Bloomberg reports that the current Congress is on pace to produce far less legislation than previous Congress’s, and suggests the problem is due to Republican ideology.  But is this a problem?  Or is the Bloomberg report itself rather a reflection of a differing ideology?  Brookings Scholar Thomas Mann says, The 113th Congress is on track […]

At least that’s my take, based on this summary from Politico. Republicans get what they want, ~20,000 more border police, with 700 more miles of fence.  Democrats get what they want–more democratic voters (or at least that’s what they think they’re going to get; I’m not so sure).  Do we really want more of a […]

Many critics of Austrian economic theory on the causes of business cycles suggest that the lack of significant CPI-based inflation shows the Austrians are all wrong.  Yet, as I have argued earlier, CPI inflation is NOT what Austrians are concerned with.  Rather the central banks artificially lowering interest rates leads to malinvestment and a distortion […]

Over on the DC publication The Hill, we find that the head of the IMF suggests climate change is the new growth engine for jobs! Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said Thursday that climate change will drive job creation.  “Climate change will create jobs. It will create disasters before it […]

Last week I was able to go to Acton University and experience a great intellectual exploration of the intersection of faith and markets.  One of the best features was the diversity of the participants; we had ~850 participants from 85 countries!  Most were Christians (Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox), although I enjoyed one dinner while talking […]

The long-awaited Supreme Court decisions concerning the right to homosexual marriage under California’s Proposition 8 and the receipt of federal benefits under the Defense of Marriage Act, have now been issued.  I have not yet read the decisions in their entirety, but I will hazard a few comments for the present. First on Defense of […]

Yesterday President Obama announced he is not going to be hindered by lack of congressional action on Global Warming; he’ll use Executive Orders to implement his vision, since Mr. Obama avers that “We don’t have time for a meeting of the Flat Earth Society.” The WSJ has a nice editorial on this today, noting that […]

I have to be honest with you–I have a thing for zombies. I think our current fascination with zombies reveals a good bit about our culture. Zombies are the perfect monsters for our age. They maintain a residue of humanity, which makes them recognizable and relatable, though they are inhuman enough for us to enjoy […]

Kevin Williamson, roving correspondent for National Review, has written an important column on the relationship between the federal government and its citizens. Essentially, he argues, that the NSA’s actions have eroded trust. Essentially, a limited government has a deeper reservoir of trust and should be able to target resources more efficiently into activities like spying […]

We live in the golden age of superhero films. While largely a product of risk-averse Hollywood, which is always seeking another franchise to construct or exploit, these films have proven to be bankable and generally entertaining. While The Dark Knight, for me, remains the pinnacle of the genre, The Man of Steel is a worthy entry […]