Why I am Not a Neoliberal

“The world of emergency policy-making under the direct guidance of epidemiology modeling is illustrative not only in its scientific failures, but its habit of placing deliberative democratic institutions and even cherished constitutional rights in a subservient position to what they herald as ‘the science.’ The final twist, however, is that the neoliberalism critics on the illiberal left appear ready to sacrifice the very same norms and constitutional constraints as the self-described neoliberal technocrats, and for the same reasons.” ~ Phillip W. Magness

– March 6, 2021

The Iceman Cometh Not

“During the winter of 1918-1919, not much ice was harvested and stored away. New York City faced an ice famine. The city faced the prospects of riots and the starvation of children, said some. The legislature repealed the act establishing an Ice Comptroller, and the market found an equilibrium given the shortage of natural ice. The next year, things were back to normal.” ~ Clifford F. Thies

– March 6, 2021
China Smoking Gun Lockdowns

China’s Role in Global Lockdowns: The Smoking Gun

This time last year, Americans were blindsided by a shocking policy to shut down the US economy to control a virus. The presumption of the officials who enacted this policy is that it would be far more deadly than it turned out to be. They further pres …

– March 5, 2021

February Payrolls Jump but Details Are Less Robust

“Payrolls posted a big gain in February, but breadth was modest across the economy and many labor measures are still well below pre-pandemic levels.” – Robert Hughes

– March 5, 2021
The Great Reopening

The Great Reopening

“Please do not give up hope. In the Spring of last year, all seemed lost. As the Spring comes again, we are again reminded that history is nothing more than what we make of it. We are not its victims but its authors. Freedom will return!” ~ Edward Peter Stringham

– March 5, 2021

Politicians Turn Problems Into Power

“Politicians make grandiose claims about their various and sundry programs because those claims resonate with the people who receive government largesse. In the end, people receive pennies on the dollar compared to what they could have received had we decided just to write a check. Our government has become a tool that politicians use to turn national problems into political power, so it should come as no surprise that they are not interested in solving problems at all.” ~ Antony Davies & James R. Harrigan

– March 5, 2021

The Emancipation of Texas

“Even in the face of danger, Texas prefers the risk of freedom over the false security of obeying someone else’s belief of how life should be lived. Now they have their freedoms back. May they learn once again, as my Texas ancestors did, that they must fight never to have their freedoms taken away again.” ~ Jeffrey Tucker

– March 5, 2021

Paternalism Remains Public Enemy Numero Uno

“So much easier, it is, to use the coercive power of the state to fund pet projects than to convince numerous individuals to give of their own accord! But take it from one who knows, paternalism most often leads to toil and trouble. Cancel not, lest ye be cancelled; he who summons the demons of the swamp may be consumed by those same demons.” ~ Robert E. Wright

– March 5, 2021

Birth Dearth Nine Months Following COVID Lockdowns

“The unintended consequences of fewer births following lockdowns are an example of what the French economist Frederic Bastiat called, “that which is not seen.” It may be two years before birth data for 2020 are available from CDC. Local researchers need to examine their local data to answer these questions.” ~ Gilbert G. Berdine

– March 5, 2021

Space Exploration Is Best Left to Machines

“Human evolution has at best ground to a halt … and at worst is regressing. But machines march on and on. Whether they can eventually replace us in all ways is both definitional and a subject for another time. But in outer space? Yes, humanity will indeed boldly go where it hasn’t before. But in his creations, not in physical bodies.” ~ Michael Fumento

– March 5, 2021

Initial Claims Remain Range Bound

“Initial claims fell in the latest week, but overall remain range bound, suggesting the labor market remains soft.” – Robert Hughes

– March 4, 2021

The CDC’s Mask Mandate Study: Debunked

“Trusting the science means relying on the scientific process and method and not merely ‘following the leader.’ It is not the same as trusting, without verification, the conclusory statements of human beings simply because they have scientific training or credentials. This is especially so if their views and inquiry have become politicized.” ~ AIER Contributing Authors

– March 4, 2021

The Covid Crucible

“Constant repetition of the bizarre and obviously untrue mantra that policymakers are ‘following the science’ and not basing Covid policy on the 21st-century equivalent of spectral evidence suggests that Miller was on to something fundamental. So watch or read The Crucible until the crucible of Covid repression spurs a new literary treatment of the dangers unleashed by that strange brew of populism, private interest, and government power.” ~ Robert E. Wright

– March 4, 2021

Programs

Sound Money Project

Research on monetary stability and financial privacy.

Bastiat Society

The Bastiat Society

Global network of business professionals committed to advancing free trade, individual freedom, and responsible governance.

Academic Opportunities

From internships to week-long colloquia, AIER offers a variety of opportunities for professionals and students alike.

Upcoming Events