Topic: Policy

US v. Lopez Voids the National Mask Mandate

– October 30, 2020

“The Founders, like the rest of us, were flawed, their rationality bounded by the assumptions of their times, when gentlemen and statesmen would never stoop so low as Biden appears ready to do in his brazen attempt to follow ‘the’ scientists but not ‘the other’ scientists.” ~ Robert E. Wright

Crisis, Economic Education, Policy

Open Letter to Matt Yglesias

– October 29, 2020

“The economy is people – people producing, trading, cooperating, and consuming. Reasonable people disagree over what are the best policies to deal with Covid-19. But contrary to the impression conveyed by your tweet, no serious person argues for sacrificing lives to ‘the economy’ as a lifeless abstraction.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Central Banking, Currency, Policy

FinCEN and Fed Proposal Means Less Privacy, More Exclusion

– October 29, 2020

“It could very well be that the benefits of reducing the threshold from $3,000 to $250 exceed the costs, defined as the sum of the administrative expenses, lost privacy, and increased financial exclusion. But all of these costs must be included in the final calculation. Not just some of them. As it is, FinCEN and the Fed have not done a sound accounting for their proposal.” ~ J.P. Koning

Government, Policy

Biden’s “Bipartisan Commission on Judicial Reform”

– October 26, 2020

“Although reforming the Supreme Court is certainly permitted, politicians must be incredibly conscious of the role and purpose of the Court. Short-term political agendas are not worth potentially compromising the integrity of our legal system for all of posterity.” ~ Ethan Yang

Crisis, Media, Policy, Science

The Inconsistent Messaging Behind Lockdowns

– October 22, 2020

“We would all be better off if an honest and principled conversation can take place. If lockdowns are found to be undesirable based on all the various considerations from the science to the economics, then we can move on to more productive conversations. There is no need to flip flop, censor, misconstrue, confuse, or otherwise argue as if this were some political debate where winning is more important than the truth.” ~ Ethan Yang

Economic Education, Government, Policy

Trump Mania: Why Do We Care So Much About Politics?

– October 14, 2020

“This isn’t a binary world: it was never ‘Trump or nothing,’ or ‘Trump or Utopia.’ What can be reasonably ascribed to Trump is the minor difference between him and the next guy (who, in the grand scheme of things agrees with him on 95% of issues) – deflated by the sum of changes in technology, markets, finance, trends, fashion and even societal beliefs.” ~ Joakim Book

Crisis, Government, Policy

The Case for Lockdown Reparations

– October 1, 2020

“Although it is unclear whether existing law guarantees a pathway to lockdown reparations, the principles enshrined in the 5th Amendment as well as basic economics provide an attractive case to implement reparations. Not only would it be the moral thing to do but lockdown reparations may also lead to a productive policy framework that protects individual liberty and enables more informed decision-making.” ~ Ethan Yang

Economic Education, Government, Policy

A Plea for Checks

– September 29, 2020

“Private organizations, whether for- or nonprofit, have to be ahead of the times in order to survive in a world of cutthroat competition. (Or cabal as Smith warned.) To see what the future holds, look to businesses and nonprofits. They would be even further ahead if they did not have to constantly worry about meddling politicians coming up from behind.” ~ Robert E. Wright

Crisis, Economic Education, Policy

An Inalienable Human Right to Commerce

– September 29, 2020

“Tyrannical COVID-19 policies make clear: a formal, inalienable Human Right to Commerce is long overdue” ~ Peter C. Earle

Government, Policy

Don’t Be a Party to Parties

– September 24, 2020

“Despite the Founders’ dislike of political faction, critics might retort, we have had political parties since the early 1790s and the economy has grown at modern rates ever since. That is right, but America has managed to grow despite slavery and tariffs and scads of other bad policies enacted by partisans. Think of how rich America would be today without those policy disasters.” ~ Robert E. Wright

Authoritarianism, Crisis, Policy

Disease Panic Put Us on a Dangerous Course

– September 23, 2020

“Our civilization is threatened not by this virus, but by deeply flawed reasoning in how it ought to be managed. Unless we make clear to our politicians and our fellow citizens that they are wrong, and that our ability to engage in activities and pursuits that are critical to our well-being is not negotiable, we run the risk of leading this diminished existence for the remainder of our lives.” ~ Jenin Younes

Authoritarianism, Crisis, Policy

Covid Fail by Elites and Stooges

– September 21, 2020

“The Trump economy was ruined. Look what’s happened on his watch! All just in time for the election. And especially in the more Democrat-controlled states.” ~ Daniel B. Klein