Topic: Government

Hannah Arendt’s Chilling Thesis on Evil

– August 6, 2022

“As Arendt explained, ‘Going along with the rest and wanting to say ‘we’ were quite enough to make the greatest of all crimes possible.'” ~ Lawrence W. Reed

Crisis, Government, Regulation

Compassion Compromised by Contradictions

– August 5, 2022

“Advocates for minimum wages and rent controls justify both as compassionate. But they ignore both logic and the far from compassionate violations of employers’ and landlords’ property rights imposed.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Crisis, Government, Regulation

It Doesn’t Get Much Worse Than ‘Build Back Better’

– August 5, 2022

“Americans should be alarmed. The bill has the potential to handcuff innovation in one of the most critical and successful sectors of the American economy.” ~ Peter J. Pitts

Crisis, Free Markets, Government, Regulation

The Lottery Life: Creating Lucky Housing Winners at the Expense of Everyone Else

– August 5, 2022

“Inexpensive new housing can be built again if only the government will get out of the way. End the ‘Lottery Life’ in housing and watch market entrepreneurs do the rest.” ~ Raymond C. Niles

Crisis, Government, Technology, Video

Facebook Fact-Checks Recession Analysis | Phillip Magness on Fox News (Video)

– August 5, 2022

“Phillip Magness, Research and Education Director at AIER, discusses the censorship tactics enacted against him after he shared a post regarding the White House’s attempts to redefine ‘recession.'” ~ AIER

Central Banking, Government, Inflation, Monetary Policy

Price Stability and the Fed

– August 4, 2022

“Politics is compromise. Half a loaf is better than no loaf at all. Price stability is the half-loaf of monetary policy rules. It seems foolish to go hungry simply because haute cuisine is unaffordable.” ~ Alexander William Salter

Authoritarianism, Crisis, Government, Video

Redefining Recession: The White House Goes Orwellian (Video)

– August 4, 2022

“Kate Wand, host of AIER’s Liberty Curious podcast, explores the implications of redefining the meaning of words in a post-truth society, using Magness’ essay on the White House attempt at redefining the term recession.” ~ AIER

Crisis, Economic Theory, Government, Inflation

Proposing a Hank Williams Jr. Economic Misery Index

– August 3, 2022

“Another problem is that the misery indices, like definitions of recession and stagflation, focus on unemployment to the exclusion of real wages. But real wage declines are painful, and not fully captured by inflation alone.” ~ Robert E. Wright

Economic Education, Free Markets, Government, Regulation

Price Ceilings of $0

– August 2, 2022

“Whatever particular objections might be raised to legalization of the likes of prostitution or the selling of transplantable body organs, clarity of thought is enhanced by recognizing that the prohibitions in question are really price ceilings of $0.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Crisis, Government, Inflation, Monetary Policy

The Corrective Contraction

– August 2, 2022

“This mild recession will soon pass. Lower growth due to a higher trend inflation rate can persist forever—and will if the Fed fails to do its job.” ~ William J. Luther

Crisis, Government, Healthcare

Price Controls Hurt Patients, Risk Future Innovation

– August 2, 2022

“If price controls are put in place on new medications, research and development funds will dry up, manufacturers will cease creating new medications, and the hopes of patients seeking new treatments and cures will not exist.” ~ Courtney Quinn

Crisis, Government, History, Inflation

Biden Borrows the Nixon Playbook on Recessions

– August 1, 2022

“The White House’s definitional wordsmithing could not overcome the onset of worsening economic realities in 1974, and its frequent appeals to the NBER determination could not run down the clock against a prolonged recession.” ~ Phillip W. Magness