It's Normal for Regulators to Get Captured - McArdle

• The regulated industry controls the information used by the regulator. 
• The regulated industry cares more about regulations than anyone else. 
• The only place where a longtime regulator can get a new job is in the regulated industry. 
• It’s hard to stay confrontational all the time.
• Lobbying. It’s hard to adopt the Conan the Barbarian approach when you know that the boss of the folks you’re talking to is hosting a big fundraising dinner for your ultimate bosses in Congress and the White House.
• Over time, the interests of regulators and the interests of incumbents tend to converge upon keeping things nice and tidy by making sure that experienced players dominate the field.

Link

Where Deficits Come From

It's not lower taxes or tax rates.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/362063/where-deficits-come-kevin-d-williamson

If we had Eisenhower-era revenue today but 2013 levels of spending, then we could expect a deficit of about $720 billion, about what the White House is expecting this year. 

Incomes Have Dropped Twice as Much During the 'Recovery' as During the Recession

http://m.weeklystandard.com/blogs/incomes-have-dropped-twice-much-during-recovery-during-recession_750068.html

Are progressives misanthropic?

http://m.spectator.org/169477/show/3f9b0ea4bdc984df59d861e1a3ce7f40&t=8rbopraie2v1kl87i5e7carin2

Government = Politicians

Why government solutions don't work well:

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324103504578376511723893462

Thoughts on the Coronation, um, Inaugural

http://reason.com/blog/2013/01/22/obamas-inaugural-address-individual-righ

The Road to Detroit

Over the fiscal cliff or not, for America the destination’s Detroit – population 700,000 and shrinking – the city that has faithfully practiced the very same high taxing and big bureaucratic policies that the president is on the verge of bringing national without fail for over half a century. And let there be no mistake about it, from its crumbling financial house on down to its stunning refusal to reverse course, Detroit is Obama’s America all inside of 139 square miles. It’s also the ultimate coming attraction as to just exactly where the country’s careening to with Obama firmly at the wheel for another term as your president.



http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/01/15/the_road_to_detroit_116675.html