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Neal Gabler is a writer of some prominence. You may have heard of his Walt Disney biography, just one of several award-winning books, but one that many consider definitive. Or of his television career spanning several decades, including a stint as a co-host of a popular PBS program. Or perhaps you knew that he taught writing at the University of

Say what you want about the Obama economy, but one aspect of it must be stated up front:  It was the “ Happy Time ” of crony capitalism. I know this statement departs from the glowing narrative being promoted by mainstream sources, but facts are facts. Maybe Obama’s was left-cronyism, whereas Bush pushed a right one, but no matter. Crony

Now that the presidential election is finally over, can we talk about something that actually matters? I’m referring of course to Tobleronegate , meaning the uproar surrounding the Swiss-based (but US-owned) chocolate company, Mondolez International. The company has widened the gaps between the segments of its iconic chocolate bar, reducing its

[ An Open Letter to Radio Pundit Ed Morrissey ] Dear Ed, If you don’t mind a friendly note from a listener... I almost spilled my coffee when driving home from work, listening to you filling in for Sheila Liaugminas on Relevant Radio the Catholic radio network. You and Andrew Malcolm were reinforcing the mainstream spin on the Trump-Putin summit,

Let’s face it. The economic case for “price gouging” is one for which economists have both a strong argument and minority view, relative to more popular narratives drilled onto the three-by-five card of acceptable opinion. In that sense, we are in familiar territory, going back at least to Thomas Carlyle’s attack on economics as “the dismal

When reading about the curious case of Garrison Keillor, the public radio icon fired for what he considers an innocent misunderstanding—or was it payback for his defense of Senator Al Franken?—I noticed a line in a comments section about where today’s raging response to sexual harassment (among other fruits of the sexual revolution) is likely to

This past Tuesday afternoon, I was speaking with a reporter who was interested in the positive effects of infrastructure spending that occurred in the form of fiscal “stimulus” in my part of the country, back during the dark days of the Great Recession, around 2009 and 2010. How did this help our region, he wanted to know?  My answer: It didn’t

The Free Market 26, no. 2 (February 2008)   Years of spending, inflating, taxing, and redistributing has left the US economy teetering on a recession that our best and brightest—meaning the ones who created this mess—claim requires a multibillion-dollar economic-relief package to quell fears, promote confidence, and spur recovery. And, one might

The Free Market 31, no. 5 (May 2013)   You may have heard of Lilly Ledbetter. If you are concerned about the sorry state of U.S. employment, you may wish you hadn’t. This woman from Jacksonville, Alabama, a minor figure in the 2012 presidential campaign—occasionally invoked by Barack Obama, mostly ignored by Mitt Romney—is a former Goodyear

  Volume 8, No. 4 (Winter 2005)   When studying the origins of the Austrian School, one is often struck by the influence played by Catholic thinkers and culture during the centuries leading up to the publication of  Menger’s  Principles. As a result, the free market theorist is often puzzled by the many important Catholic thinkers who, since the