Since his election as president of Venezuela in 1998, leftist strongman Hugo Chávez has shattered his country’s already weak institutions to expand and sustain his grip on power and has built an anti-U.S. alliance with Cuba, Iran, Russia and China.

By next year, about two-thirds of American physicians will be working as salaried employees of large groups and hospitals. This movement has been underway for years. Over the last decade, the number of independent physicians was falling by about 2% a year. But these trends are now accelerating. 

With the new health-care plan, hospitals will be accountable for the patient health of their regional area, with no competition innovation is unlikely.

Congress must use its oversight powers to ensure that the accountable care organizations (ACOs) have to play by the same rules as other providers.

If a country wants to have an enterprise culture, it must have a vigorous competition policy.

Reimposing Glass-Steagall restrictions on affiliation between banks and securities firms will not prevent the conflicts of interest that truly should be prevented.

The launch of the Euro and continuing EU market integration will increase the number of cross-border transactions, and a clearer frameworkfor the role of national authorities is needed.

Protectionism is just as harmful as it ever was--it has just become more difficult to recognize.