Topic: Free Markets

Masters of Puppets and Men of System: Review of Mario Rizzo and Glen Whitman, Escaping Paternalism

– April 21, 2021

“The men and women of the new paternalist system would do well to step away from the chess-board and to consider that ‘in the great chess-board of human society, every single piece has a principle of motion of its own, altogether different from that which the legislature might chuse to impress upon it.’ In Escaping Paternalism, Rizzo and Whitman explain why.” ~ Art Carden

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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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Questioning Baseball’s Antitrust Curveball

– April 15, 2021

“Americans would be far better off if, instead of further eroding Justice Holmes’ ruling, we upheld his ‘originalist’ Commerce Clause logic, and the limit it imposed on federal power to do what it wants, whether it advances our joint interests or not. After all, as recent events have made blindingly obvious, it is not hard to see that much of what is emanating from the beltway fits in the ‘or not’ category.” ~ Gary M. Galles

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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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We Need Rule of Law Not Lawlessness

– April 11, 2021

“After the Rule of Law degenerated in Argentina in the early twentieth century, for example, it dropped from being the ninth richest nation in the world to an economically volatile has-been. We cannot allow the same to occur here. That’s certainly not a call for bigger government, but better government that places the Rule of Law above ideology.” ~ Robert E. Wright

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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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Stop Greenwashing Socialism

– April 4, 2021

“Protecting our environment deserves more attention than a prefix in a campaign slogan for a complete political and economic revolution. Especially one that has caused so much untold misery for both humans and the planet.” ~ Christopher Barnard

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Inside the Church of Climate

– April 2, 2021

“Philosophy, not only economics and political economy, matters in the global warming/climate change debate. Start by checking your premises—and those of your intellectual opponents.” ~ Robert L. Bradley Jr.

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An Age of Patronage

– March 31, 2021

“If we widen our scope, large companies have long donated funds to support causes they think are important or channel the values they wish to portray, often entirely detached from their business. A twenty-first century age of patronage is here. Perhaps it will support the foundation for a twenty-first century Enlightenment too.” ~ Joakim Book

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The Best Part of Life in the 21st Century? Not Being Dead

– March 31, 2021

“Is the modern world perfect for everyone? Of course it isn’t, but it’s trending in the right direction. The Covid pandemic has been a setback, but it has only delayed the day when everyone has first-world problems like a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear. That day is coming, though, and in our world of incremental progress, more of us will be there to see it.” ~ Art Carden

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Twitter Censors Famed Epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff

– March 29, 2021

“If there ever was a troubling sign of the power and arrogance of big tech, of which I’ve long been a defender, this new action is it. Dr. Kulldorff has been a brave proponent of traditional public health in the midst of an unprecedented and very obviously failed policy of lockdowns. He has been a voice of clarity, reason, calm, and science. That Twitter would choose to use its power over public debate to silence his insights should be of profound concern to everyone concerned about the use of science in the public interest.” ~ Jeffrey Tucker

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Markets Are More Knowledgeable Than Intellectuals

– March 29, 2021

“Nothing is easier than for intellectuals to express displeasure with the observed manner in which individuals make trade-offs, and then to assert that this manner of making trade-offs implies a market failure. But assertions are not analyses. When analyzed carefully through the lens of economics, the need for producers to adjust to changes in consumer tastes and opportunities is seen to be, not evidence of markets failing, but of markets successfully taking into account as fully as possible the costs and benefits of alternative uses of scarce resources, including labor.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

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