What Passes for Palestinian Politics

Quite unsurprisingly, the Israeli-Palestinian “peace process” that John Kerry wanted to resuscitate appears to be collapsing (again).



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The Debt Dialogues [Episode 8]: Harry Binswanger on Inequality

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The Worm in the Apple Speaks

Michael Bromwich has issued his first report. Bromwich is the antitrust monitor empowered by a federal court to “reform” Apple Inc.’s corporate culture from within. Be afraid . . . be very afraid.



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The (Narrow) Debate over the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

At Room for Debate, on the New York Times opinion pages, there's a four-way exchange on this question: “can reconciliation between [the Palestinian factions] Fatah and Hamas end up improving the chances of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, which have dimmed as American-backed talks have foundered?”



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Software Engineers Don’t Deserve Antitrust Windfall

Once again, some of America’s most admired and innovative companies — in this case Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe, Intuit, Pixar, and LucasFilm — have fallen victim to an antitrust shakedown.



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Lawmakers Should Eliminate "Three Tier" Controls on Beer, Not Extend Them

For years, many craft brewers in Florida have been directly working with the stores that sell their products. But now Florida lawmakers are entertaining a bill that will make such direct dealings illegal, forcing craft brewers to instead use state-licensed distributors as middlemen.



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Does Parenthood Consist of Breeding Slaves?

One strain of argument for the welfare state contends that because you have benefited from the welfare state, you have an obligation to fund the welfare state.



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Engaging with Leading Free Market Thinkers

Last week ARI intellectuals spoke at the annual conference of the Association of Private Enterprise Education, APEE.



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What Squeegee Bandits Can Teach Us About the Welfare State

Somewhere near the bottom of Dante’s nine levels of hell rest the “squeegee bandits.” These were the guys who waited for your car to stop at a traffic light, and then — without permission — quickly squeegeed your windshield “clean.”



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Punishing Food Trucks for Their Popularity

The proliferation of the food truck industry has created numerous opportunities for entrepreneurial-minded Americans to start their own business. It is hard enough to succeed in the mobile cuisine business given how fiercely competitive the restaurant industry is. But government regulations are making it even harder for food truck entrepreneurs to stay afloat.



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Should Insurers Be Forced To Ignore Genetic Facts?

In a world where genetic testing is continually becoming more reliable and affordable, many people are wary of finding out their genetic makeup because they fear insurance companies will ask for the results. If your test shows that you are at high-risk for developing a disease, like Alzheimer’s, insurance companies may charge you higher premiums or may even decide that you pose too great a risk and turn down your application for coverage.



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An Earth Day “Pop Quiz” You’ve Got to Take

Over at Breitbart California, my colleague Keith Lockitch has just published an Earth Day pop quiz: “What is the ‘most ethical meat’?”



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Will Antitrust Enforcers Target “Predatory Technology”?

Everybody’s heard of “predatory pricing.” It’s the mythical process by which a big business can supposedly destroy competitors by selling below cost.



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Fast Food CEO: It Is Easier to Open a Restaurant in Russia than in Los Angeles

Government regulations regularly treat honest businessmen as guilty until proven innocent by requiring that they get government permission to open a business, even one as familiar as a fast food restaurant.



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High Frequency Trading — A Government Byproduct?

Whenever the press, politicians and academics vilify a financial phenomenon, further examination almost always reveals that its bad elements are caused by regulation, not by markets — and often its consequences are good, despite what the experts claim. Case in point: the hysteria surrounding so-called High-Frequency Trading.



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Ending the Debt Draft Update 2

This has been quite a month. We kicked off April with a debate on the welfare state at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that drew a live audience of 250 students and many more online.



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Uncommon Sense in the Campaign Finance Debates

Michael Kinsley has a very sensible take on the Supreme Court’s McCutcheon decision that is particularly notable because he refuses to join the chorus of unfocused, hysterical complaints about money in politics emanating from many of his colleagues on the left.



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Masked Eggplant Thugs Plant a Field of Lies

You may know it as an “eggplant,” but in Bangladesh, where it is considered a staple crop, it goes by the name “brinjal.” Last year, a biotech variety of the purple fruit, meant to resist attacks from insects, was approved for cultivation in Bangladesh.



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