'Specialization Is for Insects'
In praise of self-sufficiency
Topics
Trump's War on Whisky Is a Dram Shame
Whisky has become collateral damage in a long-running spat between the U.S. and the E.U. over subsidies to airplane manufacturers.
Can Senseless Gun Regulations Be Constitutional?
Under New York's rules, licensed pistol and revolver owners were not allowed to leave home with their handguns unless they were traveling to or from a shooting range.
The FBI's Sloppy FISA Surveillance Is Exposed
The findings shared by Inspector General Michael Horowitz revealed some rotten practices at the FBI and a major media blindspot.
U.S. Fertility Reaches All-Time Low as People Choose Things Other Than Children
The global total fertility rate fell by more than half, from 5 births per woman in 1960 to 2.4 today. But don't panic!
Michael Bloomberg and the Imperious Presidency
Until we start denuding the Oval Office, we will continue getting the royals we deserve.
The War on Porn Is Back
Conservatives hope to renew their old alliance with radical feminists.
Elizabeth Warren Is a Teachers Union Pet
Despite costing less to educate, Boston's charter students significantly outperform their peers in both reading and math. So why is Warren still opposed?
The Supreme Court's Next Fourth Amendment Showdown
In November, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Kansas v. Glover.
Why Alaskans Can't Get Alaskan Natural Gas
It's ridiculous to cut off Alaskans from the resources found in their own backyards.
The Corruptions of Talking Like Trump
By copying his language, interesting thinkers run the risk of dumbing themselves and America down.
Should Banks Be in the Gun Control Business?
There is no easy way to determine whether someone is spending a lot on guns because they like guns or because they plan to commit an act of terror.
Senators Propose Limits on Police Use of Facial Recognition
Some privacy activists say the bill still falls short.
Elizabeth Warren Has a Fake Plan To Pay for Medicare for All
Warren claims total costs for middle-class families would go down under her plan, but there are reasons to doubt this.
Adding Jobs but Not Housing Is a Recipe for Urban Unrest
New York City has failed to zone for enough housing to keep pace with growth.
Populism Comes to Chile
Protesters say the cost of living is too high and wealth is distributed too unequally.
The New Normal and the Prospects for a Post-Political Future
When things were normal—whether you benchmark to the Republican version or the Democratic version—politicians were still venal and governance shoddy.
Let Kids Have Recess Outside In Winter
What's with school districts canceling outdoor recess when the temperature dips below freezing?
South Dakota's Meth Problem
"This is something that we knew would be provocative," said the state's Republican governor.
Resolutions To See You Through a New (Election) Year
Too many of your friends and neighbors are tribal idiots, but they're not the worst tribal idiots in recent memory, by any means.
The Vaping Panic Is a Major Setback for Public Health
"There's no question public health would benefit dramatically if everybody switched completely to e-cigarettes."
Don't Trade Stock Tips or Obsess About the Fed, Read Moby Dick Instead
You need to be inoculated from some strange but popular notions about the economy.
Elizabeth Warren Wants To Tax Lobbying
Her lobbying tax proposal is pseudo-policy, a veneer of wonky seriousness over dubious populist dogma.
Will Philadelphia Host America's First Supervised Injection Site?
There are no supervised injection facilities openly operating in the United States. That might change soon.
What Do We Owe to People Whose Countries We Have Broken?
The case for offering victims of our foreign policy a chance to get out and start over.
Hongkongers Are Fighting To Keep What They Have
Hundreds of thousands of Hongkongers have taken to the streets, smashed lamp posts, and stormed government buildings to keep China from encroaching on Hong Kong's freedoms prematurely.
Doorbell Surveillance Networks Have Arrived. Should We Be Scared?
Cops can now request access to videos recorded by Ring, bypassing that pesky step of obtaining a search warrant first.
Trump Is Wrong About the Fed, and the Fed Is Wrong About Economics
Milton Friedman once said that "money is much too serious a matter to be left to the central bankers." He was right. Still, we should ensure the Fed isn't being swayed by partisan interests.
Democrats Are Conjuring Up New 'Rights'
Faced with a president they find repulsive to the core and with unfunded future payment obligations in the many trillions, Democrats think now is the time to really unleash Washington.
The Cajun Cannabis Conundrum
In Louisiana, the legal medical marijuana scheme is a mess: Physicians' hands are tied by state regulators and there's not enough pot to go around for the patients who need it.
Would a Bigger Legislature Mean a Smaller Government for California?
It's probably true that there is no magic ratio of legislators to constituents. Still, do Californians need more representation?
American Taxpayers Are Subsidizing Ultra-Cheap Shipping From China
For decades, the U.S. Postal Service has charged some countries less than it charges domestic shippers to move packages within the United States.
Tom Wins the Battle Over Tom's Diner
What happens when preservationists get in the way of a diner owner who is looking to sell his place, retire, and pocket the cash?
Impeachment Is Both the Cause and the Effect of a Too-Powerful Presidency
If, at the end of all this, President Mike Pence sits behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, what has been accomplished?
Halloween Is Supposed To Be (a Little) Scary
Halloween combines the two things we fear most in America today—kids actually leaving the house, and food other than hummus and baby carrots being fed to them.
Florida Prisons Are a Slow-Motion Disaster
"We are a prison system that's overstuffed and under-guarded, and that is a lethal combination of policies," says state Sen. Jeff Brandes.
