This Week From AAI

Revenue Soup, Bad Apples, Minimum Wage Mirage, & Unpunished Threats

Obama's Revenue Soup

In "Annie Hall," Woody Allen tells the joke of two women complaining about a restaurant. The first says the food here is awful and the second replies, yes, and they serve such small portions. Sounds like President Obama's proposal to raise the capital-gains tax: It will hurt the economy and it won't raise much new revenue. Read more from The Wall Street Journal.

Why It Matters That Obamacare's Coverage Will Cost $2 Trillion

The Boston Globe editorial board says we shouldn't be concerned about the cost of ObamaCare and points to a recent Congressional Budget Office memo to prove it. Peter Suderman has something to say about that at Reason.

The Obama Rule

Forget Warren Buffett, or whatever other political prop the White House wants to use for its tax agenda. This week the Administration officially endorsed what in essence is the Obama Rule: Taxes must be high simply to spread the wealth, never mind the impact on the economy or government revenue. The Wall Street Journal explains.

Bad Apples

If you don't think it's fair for government employees to make substantially more money than people who do the same jobs in the private sector, a burgeoning public relations campaign is here to say you're wrong. Tim Cavanaugh explains at Reason.  And three new studies show why he's right.

No, Obamacare Won't Reduce the Deficit

The short version: Despite repeated claims to the contrary, ObamaCare won't reduce the deficit over the next decade. Peter Suderman explains why at Reason.

Born This Way?

As a nation, we've made great strides overcoming our differences. North vs. South, Catholic vs. Protestant, black vs. white. These divisions once brought forth extraordinary animosity. Those differences have not disappeared, but the urgency and rancor has faded. Jonathan Haidt makes the case at Reason.

The New Black Panthers' Unpunished Threats

George Zimmerman is facing charges of second-degree murder. A jury will decide his guilt or innocence. Here's hoping the criminal-justice system cools rather than exacerbates the passions the killing of Trayvon Martin has raised. But Attorney General Eric Holder isn't helping. John Fund explains at National Review Online.

The Real Reason for the Tragedy of the Titanic

The disaster is often seen as a tale of hubris, social stratification and capitalist excess. The truth is considerably more sobering, says Chris Berg at The Wall Street Journal.

No Obamacare Exchanges

The most important front right now is to ensure that states do not create the health-insurance exchanges Obamacare needs in order to operate. Refusing to create exchanges is the most powerful thing states can do to take Obamacare down. Think of it as an insurance policy in case the Supreme Court whiffs. Michael F. Cannon expounds at National Review Online.

What Happens to the GSA in Vegas Doesn't Stay in Vegas

Official Washington's rapid response to the General Services Administration's billionaire-bachelor-party level of profligacy is welcome, as it goes. However, GSA's much-maligned, $822,751 team-building extravaganza in Sin City is like a whispered prayer compared to daily life in Washington. Alas, when it comes to partying 'til the money runs out, what happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas. Deroy Murdock explains at National Review Online.

The Minimum Wage Mirage

It would be nice if every worker were worth $9.80 an hour. But not all workers are. Steve Chapman makes the case at Reason.

Stop Cyberbullying Your Masters!

As further evidence that "cyberbullying" (with cyber-stalking close behind) has become the "disorderly conduct" of the online world-an all-purpose legal bludgeon with which to thump people in the kidneys when the authorities don't like what they're doing but can't find a real crime about which to complain-three San Francisco high school seniors were suspended for saying mean things about their teachers in Tumblr posts .J.D. Tuccille examines at Reason.

President of the Twilight Zone

Deconstructing one of President Obama's speeches can be a bit like taking a trip to an alternate universe. Take his remarks last week to the Associated Press, contrasting his budget vision with that of Paul Ryan and Republicans. All that was missing was a Rod Serling voice-over announcing, "You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination."  Michael Tanner explains at National Review Online.

The Cure for Humanity's Natural State of Abject Poverty

Humanity's natural state is abject poverty. So how did some portion of the human race manage to escape this natural state? A remarkably insightful new book has some answers. Ronald Bailey opines at Reason.