Recommended reading

• Ah, unions: the union representing University of California educators have effectively banned the university from offering any online courses that would result in the UC system laying people off (also known as reducing costs). This is particularly noteworthy given the weird anger directed by some at Wall Street over rising tuition costs. 

• An astute blog post from Warren Meyer, which I reprint in its entirety: "Do you remember back in the late 70′s, when the economy sucked, and no private entity would fund new technologies like computer startups Apple and Microsoft, so the government had to step in to provide the needed investment? Yeah, neither do I."

• Steve Bartin notes some interesting developments in Sweden's compassionate, government-run health care system.

• Two Stanford economists and one from the University of Chicago have concluded that the idea that policy uncertainty is harming the economy seems to have some validity to it. Particularly note this chart.

• Matt Welch has a great column on economic creationism. This is far more important -- and harmful -- to our country than the other type of creationism which attracts so much attention.