Weekend links

A looming black market?

• President Obama has decided to impose tariffs on Chinese tires. Mark Perry, however, notes that this is a tax increase on American consumers. Big win for unions, not so much for the rest of us.

• Germans are stocking up on incandescent light bulbs ahead of a looming ban. Because, you know, prohibitions have such a wonderful history.

• If people at townhalls -- more specifically the opponents of health care reform -- are so crazy and scary, why is there so little violence?

• The new head of the Senate Agriculture Committee is on the public dole.

• Good news: free market reforms are thriving around the world. Just not here in the U.S. it seems...