Topic: Regulation

Material Benefits Are Not Merely Material

– September 1, 2020

“Had this material wealth been produced in less abundance, the range of higher goals that ordinary Americans would today be able to pursue would be narrower. And this material wealth would indeed have been produced in less abundance had Americans been saddled with more of the tariffs, subsidies, and other government interventions for which Oren Cass tirelessly pleads.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

READ MORE

Will You Choose Freedom?

– September 1, 2020

“In George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel “1984,” protagonist Winston wonders whether he is the only person who retains a real memory and doubts the narrative of The Party. He has no way to find out whether everyone else truly believes the government-revised version of history, or simply acts like they do.” ~ Stacey Rudin

READ MORE
running businessman

Entrepreneurship May Die Too

– August 31, 2020

“America’s saving grace may be that most of the rest of the world, even Anglosphere countries like Australia and New Zealand, screwed up even worse. But the biggest threat was never a mass exodus of entrepreneurs, it was the loss of entrepreneurship itself.” ~ Robert E. Wright

READ MORE

Is the Amazon Really a Market Failure?

– August 27, 2020

“A government strong enough to assign and enforce private property rights in remote areas wouldn’t have a problem with (excessive) deforestation in the first place. A government weak enough – or uninterested enough – that it’s unable to do so, couldn’t credibly abstain from chopping down trees, or promise that its citizens won’t do so either.” ~ Joakim Book

READ MORE

Small Signs of Hope that Lockdowns Could Soon End

– August 27, 2020

“How does all of this get resolved? Probably not through contrition much less restitution for all the damage they’ve caused. It’s just an intuition for now, but I am guessing that there are many politicians at home and abroad who are already planning their next career moves, out of the public spotlight and the heat of a furious public for whom it is becoming increasingly obvious that these policies created a catastrophe.” ~ Jeffrey Tucker

READ MORE

When the Minimum Wage Rises, A Million More Fall Below Minimum

– August 26, 2020

“Past increases in the federal minimum wage always resulted in many more people pushed into jobs paying below minimum and usually losing whatever benefits they previously enjoyed. Far from being an effective and humane way to raise the lowest incomes the unintended consequence of increasing the federal minimum wage has, in fact, been to force hundreds of thousands more Americans into substandard jobs and make the poorest workers poorer.” ~ Alan Reynolds

READ MORE

Lockdowns are Cruel and Regressive, says Oxford University’s Professor Sunetra Gupta

– August 26, 2020

Oxford University Professor Sunetra Gupta has been an outspoken voice for calm, science, and rationality in dealing with this virus. In the interview below, she explains the basics of immunology, the high costs of mandated closures and restrictions, an …

READ MORE
post office

The Politicization of the Post Office was Inevitable

– August 23, 2020

“The origins of the Post Office are political. No doubt about it. Why should we be surprised that, given these origins, the USPS is still a tool for politicking today?” ~ Vincent Geloso

READ MORE
uber driver

Ride Sharing and the Absurdity of “Protecting” Workers Out of a Job

– August 21, 2020

“Government regulation unnecessarily pushes up transaction costs. In this case, by mandating unwanted benefits, those transaction costs are so high that Uber/Lyft are choosing not to transact at all in California. This is a huge loss for Uber, Lyft, its drivers, and their thousands of customers.” ~ Raymond C. Niles

READ MORE

A Three-Item Post-Pandemic Regulatory Wishlist

– August 19, 2020

“It is easy to say ‘this is what the government should do;’ however, it is a lot harder to actually make the government do it. Progress toward a permissive, innovation-embracing political and cultural constitution would be just that: progress.” ~ Art Carden

READ MORE

Consequences of Lockdowns: The Case of Maine

– August 13, 2020

“The evidence available in March suggested the vast majority of people would not suffer severe illness from the virus. This should have led state leaders to focus limited resources on protecting the most vulnerable in society. However Gov. Mills opted to shut down the entire state.” ~ AIER Staff

READ MORE
pick pocket

The Art of the Shakedown

– August 13, 2020

“Looking ahead to a more authoritarian future, will old-fashioned lobbying be enough to secure a measure of business freedom any more? What new steps will businesses need to take in the future to protect themselves from presidents who, instead of the Art of the Deal, prefer the Art of the Shakedown?” ~ Raymond C. Niles

READ MORE