With the fighting over in Iraq, what economic lesson can we draw from the squabbles that emerged when performers and others raised their voices in protest during the last few months? Actor Tim Robbins claims that the Baseball Hall of…
Should the Fed try to achieve inflation?
What do you think of the idea that the Federal Reserve should manage the nation’s money supply so as to reach a certain level of inflation, say 2.5 percent? Many people might respond negatively. After all, isn’t the job of…
Tax policy relies on a vice precedent
The Minnesota Legislature has produced two proposals that reveal our ambiguous feelings about tobacco and gambling. We still disapprove of gambling. We increasingly disapprove of smoking. But recognizing that some people want to gamble or smoke just as some want…
Humped flatbeds signal doom for Fidel’s regime
Have you noticed how newer flatbed semitrailers arc upwards like a hunter’s bow when they are not loaded? I ask that question rhetorically. Friends and family members have long told me that I am fascinated by little details that don’t…