Topic: Government

Economic Education, Free Markets, Government, Regulation

What Deeper Lessons Can We Learn From Southwest Airlines’ Meltdown?

– January 4, 2023

“The lesson of Southwest Airlines’ debacle is not that it was ‘dumb’ or ‘shortsighted.’ Rather, it should make all of us think more deeply about the opportunity costs and benefits of small, or marginal changes in this efficiency-resiliency tradeoff.” ~ Craig J. Richardson

Education, Government, Socialism

A Key Lesson in Education Policy: You Don’t Make Peace with Termites

– January 3, 2023

“As important as issues like taxes and regulations are, their most important (and most difficult) task is to restore control of education to people who actually want to educate.” ~ George Leef

Classical Liberalism, Government, History

Conquistadors and Indian Rights

– January 3, 2023

“Though this counters today’s understanding of colonialism generally, and the conquest in particular, the fact is that Spanish treatment of Indians in the Americas was not the monolithically brutal affair it is so often portrayed to be.” ~ Paul Schwennesen

Government, Inflation, Monetary Policy

FOMC Ratchets Up Inflation Projection

– January 2, 2023

“FOMC member projections suggest that inflation will come down only gradually over the next two to three years and that the price level will remain permanently elevated.” ~ William J. Luther

Government, International, War and Peace

A Secret War in the Making: Americans Should Not Die to Defend Taiwan

– January 2, 2023

“The better strategy would be aid short of war. Today the US and democratic states should be making conflict less likely by arming Taiwan, insisting that it take its own defense seriously.” ~ Doug Bandow

Free Markets, Government, Regulation

Pilot Shortage: A Story of Stalled Supply and Rising Demand

– January 1, 2023

“Overzealous regulation of pilot credentialing (by Congress, rather than carriers, insurers, or other stakeholders) have ensured the budget-conscious and the small-town traveler will both be getting a lot less service from airlines.” ~ Laura Williams

Books, Classical Liberalism, Economic History, Government

Freedom’s Future Requires Understanding the Past

– December 29, 2022

“When confronted with issues regarding the necessary extent of the state, liberty-lovers need not rely solely on economic theory, nor hypotheticals, because the historical record often can light the proper path towards smaller, more-efficient government.” ~ Robert E. Wright

Energy, Government, Regulation

The New-Normaling of Blackouts

– December 28, 2022

“Before, rolling blackouts were a California problem, then they also became a Texas problem. Blackouts are spreading faster than even Imperial College London modelers would find believable.” ~ Jon Sanders

Economic Education, Free Markets, Government

Every Flaw in Consumers is Worse in Voters, Part Deux

– December 27, 2022

“A ‘good’ industrial policy is impossible in a democracy. Progressives who want industrial policies don’t have that position only because they mistrust markets. Progressives mistrust democracy, and always have.” ~ Michael C. Munger

Art and Culture, Education, Government, Media

Stanford Fails to Master Clear Thinking

– December 26, 2022

“Ironically, it should be Stanford itself that helps less-enlightened organizations master the techniques of clear thinking that were at least partly developed at that great university.” ~ David R. Henderson & Charles L. Hooper

Economic Education, Free Markets, Government

Holidays of Luxury

– December 25, 2022

“Market economies fuel incredible prosperity and the holidays provide useful examples of how we are better off today than a few decades ago. Consider the Christmas gifts and decor of years past, once deemed luxuries, now everyday goods.” ~ Laura Williams & David Waugh

Government, History, Media

The Twitter Files and FDR’s Blue Eagle

– December 24, 2022

“Almost 90 years ago, for example, the US government used a different blue bird, The Blue Eagle, to coerce company compliance with the worst type of disinformation of all: that related to prices.” ~ Robert E. Wright