Topic: Economic Education

Lockdowns and the Natural Order

– April 20, 2021

“The use of lockdown policies has shown us once again the dangers of overestimating the capabilities of state power and disregarding the importance of naturally occurring institutions in society. To attempt to bend these institutions with the force of lockdowns is to attempt to bend human nature itself. A task that has been failed by all who have tried before.” ~ Ethan Yang

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Lockdown, Labor Laws, and the Digital Economy

– April 19, 2021

“Our economy is in the midst of an awesome transformation, and Covid-19 just accelerated that timeline. No central planner in Washington, DC will be able to predict how things will change nor will the political process be of any help. This is something that individual firms and their employees will need to figure out for themselves through a rigorous process of trial and error in the market.” ~ Ethan Yang

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Woke Capital Is Destined to Become a Relic

– April 16, 2021

“Companies feel obligated to offer value statements to their customers, despite often having records of conduct contrary to the socially acceptable view; consumers sense the game being played and accordingly, chafe. Rather than a sign of the times, the embracing of woke capital may simply come to be a relic of the times.” ~ Peter C. Earle

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The Buffett Indicator: Reasons for Doubt

– April 16, 2021

“There are other reasons for the Buffett Indicator ratio to be trending higher. Corporate earnings are growing nearly twice as rapidly as the growth in nominal GDP. The Buffett indicator, though at high historical levels, is not per se signaling that the market is overvalued.” ~ Gregory van Kipnis

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No, Economists Do Not Assume Perfect Knowledge

– April 14, 2021

“The perfect knowledge assumption humbles economists. Gone is the notion that we economists are the enlightened philosopher kings of the social sciences and that the rest of the naves need only listen to our sagely wisdom. Instead, we are, as Boettke, Coyne, and Leeson argue, students of society, not saviors of society. Our job is not to critique nor justify, but to understand and explain.” ~ David Hebert

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Carl Menger’s Theory of Institutions and Market Processes

– April 13, 2021

“Let us hope that the 150th anniversary of both the ‘marginalist’ revolution, and Menger’s distinct development of it along with his ideas about the surrounding social and market processes, can serve as the inspiration for such a rethink when thinking about man, markets and the institutions in which we live.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

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The Raw Milk Raw Deal

– April 12, 2021

“Americans don’t need government officials telling them what to do and what not to do. They do need clear, honest data and risk assessments unbiased by profit or ideological motives. The government, however, increasingly appears incapable of providing even that, even when it comes to foundational needs like nutrition.” ~ Robert E. Wright

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In Spite of Everything, the World Has Never Been So Free

– April 12, 2021

“From the late 19th century to the eve of the pandemic, there were multiple crises that could have permanently eroded economic, political and civil liberties. Yet, on net, these liberties have actually expanded since the 19th century.” ~ Vincent Geloso

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Three Reasons to Reject Biden’s Tax Harmonization Scheme for “Global Minimum Taxation”

– April 8, 2021

“It goes without saying that if politicians are able to create a tax cartel, it will merely be a matter of time before they ratchet up the tax rate. Simply stated, they won’t have to worry about an exodus of jobs and investment because all countries will be obliged to have the same bad approach.” ~ Daniel J. Mitchell

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Bryan Caplan: A Birthday Appreciation

– April 8, 2021

“Bryan Caplan is a model intellectual citizen and a model scholar. Because of his influence, I am a better economist and scholar, but importantly I am also a better husband, father, and friend. If you’re looking to sharpen your mind during a time when the world seems to be going crazy, Bryan Caplan’s commentary is a very good place to start.” ~ Art Carden

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Covid’s Vindication of Free Movement

– April 8, 2021

“This pandemic is not ending because borders were sufficiently impenetrable. But it must be said that its effects have been mitigated because many of the most essential forms of capital continued to flow. If the free movement of people, goods, and ideas could pull the world out of one of its darkest chapters, there’s no telling what the same openness could yield during brighter days. And, hopefully, will.” ~ Peter C. Earle

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Dangerous Monetary Manipulations and Fiscal Follies

– April 6, 2021

“What is clear is that the types of monetary, fiscal and regulatory policies being implemented and projected by the Biden Administration, the Democrat-controlled Congress and the Federal Reserve are all leading America down a dangerous and destabilizing road, any recovery from which will not be easy or cheap.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

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