by Antony Davies, James R. Harrigan. We are rarely subjected to debate over the minimum wage apart from election season, but America's painfully sluggish return to economic normalcy has politicians scrambling to do something to help the working class. While the minimum wage debate usually plays out at the federal level, there is now ... MORE
The rise of government-sanctioned home invasions. It’s 3 a.m. You’ve been asleep for hours when suddenly you hear a loud
“Crash! Bang! Boom!” Based on the yelling, shouting and mayhem, it
sounds as if someone—or several someones—are breaking through your front
door. With your heart racing and your stomach churning, all you can ... MORE
Politicians have seen to it. “There is precedent for a government shutdown,” Lloyd Blankfein, the chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs, remarked last week. “There’s no precedent for default. How wrong he is. The U.S. government defaulted after the Revolutionary War, and it defaulted at intervals thereafter. Moreover, on the authority of ... MORE
by Nick Gillespie. In the latest example of small-mindedness plaguing our educational system, schools
around the country are attempting to ban costumes and candy on what is
surely one of most kids’ favorite days of the year. The excuses range
from vague concerns about “safety” to specific worries about food
allergies to—get ... MORE
What if costs are pushed above black market price? When Congress banned marijuana in 1937, it did so in the guise
of taxation,
imposing a prohibitive levy on cannabis and created criminal
penalties for those who failed to pay it.
Marijuana taxes also played a prominent role in what may
be the beginning of the end for pot prohibition: the ... MORE
How Sunrise police make millions selling drugs. Police in this suburban town best known for its sprawling outlet mall have hit upon a surefire way to make millions. They sell cocaine. Undercover detectives and their army of informants lure big-money drug buyers into the city from across the United States, and from as far north as Canada ... MORE
The economics of tail-chasing. From April 1917 to November 1919, when Woodrow Wilson borrowed $30 billion to fight World War I, he was able to do so because of the promise he made to lenders that the commitment to repay them would be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. At the time, the ... MORE
These days, being seen as a victim can be useful. You immediately claim the moral high ground. Some people want to help you. Lawyers and politicians brag that they force others to help you. This turns some people into whiners with little sense of responsibility. Joe Biden's niece was arrested recently for throwing a punch at a cop. ... MORE