March 18, 2015

Congress's Secret Weapons

Most of us are familiar with mobster movies where they extort the business owner by offering him protection at a cost, or else. The technical definition of a “protection racket” implies it taking place “outside the confines of the l...

March 14, 2015

Islam and the Market

Prior to the Arab Spring, many would have followed the consensus that the Middle East, or Islamic countries in general, are allergic to democracy. Perhaps the large demonstrations in Tahrir Square and the overthrow of tyrannical regimes from Tunisia ...

February 28, 2015

The Invisible Hand and the New Panama Locks

The Panama Canal has served as the global transshipment shortcut for over one 100 years. By connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic, it allows ships to pass through without traversing around the southern tip of South America. By saving si...