Bitcoin and a Lesson in Electricity Markets
“We should indeed be skeptical of financial fads, of everything in the Everything Bubble. And we should argue over bitcoin’s many monetary attributes – mostly because we therefore highlight how other monetary regimes work. But the environmental accusations of Bitcoin’s mining operations is like hitting your head against brick walls – not a very useful thing to do. Like the great JP Koning concluded this week, ‘It’s not the energy needs of these products that is the problem.'” ~ Joakim Book
Climate, CO2 Optimism
“Climate alarmism, never proven, is speculative—and increasingly so. Climate models are overpredicting real-world warming by half. For climate economists, lower-range anthropogenic warming flips the alleged externality from negative to positive. In any case, as leading scientist Roy Spencer concludes, ‘There is no Climate Crisis. There is no Climate Emergency.'” ~ Robert L. Bradley
Universal Basic Income: How Crazy of an Idea Is It Really?
Aleksandra Przegalinska, Vice Rector at Kozminski University and AIER Research Fellow interviews Robert Wright on the meaning, intent and practicality of universal basic income as an economic policy and moral conundrum for free societies.
The Blockchain and the Future of Everything
“The current apparatus of centralized data processing and storage is not only incapable of adequately handling the prerequisite needs of this digital society, but it might also turn it into a dystopia. What we need is a highly decentralized and efficient infrastructure that is impervious to manipulation. Blockchain technology seems to be the essential component to make the digitized society of the future a foundation for empowerment and growth rather than an Orwellian nightmare.” ~ Ethan Yang
When Politicians Say Fair Tax, They Only Mean More Tax
“So what exactly is anyone’s ‘fair share?’ That’s a hard question, and it’s made harder still when people tasked with answering it do everything they can to avoid answering it. As long as this continues, calls for the rich to pay ‘their fair share’ will never end because, in light of the numbers, proponents seem not to mean ‘fair’ at all. They simply mean, ‘more.'” ~ Antony Davies & James R. Harrigan
Why Do Cryptocurrencies Use So Much Energy?
“Critics are upset about the energy consumption of cryptocurrencies. But it’s not the energy needs of these products that is the problem. Let niche communities enjoy their strange energy-intensive activities. Rather, what is disturbing is that most consumers of cryptocurrencies don’t perceive the true cost of the services they are using. And so these very, very expensive products have, by accident, gone mainstream.” ~ J.P. Koning
Why Is Government Abusing the Children?
“A snow or hurricane day here and there provides students with a treat, but a Covid-Zoom year is just plain child abuse (and taxpayer abuse). So push back on government-owned education and government-regulated childcare, if not for yourselves then for the children, the poor, defenseless, masked, emotionally and physically damaged future leaders of our country.” ~ Robert E. Wright
The Anti-Lockdown Movement Is Large and Growing
“The reason why the lockdown advocates are intensifying their perception and exercise of hegemony right now is to forestall the possibility that the entire lockdown praxis will fall into massive disrepute. They will not get their way. Let the blowback begin.” ~ Jeffrey Tucker
A Grim Reaper Speaks
“The only unifying thread in Biden’s spiel was that it was written by the same White House speechwriting team. Biden boasted that the economy would grow by 6% this year – but insisted that a massive new jobs program was necessary. Biden claimed that extending schooling would greatly benefit children at the same time that his administration continues to undermine parents’ efforts to get public schools reopened five days a week.” ~ James Bovard
The Interest Groups Behind the Asylum in America
“Those who are interested in the underlying causes of the expansion of governments should do well to remember the example of American asylums. Governments can grow for seemingly noble motivations, but there is always an opportunity for self-interested groups to tag along in ways that will matter later when the time comes to assess outcomes.” ~ Vincent Geloso & Raymond J. March
U.S. Economy Posts Widespread Gains in the First Quarter
“The U.S. economy posted strong growth in the first quarter but remains below pre-pandemic trend levels. Cessation of restrictive government policies will support a return to pre-pandemic levels of activity.” – Robert Hughes
Burning Issues of Government Spending
“Government spending starts with taking money from taxpayers and setting 20 percent of it on fire. Even if the remaining funds were spent on very efficient projects, they have very little chance of creating net benefits for the economy.” ~ Thomas L. Hogan
The New Enemies of the Open Society
“It is high time that we become aware of the crossroads at which we stand. Doing so requires a sober attitude that does not allow itself to be clouded by the fears stirred up by the new enemies of the open society; namely the respect and trust in what distinguishes each and every one of us as a rational living being: the dignity of the person, which consists in her freedom of thought and action.” ~ Michael Esfeld
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