The Pilgrims Dreamed of Socialism. Then Socialism Almost Killed Them.
Private property was the solution to their failed experiment. But people keep repeating the Pilgrims' mistakes.
Economics
A Possible Railroad Strike During the Holiday Season Would Risk $2 Billion Per Day
Four of the 12 unions representing workers on America's freight rail lines have voted to reject a new contract.
Poll: Republican Voters Were Mad About Inflation, Not Trans People
It's still the economy, stupid.
Republicans Need an Actual Plan To Grow the Economy
The biggest beneficiaries of economic growth are poor people. But the deepest case for economic growth is a moral one.
California's Vaping Flavor Ban Could Be Lethal
By making e-cigarettes less appealing, it will discourage smokers from switching to a much less hazardous nicotine habit.
Balkinization Symposium on Andrew Koppelman's "Burning Down the House: How Libertarian Philosophy Was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed"
Participants include Jonathan Adler, Richard Epstein, Christina Mulligan, and myself, among others.
The Case for 50 Percent Open Borders
A call for restricting immigration accidentally makes the case for radical liberalization.
As Private Space Travel Grows, so Will the Insurance Market
One insurance company started offering a space travel policy last year.
Washington Has Been Much More Successful Than California in Displacing the Black Market for Pot
Lighter regulation is one likely explanation.
Bankrupt Crypto Exchange FTX Under Investigation
Plus: Democrats retain control of Senate, RIP Sharon Presley and Martin Wooster, and more...
Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Is Unconstitutional, Says Federal Judge
Plus: Users surge on decentralized social media platform Mastodon, the fall of city drugstores, and more...
Farm Subsidies and Food Stamps Won't Fix High Grocery Prices. Innovation Will.
With government meddling, many farmers end up doing less with more, and people end up paying more for less.
Impersonators Are Already Running Amok Under New Twitter Rules
Plus: "you can't spoil what's already rotten," inflation stayed high in October, Election 2022 takeaways, and more...
Worries About Inflation Didn't Stop Voters From Approving Minimum Wage Increases
A minimum wage increase passed in Nebraska and appears to have done the same in Nevada. In D.C., tipped workers will get a possibly unwelcome increase as well.
Teachers Unions Spent $22 Million Backing Massachusetts 'Millionaire's Tax'
The constitutional amendment is an attempt to undermine the state's flat income tax system.
This Professor Was Fired for Her Political Speech. Now, She's Getting Her Job Back.
Collin College fired Suzanne Jones in 2021, after she voiced support for union activity and the removal of Confederate monuments.
Free Trade Would Boost the Economy, But It's Not on the Ballot
Joe Biden adopted his predecessor’s protectionism, threatening our peace and prosperity.
A GOP-Led Congress May Focus on Owning the Libs. Instead, It Should Focus on Owning Inflation.
If the midterms favor Republicans, their top priority needs to be the fight against inflation—whether or not they feel like they created the problem.
White House Deletes Tweet Praising Biden for Inflation
In a now-deleted tweet, the official White House Twitter account attempted to frame a mandated cost-of-living increase in Social Security checks as the result of President Biden's good "leadership."
Illinois Voters Asked Whether To Give Government Unions Veto Power Over Laws They Don't Like
Amendment 1 would grant public workers collective bargaining power over just about anything that affects them, ignoring the will of voters and lawmakers.
Twitter Was Already a Hellscape Even Before It Was Set Free
Plus: For Halloween, the editors describe what scares them most about politics and government right now.
Don't Bet on Inflation Going Away Soon
"The history of developed countries since 1970 is very discouraging about the prospects of bringing down 8 percent inflation," says Larry Summers.
Are Socialists Taking Over? Interview With Whole Foods' John Mackey
"I have muzzled myself ever since 2009....Pretty soon you're going to be hearing about Crazy John, who's no longer muzzled."
Latest GDP Numbers Aren't Calming Recession Fears
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that GDP grew 0.6 percent in the third quarter of 2022.
The 'Experts' Were Never Going To Fix Inflation
The idea that the Fed has the knowledge necessary to control the economy with perfectly calibrated policies was always an illusion.
Biden and Journalists Agree: Republicans Would Deliberately 'Crash' the Economy
But…does that make any sense?
New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Will Probably Disappoint Fans of Free Markets
After 50 days, Liz Truss is out as the U.K. prime minister and Rishi Sunak is in.
Is Free Market Ideology Hurting the Economy?
A livestreamed debate between Binyamin Appelbaum and Gene Epstein
When Karl Marx Made the Case for Capitalism
In barely a century, capitalism led to more productivity "than have all preceding generations together," Marx and Friedrich Engels argued.
Los Angeles City Council Scandal Highlights Ugly Influence of Big Labor
Having a city council secretly dominated by people with racist views is troubling, but having an entire political system controlled by one special interest group is also scandalous.
Liz Truss Resigns as British Prime Minister
After just six weeks in office, the embattled Conservative leader is out.
Markets Aren't Perfect, but Government Is Worse
The free market allows people to cooperate, fix errors, and adapt to changing circumstances.
Somebody in the Shipping Industry Wants Opponents of the Jones Act Charged with Treason
There’s nothing patriotic about a law lining the pockets of cargo companies at the expense of consumers.
Richard V. Reeves: Why Are Men Failing at School, Work, and Life?
The Of Boys and Men author documents why the modern male is struggling and suggests solutions that don't come at women's expense.
Are Men Done? They Are Failing at School, Work, and Life.
Richard V. Reeves documents terrible trends and suggests solutions that don't come at the expense of women.
Polling Data Suggest That Student Loan Debt Relief Is Not Very Important to Young Voters
The new survey, released by Data for Progress, could spell trouble for Democrats hoping for gains in November following Biden's debt relief plan.
Netflix Teams Up With the Obamas To Produce Big Government Propaganda
The G Word, a new documentary, only occasionally covers serious issues. But it opts not to do honest reporting.
Open Virginia's Whiskey Market
Freeing up Virginia’s liquor market is more worthwhile than just busting its whiskey black market.
Using Today's Economic Woes To Teach Teens Finance
At least we can treat the results of bad policy as case studies for what might otherwise have been dry lessons in economics and finance classes.
Did the Free Market Ruin Our Economy? A Soho Forum Debate
A livestreamed debate between Binyamin Appelbaum and Gene Epstein
Biden's New Industrial Policy Will Fail, Just Like Industrial Policy Always Fails
While campaigning for the midterm election, the president is promoting a disastrous and expensive form of economic protectionism.
How Corporations' Good Social and Environmental Intentions Undermine the Common Good
An excerpt from The Next American Economy: Nation, State, and Markets in an Uncertain World.
Liz Truss Is Flailing, Politically and Economically
The British Conservative Party can’t figure out what it wants.
Inflation Hits 8.2 Percent After Another Month of Sharply Rising Prices
Prices rose by 0.4 percent in September, faster than economists expected and indicating that rising interest rates aren't getting the job done.
Union Group Tries To Bully L.A. Times Into Burying Racist Remarks
Plus: Copyright versus the internet, roofer helping rebuild hurricane-damaged Florida houses arrested for lack of Florida license, and more...
What the 1970s Can Teach Us About Today's Inflationary Politics
Inflation is a problem for politicians. Unfortunately for them, it's not a problem they know how to solve.
