S.M. Oliva Archives
The Bureaucrats Are Running Scared
Jeffrey Tucker's post below argues that "national service" -- or as Ilya Somin more accurately calls it, "the mainstreaming of forced labor" -- "will rob young people of their most important years early in life, taking them out of productive work and making them less able to offer anything to the marketplace after." I think the important question to ask is why these initiatives are being pushed now by such a wide coalition of mainstream political interests.
The simple answer is fear. As governments continue to expand at all levels throughout the world, the establishment fears there won't be enough new bureaucrats to consume the wealth extracted from the productive members of society. Regulations and mandates don't enforce themselves, after all. Nor will political campaigns continue to generate the same heightened amount of interest in a world where wealth and technology allow people to pursue their own interests without resorting to rent-seeking.
Public schooling is no longer up to the task of producing the next generation of parasitic, wealth-destroying government drones. Something has to be done now or the very fabric of the modern state could start to unravel. "National service" offers today's bureaucrats hope for a better tomorrow. The basic premise is that forcing all young adults to participate in some form of government-directed labor will yield a crop of lifelong bureaucrats. Once the kids realize they don't have to be productive and can rely on taxpayer funds for subsistence, they'll be hooked!
A commenter replying to Jeffrey's post argued that this should be a call to arms: "This is not just another statist evil. This is THE border between an annoyingly big state and outright tyranny." I prefer a more optimistic spin. I see "national service" as a signal of statist desperation. They failed to create their Utopia with government schools, government health care and government management of commerce. So now they're reduced to the gimmick of "make every teenager work for the state for a year" to justify their continued plunder. Honestly, if that's the best the political establishment can come up with, then I think the battle has turned a corner in favor of the pro-freedom, pro-market campaign.
I'd also suggest a simple response to the force labor crowd. Simply declare, "I WILL NOT SERVE." Maybe we can get a petition going.
Consumer Protection or Legal Extortion?
On April Fool's Day of this year, New Mexico resident Mark Hershiser received a letter from Erika Wodinsky, a San Francisco attorney, demanding Hershiser turn over all revenue from Native Essence Herb Company, a small business co-owned by Hershiser and his wife Marianne. The letter was not a joke or a mistake. It was a premeditated act of extortion by Ms. Wodinsky. She had never met or spoken with Hershiser; her staff discovered Native Essence through its modest website. FULL ARTICLE
Random Acts of Antitrust
On September 24, the Anchorage School District (ASD) in Alaska transferred its bus contract from First Student, Inc. to Forsythe Transportation, Inc. The U.S. Department of Justice, obviously on break from its goals of pursuing terrorists and child pornographers, ordered ASD to change bus vendors because First Student's parent company acquired Laidlaw International, Inc., which holds the bus contracts for several other Alaska school districts. The DOJ's Antitrust Division feared a monopoly for Alaska school bus contracts, thus it took proactive measures to "help ensure continued competition for school bus contracts in Alaska after the merger to the benefit of Alaskan taxpayers."
I almost pity the DOJ lawyers and staff that participated in this random act of antitrust. Far removed from the glory of trying to breakup Microsoft, Antitrust Division lawyers have been reduced to bullying local school districts--their fellow bureaucrats!--in a feeble attempt to assert the government's commitment to "merger enforcement."
Continue reading "Random Acts of Antitrust" »
The True Cost of Higher Education
October 4, 2007 10:03 PM
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Obama Vows More Central Planning
September 28, 2007 11:41 PM
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Ooh, The Germans Are Mad at Me! I'm so scared!
September 19, 2007 10:04 PM
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Sacrificing Workers on the Competition Altar
September 4, 2007 2:04 PM
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Dogfighting May Lead to Canadian Antitrust Violations
August 26, 2007 12:58 PM
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Whole Foods Delayed Again
August 20, 2007 7:31 PM
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Whole Foods Defeats FTC
August 16, 2007 8:57 PM
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Richard Branson, Britain's Newest Welfare Queen
August 1, 2007 9:35 AM
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The Next Best Use for Extortion
July 31, 2007 9:25 PM
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A Review of The Simpsons Movie
July 29, 2007 12:15 AM
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Libertarians for Cruelty to Quarterbacks
July 18, 2007 8:22 PM
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The Tonic for Property Rights
July 10, 2007 8:19 PM
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A victory for executive power
July 4, 2007 9:31 PM
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Revenge of the Antitrustians
June 5, 2007 9:53 PM
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The Road to Efficiency...
May 21, 2007 3:59 PM
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Is April 18 Irony Day?
April 9, 2007 7:52 PM
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Better bankrupt than merged
March 25, 2007 8:30 PM
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Antitrust - Regulation or Economics?
March 11, 2007 1:50 PM
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Iowa lawyer ends three-month hostage standoff
February 18, 2007 3:16 PM
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Deception is a virtue in football
January 21, 2007 1:19 PM
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The business of universal preschool
January 7, 2007 1:49 PM
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Save the $100 hairdos!
January 3, 2007 8:53 PM
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Regulation From Cradle to Grave
December 13, 2006 1:49 PM
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Markets in Some Things, Not Others
December 11, 2006 10:25 AM
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Lights! Camera! Antitrust!
November 29, 2006 11:36 PM
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Measuring Bureaucractic Savings
November 26, 2006 9:57 PM
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Pro-Slavery Democrats
November 19, 2006 1:28 PM
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Friedman on antitrust
November 16, 2006 10:30 PM
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The Godfather's Monopoly
November 13, 2006 11:10 PM
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Owners Should Be Seen and Not Heard
October 30, 2006 10:02 PM
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The Federal Temperance Commission
October 26, 2006 8:13 PM
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Too Many Hasselbecks on TV
October 25, 2006 2:48 PM
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Terrorism Works in America's Capital
October 11, 2006 3:28 PM
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FTC Democrat Backs State-Owned Wi-Fi
October 10, 2006 9:31 PM
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Who are the Consumers?
September 26, 2006 5:20 PM
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Rooting Against "America's Team"
September 25, 2006 10:21 AM
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Don't Trade Dress that Sandwich!
September 24, 2006 8:53 PM
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Antitrust and IP: Partners in Freedom
September 22, 2006 11:11 AM
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Traitors in Our Midst (and Our Media)
September 22, 2006 12:22 AM
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The Rise of Okiefascism
September 19, 2006 9:36 PM
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The Mandate Against Markets
September 17, 2006 1:25 PM
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The Rotten Heart of Democracy
September 10, 2006 12:13 PM
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Welfare for Antitrust Lawyers, Part Deux
August 26, 2006 12:49 PM
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Guaranteeing Economic Ignorance
August 25, 2006 3:10 PM
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A Plea to "Save" Our Music Copyrights
August 22, 2006 10:31 PM
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Defending the "right" to market share
August 11, 2006 9:49 PM
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The Amtraking of Sports?
July 29, 2006 7:53 PM
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Atlantic Records -- "You're Pitiful"
July 24, 2006 12:00 PM
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U.S. attacks on Britain escalate
July 18, 2006 11:00 AM
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"We could not have that discussion"
July 17, 2006 9:36 PM
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FTC declares websites public property
July 13, 2006 12:49 PM
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The Ignorant Layperson Standard
July 11, 2006 10:14 AM
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Dreaming of a world without oil
July 7, 2006 7:57 PM
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Dollars for antitrust
July 6, 2006 8:20 PM
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Must the Government Decide if KFC is Good for You?
July 6, 2006 7:33 AM
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The Essential State
July 5, 2006 7:20 PM
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What's $11.5 million between friends?
July 1, 2006 9:57 PM
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The ends *always* justify the means
June 27, 2006 11:01 AM
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Competition vs. Property Rights
June 24, 2006 5:56 PM
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Where Consumer is King
June 20, 2006 8:18 PM
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Regulation "Made in USA"
June 10, 2006 12:50 PM
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Subsidizing anti-merger hysteria
May 30, 2006 11:11 AM
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The culture of competition
May 30, 2006 12:03 AM
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A plateful of intervention
April 27, 2006 6:10 PM
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Oil & Gas Wars: Antitrust Abroad
April 14, 2006 2:29 PM
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When antitrust met eminent domain
March 29, 2006 12:16 PM
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If only Col. Mason could pick brackets this well...
March 27, 2006 9:44 PM
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Subjective constructionism
March 14, 2006 9:18 PM
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More bureaucrats, less regulation?
March 13, 2006 12:05 PM
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"Black Thursday" for monopolists
March 2, 2006 1:16 PM
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If only Rolex had violated FISA...
February 28, 2006 10:34 PM
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Obesity vs. The Fourth Amendment
February 27, 2006 10:57 AM
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Equal protection for some
February 20, 2006 12:29 PM
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When "free" is less than ideal
February 4, 2006 9:12 PM
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The market ignores FTC orders
January 28, 2006 7:24 PM
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Pick Your Antitrust Poison
January 9, 2006 10:42 PM
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The chief justice goes rent-seeking
January 1, 2006 10:03 PM
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Platonic Competition Reconsidered
December 28, 2005 11:38 AM
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The baseball wars continue
November 29, 2005 9:04 AM
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Pounding the steroids issue
November 28, 2005 7:56 PM
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The state is the murderer's true refuge
November 27, 2005 11:45 PM
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Only America may deal with its enemies
November 26, 2005 7:19 PM
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76-year old antitrust case may end
November 15, 2005 1:40 AM
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Little Prosecutorial Lies
November 14, 2005 11:58 PM
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Gingrich v. Evil Physicians
November 12, 2005 3:29 PM
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The FBI's run-blocking schemes
November 9, 2005 11:53 AM
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The Imperial Vice Presidency
November 7, 2005 6:54 PM
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New Jersey: Not Just Another State!
November 5, 2005 11:23 AM
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The state wouldn't just give away money, would it?
November 4, 2005 9:15 AM
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Alito's record
November 1, 2005 1:24 PM
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In Frum Rod We Trust
October 27, 2005 7:58 PM
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Senate expands prosecutorial powers
October 26, 2005 3:18 PM
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The sanctity of human life
October 26, 2005 8:54 AM
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What independent media?
October 25, 2005 8:24 PM
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Antitrust-Mandated Blackouts
October 20, 2005 9:36 PM
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Bush is really, really conservative
October 19, 2005 8:13 AM
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Rove the Austrian?
October 17, 2005 5:52 PM
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Only We Are Allowed To Practice Price Fixing: Micron Edition
October 14, 2005 10:46 PM
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The limits of "choice"
October 14, 2005 6:15 PM
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Tony Blair's final solution
October 12, 2005 8:23 AM
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A conservative constitution is pro-antitrust, anti-drugs
October 6, 2005 8:22 AM
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Hamilton on cronyism
October 3, 2005 8:57 AM
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More on violence vs. cooperation
September 28, 2005 12:38 PM
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Tolerating property rights, post-Katrina
September 27, 2005 6:53 PM
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Crossing the constitutional threshold
September 26, 2005 9:14 PM
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Death by democracy
September 23, 2005 3:51 PM
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OKC subsidizes relief for Hornets
September 21, 2005 1:07 PM
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Down with home rule!
September 20, 2005 8:38 PM
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The feds are "gouging" themselves
September 17, 2005 11:11 PM
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The NCAA's new definition of "looting"
September 14, 2005 12:03 AM
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The Blind Challenging the Blind
September 13, 2005 12:44 PM
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The Return of Shortages and Long Lines
September 11, 2005 10:45 AM
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You've been warned...
September 7, 2005 2:24 PM
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Shameless Self-Promotion
September 6, 2005 10:40 PM
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So Much for "Advise and Consent"
September 5, 2005 5:59 PM
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The DOD didn't save up for a "rainy day"
September 2, 2005 9:57 PM
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Maybe we need a hotline to report 'Regulatory Gouging'
September 2, 2005 9:30 PM
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Public Service Link
August 28, 2005 9:25 PM
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The Agony of Defeat
August 28, 2005 5:56 PM
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Drugs, Antitrust, and Rock 'n' Roll
August 11, 2005 8:21 PM
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Free Trade Versus Stale Tomatoes
August 1, 2005 7:18 PM
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The Antitrust Carnival
July 14, 2005 10:09 PM
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Too Stupid to Make Your Own Decisions
July 14, 2005 12:49 PM
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Libertarian Centralism & Funeral Regulation
July 10, 2005 10:30 PM
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Let Facts be Submitted to a Candid World...
July 3, 2005 9:10 PM
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The Changing Face of "Coercion": From Standard Oil to Intel
July 1, 2005 1:04 PM
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Price Controls for Some. Miniature American Flags for Others!
June 25, 2005 10:21 PM
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EU Antitrust for Africa?
June 16, 2005 5:00 PM
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A Call for Information
June 15, 2005 6:20 PM
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A Call for Judicial Anarchy
June 7, 2005 5:47 PM
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Volunteer Lawyer Needed
June 1, 2005 11:38 AM
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The Non-Linear Theory of Rights Creation
May 24, 2005 1:28 PM
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Who Will Lynch the Lynchers?
May 19, 2005 11:45 PM
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Tribute to a Master Criminal
May 10, 2005 11:59 AM
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The "Academy Awards" of Antitrust
May 5, 2005 12:45 PM
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America's Fastest Growing Export
May 3, 2005 11:18 AM
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Bush and Oil: Partners in Corporatism
April 29, 2005 1:42 PM
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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Cheap Cement
April 28, 2005 9:01 PM
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This Post Isn't About Gay Marriage
April 23, 2005 2:24 PM
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More Power Means More Justice?
April 11, 2005 9:20 AM
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Good Corporate Governance = FTC?
March 25, 2005 9:20 AM
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Uncle Sam Wants You!
March 22, 2005 10:17 PM
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Dishonoring Government Contracts
March 21, 2005 11:03 AM
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A Final Word on Steroids
March 18, 2005 8:30 AM
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Illegal Procedure on the Jets
March 16, 2005 10:02 PM
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No Rights for Role Models (or Columnists!)
March 11, 2005 1:08 PM
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The FTC Goes to the Movies
March 4, 2005 8:46 PM
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Free Market "Pedigrees"
February 27, 2005 3:05 PM
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Unequal Protection Before the "Law"
February 25, 2005 10:49 AM
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Price Controls and the "Ownership Society"
February 14, 2005 9:47 AM
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Welfare for Antitrust Lawyers
February 11, 2005 10:27 AM
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Committing Crimes to Punish Crimes
February 4, 2005 8:29 PM
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No Subsidy Left Behind
January 27, 2005 9:58 PM
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Spitzer: Anti-Sedition Crusader?
January 23, 2005 10:28 PM
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Ideological Discrimination: Bad Academics, Good Government
January 20, 2005 1:46 PM
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Inaugural Economics
January 20, 2005 8:18 AM
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"Off Label" Monopolies
January 19, 2005 1:39 PM
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A Proposal to End the NHL "Lockout"
January 18, 2005 9:00 PM
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Another Step Towards Government-Owned Media
January 16, 2005 9:37 PM
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Role Models for Authoritarianism
January 13, 2005 6:52 AM
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Shades of Gray in Antitrust Policy
January 11, 2005 9:52 AM
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ARI on Natural and Man-Made Disasters
January 8, 2005 1:29 PM
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Building a Bridge Back to the 14th Century
January 6, 2005 8:46 PM
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New York's "Boss of Bosses" Strikes Again
January 5, 2005 11:29 PM
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A Proposal for Meaningful Legal Reform
January 3, 2005 9:39 AM
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Why Are Leeches (Not the Government) So Expensive?
December 27, 2004 11:51 PM
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Only Lawyers Can Save Us from Lawyers!
December 17, 2004 1:18 AM
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No Rothbardians Need Apply?
December 16, 2004 12:30 AM
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Antitrust and "Alternative" Media
December 14, 2004 1:00 PM
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Restoring a city's "soul" through redistribution of wealth
December 2, 2004 11:55 AM
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Powell's "Faith Based" Initiative
November 22, 2004 5:49 PM
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America and Judicial Imperialism
November 13, 2004 12:56 PM
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Preempting Hypothetical Mergers
November 2, 2004 8:02 AM
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The Divestiture "Solution"
September 30, 2004 4:28 PM
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Doctor-Assisted Price Fixing
September 22, 2004 5:59 AM
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