Topic: Free Markets

money tree

Milton Friedman and the New Attack on Freedom to Choose

– September 22, 2020

“If the paternalistic policies and the ideological arrogance and intolerance behind these counterrevolutionaries against freedom and the free market fully prevail, the liberty that we still possess will be even more greatly curtailed than at present, as those who call for the ‘social responsibility’ of business restrict our remaining freedom to choose.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

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new york times

News You Can’t Abuse

– September 22, 2020

“A news outlet that posted a bond with a third party that would be forfeited if it insisted on publishing anything factually wrong, or crossed the line between journalism and punditry, could create the sort of trust that people once had in the New York Times and other papers of record, all of which essentially posted informal bonds backed by their reputations and expected future profitability.” ~ Robert E. Wright

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free to choose

Free to Choose After Forty Years

– September 21, 2020

“Free to Choose holds up very well even after forty years. Friedman’s analysis still holds, and it’s interesting to see (for example) how the rhetoric of the opposition to educational choice hasn’t really changed. Free to Choose does more than show that freedom works. It explains why, and it does so memorably.” ~ Art Carden

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restaurant owners

Don’t Scapegoat Business for Mask Mandates

– September 20, 2020

“Brutalist methods will not rebuild social peace. This is not a call to accept mandates, but such mandates can be opposed without blaming the small business owners who are victimized just as much as we are.” ~ Barry Brownstein

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crumbling tower

The Academy’s Monopoly on the Truth Is Crumbling

– September 18, 2020

“Just like in markets, truly revolutionary technologies never destroy the old order–they usually accomplish more through adoption, changing established players from within. Goodacre’s efforts, especially as a hub where traditional academic insiders and outsiders met, teaches us much about how new technology changes old institutions. More academics should learn the lesson.” ~ Max Gulker

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coffee

What’s the Right Mix of Money and Drugs for Your Employees?

– September 17, 2020

“There isn’t a ‘right’ combination of wages, benefits, and other perquisites, and the pattern of things that ‘work’ for people is not planned by a central authority. It emerges from trial and error in the market.” ~ Art Carden

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astronauts

NASA is Paying for Moon Rocks. The Implications for Space Commerce are Huge

– September 16, 2020

“In ancient times, mankind extended the division of labor across tribes, turning enemies into friends. Later came trade across national boundaries, with similar largely peaceful effects. Now, humans are prepared to extend it still further: into the final frontier. Doux commerce is coming to the stars. NASA just made a ‘giant leap for mankind.’ Everyone who cares about human wealth and welfare should heartily thank them.” ~ Alexander W. Salter & David R. Henderson

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cambridge, campus, river

Disaggregating Keynes Demonstrates Macro Delusions

– September 15, 2020

“Which view of man prevails – man seen as a reasonable but imperfect person who can guide and direct his own life, or man seen as an irrational being constantly needing someone else to direct and dictate how and what he does – will determine the future for mankind, not only out of the current economic crisis, but also for the many years and decades to come.” ~ Richard M. Ebeling

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basketball

Why Do Basketball Players Make More Than Teachers?

– September 14, 2020

“As an educator myself, I am happy to grant that teachers produce value for students, and for society. But even the most marginal teacher, at the worst and least motivated public school, can’t-wait-for-retirement clock puncher, makes far more than the marginal basketball player. You can’t compare the marginal unit of water, or teachers, with diamonds.” ~ Michael Munger

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Citibank’s $900 Million Mistake and the Finality of Payments

– September 11, 2020

“Cases like Citbank’s $900 million mispayment and $846,000 bank drafts stuck in financial limbo make for interesting stories. But keep in mind that the participants in these transactions are the accidental victims of a payments system that provides hard finality. What is unseen is the huge amount of trade that the certainty of hard finality facilitates.” ~ J.P. Koning

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The Resilience and Brilliance of the World’s Poorest: The Case of Pagpag

– September 10, 2020

“The problem isn’t that the world’s poorest don’t work hard. The problem is that they work hard in societies where restrictions on economic freedom throttle growth.” ~ Art Carden

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passing

Assar Lindbeck – Sweden’s Greatest Economist Died 90 Years Old

– September 8, 2020

“Lindbeck was a great economist and public voice of economic sanity. He will be sorely missed.” ~ Joakim Book

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