Topic: Economic Education

lenin

Yes, It Was “Real Socialism.” No, We Shouldn’t Try Again.

– August 22, 2020

“Feelings can be deceptive, however, and good intentions do not readily translate into good outcomes. Socialism, as Niemietz explains, has failed repeatedly. It never dies—but it should.” ~ Art Carden

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meat

Terrible Policies Possess Both Virulence and Prevalence

– August 21, 2020

“We have civilization and prosperity not because we are smart but because we permit the freedom to cooperate toward building smart social and economic institutions.” ~ Robert E. Wright

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uber driver

Ride Sharing and the Absurdity of “Protecting” Workers Out of a Job

– August 21, 2020

“Government regulation unnecessarily pushes up transaction costs. In this case, by mandating unwanted benefits, those transaction costs are so high that Uber/Lyft are choosing not to transact at all in California. This is a huge loss for Uber, Lyft, its drivers, and their thousands of customers.” ~ Raymond C. Niles

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Happy Birthday to Libertarian Firebrand Walter Block

– August 21, 2020

“His positions can be very, very off-putting. He strips pretty much everything down to a simple question: ‘Is it voluntary?’ If the answer is ‘yes,’ then he argues that we have no right to interfere no matter how much we might disapprove.” ~ Art Carden

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pot commitment

Intellectuals, Politicians, and Pot Commitment

– August 20, 2020

“When a politician or another figure of authority lies, or changes their story without conceding previous error, it is important to remember that theirs is, ultimately, an edifice of assumed credibility. Honesty, unfortunately, would only erode it. Perhaps replacing attorneys with poker players would improve the climate of strategic courage in our state houses and Washington, D.C.” ~ Peter C. Earle

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lights

An Economics Lesson on the Ceiling

– August 19, 2020

“Whether you are a student or a senior citizen, be curious about the physics, engineering, and economics behind the everyday devices and systems that you depend on so heavily and take so much for granted. Of course, there isn’t time to research everything but with so many resources now available online, you can reward yourself by learning something new every day.” ~ Warren C. Gibson

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A Three-Item Post-Pandemic Regulatory Wishlist

– August 19, 2020

“It is easy to say ‘this is what the government should do;’ however, it is a lot harder to actually make the government do it. Progress toward a permissive, innovation-embracing political and cultural constitution would be just that: progress.” ~ Art Carden

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Review of Steven Horwitz, Austrian Economics: An Introduction

– August 18, 2020

“Austrian Economics: An Introduction is a very useful and accessible summary of what we know about this simple but powerful paradigm. Teachers and students alike would benefit from consulting it.” ~ Art Carden

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usps

Mail Slowdowns Started 50 Years Before Trump

– August 18, 2020

“‘The post office has been run poorly for many, many decades,’ Trump declared last week. In a less histrionic era, the Postal Service’s failures could spur Congress to finally remove the roadblocks to private innovation in letter delivery. Instead, the coming delivery debacles may become the conspiratorial RussiaGate of the 2020 election.” ~ James Bovard

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statue, liberty

Watchwords that Threaten Liberty

– August 17, 2020

“This does not mean that oppressions, injustices, and ‘privileges’ have not existed and, when present, should not be repealed. But it is necessary to comprehend that, at the end of the day, it is political power, through its legitimized threat and use of force, that has been and is behind virtually all such immoral practices. And that the ideas and ideals of classical liberalism have been and remain the only lasting answers to ending the real social and cultural ills that continue to plague parts of humanity around the world.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

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So Long Independence?

– August 17, 2020

“America might not become Amerika or the American Reich solely because of the 2020 euthanasia of its proprietor class, but an important check on extremism is fading fast, a fact apparently lost on its self-absorbed political class.” ~ Robert E. Wright

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trump

More Stimulus Checks: An Expensive Political Stunt

– August 15, 2020

“Adding $400 a week to unemployment benefits would clearly be more than enough. When it comes to Economic Impact Payments the economically optimal amount is zero.” ~ Alan Reynolds

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