012

Henrik Temp | July 26, 2012, 5:16 pm

While it’s true that going big can often blow up in a candidate’s face, leaving them vulnerable to attack, there are compelling reasons for both Obama and Romney to take the plunge and go for broke. read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Congress and the president: Happy to go easier on Iran

Danielle Pletka | July 26, 2012, 3:59 pm

So, this is weird. Most foreign policy types around town agree the Obama administration is conducting foreign (not to speak of domestic) policy through the prism of the elections: The president’s doing nothing on foreign policy that might cause trouble … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion, Elections

Who ‘doesn’t get you’?

Marc Thiessen | July 26, 2012, 3:22 pm

CBS reports: Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday gave an audience of firefighters his view of GOP rival Mitt Romney…. “Part of the problem is,” Biden said. “I don’t think he just gets you, I don’t think he really understands. … read more >

Carpe Diem

Motor vehicle traffic up by 2.3% in May vs. last year, largest monthly gain since 2009

Mark J. Perry | July 26, 2012, 2:18 pm

The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) reported recently that “travel on all roads and streets” in the U.S. increased by 2.3% in May compared to May 2011. That was the largest monthly gain in motor vehicle travel since a 2.8% increase … read more >

Economics, Monetary Policy

Do we really want Congress controlling the Fed?

Daniel Hanson | July 26, 2012, 2:10 pm

The Fed has problems with accountability, but making them accountable to an organization that can’t get its own house in order is like putting a drug addict in charge of an alcohol rehab program. read more >

Economics, Regulation

Jeb Hensarling’s excellent Dodd-Frank analysis

Peter J. Wallison | July 26, 2012, 1:58 pm

Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) has an important article in today’s WSJ (“Dodd-Frank’s Unhappy Anniversary”)—important because it focuses on the right issue: that Dodd-Frank has substantial adverse consequences for the U.S. economy. read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, India

India’s Muslim question

Sadanand Dhume | July 26, 2012, 1:25 pm

India needs to find ways to help Muslims as fellow citizens rather than as representatives of a faith. read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Iran’s Suleimani lives, and so does the concept of ‘export of the revolution’

Ali Alfoneh | July 26, 2012, 11:05 am

A few days ago, I wrote a blog post discussing rumors about the death of Major General Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, at the July 18 bombing in Damascus. I was skeptical, and those … read more >

Carpe Diem

CPI for Natual Gas Falls to Nine-Year Low This Year

Mark J. Perry | July 26, 2012, 3:43 am

The chart above displays the monthly CPI series for “Utility (piped) gas service” back to 2000 (the series equals 100 in 1983), and shows the significant benefits of the shale gas revolution for American consumers. Despite a slight uptick … read more >

The Uses of Scandal
One of the greatest uses of scandal is to vividly demonstrate what new laws are needed and to create the political conditions to get them enacted. […]
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. […]