Veronique De Rugy: Losing The Brains Race

America is spending more on education while producing worse outcomes.
In November the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released its Program for International Student Assessment scores, measuring educational achievement in 65 countries. The results are depressingly familiar: While students in many developed nations have been learning more and more over time, ...  MORE

Thomas Sowell: Reckless Spending - High Speed Rail

Nothing more clearly illustrates the utter irresponsibility of Barack Obama than his advocacy of "high-speed rail." The man is not stupid. He knows how to use words that will sound wonderful to people who do not bother to stop and think. High-speed rail may be feasible in parts of Europe or Japan, where the population density is much higher than in the United States. But, without enough people packed into a given space,  ...   MORE

John Stossel: Why Does Government Suppress Information

Sunday night is Oscar night! Think you know who's going to win? Want to make a bet? The Hollywood Stock Exchange allows people to bet on which movies, actors, directors, etc. will take home Academy Awards. You can also bet on how much money a movie might make. It's called a prediction market ... except unlike other prediction markets, bettors can't use real money. What fun is that?  ... MORE

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes of Atlas Shrugged the Movie

Radley Balko: The Mind Of A Police Dog

How misconceptions about dogs can lead to abuse of humans.
For the first few years I had her, I was impressed by my late dog Harper's uncanny ability to assess people's character. She hated every crappy landlord and bad roommate. Barked at them. Snarled at them. Wouldn't go near them. But if I brought home a date I liked, Harper, a Shar Pei/Labrador mix, would curl up right next to  ...   MORE

Walter E Williams: Democracy Versus Liberty

It is truly disgusting for me to hear politicians, national and international talking heads and pseudo-academics praising the Middle East stirrings as democracy movements. We also hear democracy as the description of our own political system. Like the founders of our nation, I find democracy and majority rule a contemptible form of government.  You say, "Whoa, Williams, you really have to explain yourself this time!" ... MORE

Michael Pento: Geithner's Failed Makeover

The plan does not address the Fed's role in making interest rates arbitrarily low.
To counter the increasing demands that government reduce its micromanagement of the economy, last week the Obama Administration offered a fig leaf in the form of a white paper entitled "Reforming America's Housing Finance Market." In addition to marking the official end of the Bush era "ownership society," ...  MORE

VIDEO: Walter E Williams - Ownership and Preservation

Steve Chapman: Police Cameras and Crime

Can a surveillance state make us safer?
If you want to be on TV, don't go to Los Angeles or New York. Come to Chicago, where your wish is certain to be fulfilled. In fact, you couldn't avoid it if you wanted to, thanks to the nation's most extensive network of police surveillance cameras. Anytime you walk out your door, you may find an audience.  ... MORE


VIDEO: Ayn Rand - In Defense of Capitalism


Ayn Rand explains the necessity of capitalism to a free society.

VIDEO: Milton Friedman - Poverty and Equality

S. Fred Singer - The Sad State Of The State Of California

Many must be wondering whether the state of California is beyond repair.
This is particularly true after the November 2010 elections when its citizens voted for the same politicians that have brought them the same failed policies.  As deficits mount and taxes increase, productive people and enterprises are leaving California for more hospitable states.  Inevitably, there will be a tipping point when ...  MORE

David Harsanyi: An Assault On Taxpayers

The more we grow the government's education monopoly, the worse it will get.
When Dan Nerad, the superintendent of schools in Madison, Wis., was informed that 40 percent of the teachers union was calling in sick this week (evidently, something's going around), he shut down the entire operation. "At this ratio," he explained, "we have serious concerns about our ability to maintain safe and secure school environments." ...  MORE

VIDEO: Obama's Valentine: A $1.65 Trillion Deficit

FCC Commish For Government Intervention in Journalism

Success of FOX News pits government official against First Amendment.
Federal Communications Commissioner  Michael  Copps decried the decline of “real journalism” and called for the government to intervene during a speech to the FCBA on Tuesday. According to The Hill, Copps told the audience that he was disappointed in the commission’s inability to act. Copps went on to say that the decline  ...  MORE