A Step Closer to Privatizing Infrastructure?

This morning Illinois Senator Mark Kirk appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box to advocate new legislation which he claims would remove a dozen restrictions on private-public partnerships. I say “claims” because more often than not, legislation does the opposite of what its sponsors say it will do. I haven’t read the proposed legislation but from his description it sounds like he is advocating a state’s rights approach to infrastructure privatization.

If this legislation really does what he claims, it could be a step closer to true infrastructure privatization.

Stallman: An Internet-Connectivity Tax to Compensate Artists and Authors

As reported by PC Pro, in EBooks are “attacking our freedom”, free software advocate Richard Stallman wants ebooks boycotted “until they ‘respect our freedom.’” He’s concerned about DRM in Kindle books, for example. Also: “‘Amazon requires users to identify themselves to get an eBook,’ Stallman claims, pointing out that printed book buyers can walk into a bookstore and make a cash purchase anonymously.”

Restoring the Honor of the Spanish Cucumber

In the last few weeks, the European Union witnessed a food-poisoning scare that demonstrated the fragile nature of the entire European Union free-trade project. The crisis struck at a time when some EU countries are already in dire fiscal straits, which has provoked exaggerated responses to the outbreak. This article proposes an explanation of the economic forces that have been at play in Europe.