A friend sent me a circulating email (see below) that reads as a veiled promotion of neomercantalism. I accused my friend of promoting ideas opposed to liberty, as he had forwarded the email to many under his name. I replied, “Hmmm. So you are a neomercantalist – desiring closed borders as a means to promote war?” He responded, “How do closed
One year ago today a major earthquake devastated Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince. One year ago and one million people remain homeless, with less than 5 percent of the debris cleared from city streets. One year ago today. Why the lack of meaningful progress with rebuilding efforts? Before you draw any conclusion, let me provide some
Nicholas D. Kristof wants to improve our lot by attracting top talent to public education. And he has the proof that an excellent teacher will result in students earning an additional $500 per year. But his proof only works because he ignores the potential productivity lost when talent is drawn from other fields by his proposed $65,000 starting
I just finished repairing grout in my master bathroom. As a home repair hack, I typically remove excess caulk and sealant with my bare fingers — it’s messy, but quick and easy. OK. So far, so good. Then, while washing my hands, I read this warning on the back label, “This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause
The only redeeming feature of our political process is that we peacefully accomplished an ideological shift -- a coup of sorts -- that in almost every other instance led to blood in the streets. Of course, the shift is mere window dressing as both McCain and Obama stand for big government, big wars, and big deficits. The only difference between
I’m slowly coming out of my post-election blues , all thanks to NPR. Why? Well it appears that the victors are already turning on themselves. That’s right, the Reign of Terror has begun, with each radical faction accusing all others of being enemies of the revolution . And, to think, the Terror erupted before any power was transferred. Where the
Filed under: Any press is good press I had a letter published in Saturday’s edition of The Columbus Dispatch . I simply stated my views on a story about a local university researcher who is actively pushing a climate change agenda. Nothing too over-the-top in my letter. And nary a mention of my economic or political views or affiliations. Just Jim
Examples of a variant of what Mises termed the ultimate given regularly catch my attention. According to Mises, “Scientific research sooner or later, but inevitably, encounters something ultimately given that it cannot trace back to something else of which it would appear as the regular or necessary derivative.” In other words, the ultimate given
According to a report from the Washington Post and The Columbus Dispatch , the genesis of the housing market bubble was global wealth; not excess meaningless paper, but true wealth. So the bubble was not caused by the FED, the bubble occurred because “a growing amount of savings, particularly in developing countries, fueled an investment bubble.”
Since I loathe shopping, I tend to stay out of stores. So it should not be a shock to learn that, as I browsed a computer store this past weekend, I was surprised to find big-box computer monitors missing from the shelves. Instead of those once-ubiquitous monsters, I found an amazing selection of flat screen monitors of all types and shapes. And
What is the Mises Institute?
The Mises Institute is a non-profit organization that exists to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, in the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard.
Non-political, non-partisan, and non-PC, we advocate a radical shift in the intellectual climate, away from statism and toward a private property order. We believe that our foundational ideas are of permanent value, and oppose all efforts at compromise, sellout, and amalgamation of these ideas with fashionable political, cultural, and social doctrines inimical to their spirit.