Defending Freedom, Combating Collectivism

Against collectivist impulses, the defense of freedom, personal responsibility, and the moral, political, legal, and economic foundations of a free society is ever necessary. Protecting the American experiment in ordered liberty is a debt that we owe to the past, and a challenge to pursue in the future. We examine the following issues in this area: the case for free trade vs. protectionism, individualism vs. the new collectivists (DEI/Critical Theory/Marxism/Social Democracy/Economic Nationalism/etc.), shareholder capitalism vs. ESG and stakeholder capitalism, foreign policy for a free society, and the foundations and first principles of freedom and free markets.

Articles

GosFed Looming at the Fed?

AIER May 5, 2021

“It’s easy to see why the comrades of Gosbank showed so little dissent. Say, or think, the wrong thing in the Soviet Union, and you risked a one-way ticket to Siberia. What in the world is GosFed’s excuse?” ~The New York Sun

“After the Revolution, You Will Like Going Camping!” G.A. Cohen’s Camping Trip Reconsidered

Art Carden May 5, 2021

“This doesn’t require a thought experiment: people vote for capitalism and against socialism in droves by trying to move to freer and more prosperous countries. Socialists might have laudable goals like feeding, clothing, and sheltering everyone–and I agree with these–but I would no more suggest socialism to treat poverty and inequality than I would prescribe leeches, mercury, and bloodletting to treat cancer.” ~ Art Carden

Is This Our 1914 Moment?

Joakim Book May 5, 2021

“Last year’s government power-grabbing disasters could be the modern equivalent of 1914 – the war to end all wars, where ‘We’ll be back by Christmas’ is to be replaced by the ‘Two weeks to flatten curve,’ that unfathomably stretched into years or decades. It took Europe some 50 years to recover from that initial governmental blunder and in many ways it never did. Let’s hope that Trump and Biden are harmless Kennedys and not Herbert Henry Asquith, the British Prime Minister of 1914. I have my doubts.” ~ Joakim Book

Imperial College Predicted Catastrophe in Every Country on Earth. Then the Models Failed.

Phillip W. Magness May 5, 2021

“Why is Ferguson, who has a long history of absurdly exaggerated modeling predictions, still viewed as a leading authority on pandemic forecasting? And why is the ICL team still advising governments around the world on how to deal with Covid-19 through its flawed modeling approach? In March 2020 ICL sold its credibility for future delivery. That future has arrived, and the results are not pretty.” ~ Phillip W. Magness

From AI to UBI?

Robert E. Wright May 4, 2021

“AI cannot credibly justify a radical policy like UBI at this point. Misunderstanding AI adds to a natural fear of the unknown though we know that technological change always proves beneficial to the economy and that society will have ample resources to aid anyone who might be displaced by AI in the future. People should concentrate on how AI can automate mundane tasks and stop technological fear mongering. Your job, like the world, will still be here tomorrow.” ~ Robert E. Wright & Aleksandra Przegalinska

Biden’s Agenda of “Democratic” Paternalism and Planning

Richard M. Ebeling May 3, 2021

“Joe Biden and Xi Jinping both believe that the national interest comes before the individual’s peaceful interest; that the collective take priority over the person; that the state must have the authority and power to assign and direct most or all aspects of people’s lives and actions; and that constitutional rules and procedures written on pieces of paper are less important than the implementing, imposing, and achieving of the purposes in ‘the plan.'” ~ Richard M. Ebeling