The Times are a charging

If you've noticed today the New York Times stopped giving their paper away for free on the internet.You'll have to pay $49.95 to get access to their op-ed columinists.This is risky for the Times because they are charging for something you've gotten for free for years.So it's time to reflect on this decision.Last Friday,the NYT share price closed at $32.44,next year we'll check and see if it's higher.We realize the New York Times is more than the paper itself,they own other newspapers and TV stations so one could say we are making a big deal about something small.I've got to admit that maybe they've made the wrong decision in their own arrogance.I'm more interested in their news coverage which they are still largely giving away for free.Charging for Maureen Dowd,Frank Rich,and gang is quite a challenge.If you don't want to pay to read them,I don't blame you.If you're looking for better punditry here's a list with some explanation on why these people are definitly better than the Times crowd.There's no particular order here.
1)Debra Saunders is one of the few people in the city of San Franscisco that's willing to question taking someone's property for the "public good".Saunders would rather tell the you the truth than make nice with establishment.She's not only a great pundit but a great reporter in covering the important facts.
2)Walter Williams writes a syndicated column.Williams isn't your typical pundit,he's got a Ph.d in economics.What you'll learn from reading Williams is economics applies everywhere: making economics more of a method than just a discipline.He's good at staying with the facts and has a healthy respect for freedom.If you want economist as pundit, Williams is a lot better than Paul Krugman
3)Mickey Kaus writes a mostly political blog for Slate.Kaus is a contrarian type Democrat who's willing to question the establishment.Kaus knows how to argue and find wholes in the facts which he probably learned at law school.Anyway,reading Kaus' blog is a lot more interesting than Dowd and crowd who often just state Democratic party beliefs as some sort of religious edict.
4)Glenn Reynolds runs the highly successful blog Instapundit.Glenn is a law professor blogging about just about everything.He's not your typical law professor though,there's a libertarian strain in his writings.Anyway,his insight on the law,education,elections,and whatever else is much more interesting than the typical Columbia Journalism graduate.What makes Reynolds special is he can be a specialist and a generalist.Specialist when talking about law and a darn good pundit on other issues.
5)Gary North is a historian who's written more books than most people have read.While the NYT wants to charge you,you can read Gary's column on LewRockwell.com for nothing and Gary's books can be downloaded for free.North's columns often discuss the implications of the welfare state.Even though Gary's Ph.d is in early American history,he understands large historical and economic trends.Few people will challenge you to really think more than Gary North.This guy is almost like a human encyclopedia.
6)Lew Rockwell runs a libertarian website and blog.Rockwell's columns are red meat for libertarians everywhere.This guy is arguably the leader of the libertarian revolt against the state.Rockwell's columns attack the welfare state,the warfare state,government ethics which are lower than the private sector,and much more.Rockwell wants to privatize schools,roads,bridges,get rid of the Fed,the income tax and much more.No one today argues against the concept of public property more than Rockwell.
6)Steve Greenhut writes a column for the Orange Register.He's might be the most politically incorrect columinist at a major newspaper in America today.Greenhut has written about eminent domain before it was cool.From Greenhut you'll also learn about union corruption,bloated government,and overpaid government workers.Few have the courage to write about such things.