Topic: Art and Culture

Art and Culture, Economic Education, Free Markets, Government

What if New Coke Had Been a Government Program?

– December 23, 2022

“Would our lives be better were land, labor, and capital still tied up making New Coke and Crystal Pepsi? People have voted pretty overwhelmingly and answered ‘no.'” ~ Art Carden

Art and Culture, Books, Government

What We Owe The Future: A Review

– December 15, 2022

“We owe the future the chance to unfold as it will, free from the fetters of arbitrary authority which presumes to know what is ‘good’ for it.” ~ Paul Schwennesen

Art and Culture, Government, History

These Are the Good Old Days

– December 13, 2022

“We shouldn’t ground our political views on the shifting sands of flawed, emotional recollections. And we shouldn’t empower politicians who have so little respect for us that they think we will fall for these stories.” ~ Solomon D. Stevens

Art and Culture, Economic Education, Government

Economics and the Art of Education

– December 12, 2022

“Van Gogh sought through his art to throw open the prison doors and liberate those trapped in a mode of life that regards others strictly in terms of economic value.” ~ Richard Gunderman

Art and Culture, Government, Philosophy

In Defense of Arguing

– December 9, 2022

“When we refuse to engage in argument, even out of perceived politeness, we allow more bad ideas to take hold and propagate. Unintended consequences and wasted resources multiply.” ~ Laura Williams

Art and Culture, Economic Education, Free Trade, Government

The Libido for the Superficial

– December 8, 2022

“Once the reality of a libido for the superficial is admitted, many phenomena are better understood. For example, it’s easy to understand, and excuse, intellectually unengaged people falling for protectionist fables.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Art and Culture, Free Markets, Government

How Yellowstone Portrays the American Creed

– December 7, 2022

“The success of the Dutton family depicts the best parts of capitalism (a system based on incentives, trade-offs, and transactions) and the worst parts of cronyism (a system based on rent-seeking for power positions and policy preferences in the political realm).” ~ Kimberlee Josephson

Art and Culture, Education, Government

Yes, an Academic Free-Speech Conference Needed Protection from the Mob

– November 30, 2022

“Universities themselves should be viewed as places where members of an academic community gather to discuss ideas of the day. They should generally not take stands on issues.” ~ Richard K. Vedder

Art and Culture, Books, Classical Liberalism

The Case for Bringing Back Neckties (and Classical Liberalism)

– November 29, 2022

“Liberalism—or, to clarify, classical liberalism, which developed a few centuries ago and cherishes free markets, limited government, and flourishing social institutions—is (like the necktie) a bit out of favor.” ~ Bruce Rottman

Art and Culture, Economic Education, Free Markets

I, Travel: In Wonder at the Achievements of a Free Society

– November 28, 2022

“At the beginning of his classic essay “I, Pencil,” Leonard E. Read quoted G.K. Chesterton as saying, ‘we perish for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.’ Commercial society is a wonder that produces other wonders, and we should wonder at it.” ~ Art Carden

Art and Culture, History, International

The Hare With Amber Eyes, by Edmund de Waal. A Review.

– November 25, 2022

“De Waal decides he needs to know more about his inherited netsukes and ends up on a multi-year ride finding out about his family and their interaction with the objects.” ~ Daniel Asia

Art and Culture, Education, Government

MFE (Merit, Fairness, and Equality) Versus DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Should be NC (No Contest)

– November 25, 2022

“Colleges and universities that have succumbed to DEI ought to be at a big competitive disadvantage versus those that just offer worthwhile education. Let us hope that MFE catches on.” ~ George Leef