Media attention has concentrated recently on the Middle East “democracy” protests and what appears to be degenerating into a civil war in Libya. This focus tended to shift attention from crises that were raging prior to the Middle East turmoil. One such example is European debt crisis. As we approach the European Council Summit towards […]
African Union chairman Jean Ping’s recent op-ed espouses China as the model of economic excellence to which African countries should aspire. Ping praises China’s globalization, particularly in enterprise development, trade, and investment in Africa. However, Ping structures his argument around a misinformed premise. He assumes that since China is a major business partner with Africa […]
Once again, Obamacare shows that, when it comes to health care reform, the saying “Hey, it’s the thought that counts” just doesn’t cut it. Proponents of the new law argue that its stringent insurance regulations will help consumers, but these new regulations also threaten some existing employer-sponsored plan arrangements. To avoid a flood of workers […]
The New York Times has a stroy out today purporting to show that “Majority in Poll Back Employees in Public Sector Unions.” But like much of what The New York Times publishes, this poll is completely worthless. To understand why just look at the question they used to justify their headline: Collective bargaining refers to […]
A dual U.S.-Lebanese citizen charged with supporting the Hizbullah terrorist organization has been extradited from Paraguay to Philadelphia. U.S. officials have announced that 38-year-old Moussa Ali Hamdan appeared in court there over the weekend. He faces 28 counts on various charges, including conspiracy to provide funds to Hizbullah from the sale of counterfeit money and […]
by Daniel Pipes February 16, 2011 updated Feb 26, 2011 In an article today (“Small Budget Cuts Add Up“), Reps. Jason Chaffetz (Republican of Utah) and Anthony Weiner (Democrat of New York) call the U.S. Institute of Peace a “case study in how government waste thrives” and calls its $54 million in public funding in […]
In the midst of a tense bilateral dispute between the U.S. and Pakistan over the case of Raymond Davis—an American Embassy employee who shot and killed two armed Pakistanis in what he claims was self-defense—civil society leaders from both countries met in Lahore, Pakistan, February 17-19. The initiative, dubbed the U.S.-Pakistan Leaders Forum, was convened […]
Today Wisconsin, tomorrow California? The battle between government unions and state budgets was inevitable once the unions were given collective bargaining rights over the past 50 years. The battle boiled over the past few weeks in Wisconsin as Republicans in the Legislature are attempting to repeal the state’s collective bargaining law for public-employee unions, along […]
Early yesterday morning, the Wisconsin assembly passed Governor Scott Walker’s (R) budget repair bill, which includes language requiring public employees to contribute 5.8 percent of their salaries to cover the cost of their pensions and pay 12 percent of their health insurance premiums. The measure also significantly limits collective bargaining for government employees, such as […]
by Prof. Steve Hochstadt A new internet cartoon is capturing public interest by explaining the sources of our worldwide financial distress. Using a clever South Park format, “The American Dream” reveals the hidden enemies of naive Americans, and others around the world, who yearn for financial independence – the US Federal Reserve and all national […]
