Counter Markets

Financial Newsletter for Free Marketeers and Libertarian Entrepreneurs

Trends & Strategies for Maximum Freedom

Why the Covid Shutdowns of Public Schools Are Driving So Many to Homeschooling

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By Joanna Miller The American public school system fell apart this year. The overwhelming majority of American parents found themselves remote schooling from home. No consensus exists on whether or not schools should reopen, or whether they should reopen only after everyone attending gets vaccinated. Because teachers still get paid no matter what happens, anger and vitriol … [Read more...] about Why the Covid Shutdowns of Public Schools Are Driving So Many to Homeschooling

Decentralizing the Web with Brady Gaisser of DWeb

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By The Conscious Resistance Derrick Broze interviews Brady Gaisser of the DWeb team to find out how they plan to decentralize the internet and prevent censorship. Brady will be speaking at The Greater Reset Activation on January 28, 2021. Join the Dweb: http://peepsx.com/ The Greater Reset: https://thegreaterreset.org/ Derrick is the founder of TCRN. The … [Read more...] about Decentralizing the Web with Brady Gaisser of DWeb

CARES Act Stimulus Did Not “Replace Lost Wages”

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By Alan Reynolds To explain why the economy collapsed in March and April before recovering vigorously, demand-side economic theorists emphasize excess savings as the cause of the downturn with federal stimulus spending as the driving engine of the subsequent recovery. An alternative supply-side explanation instead emphasizes the contractionary impact of state lockdowns … [Read more...] about CARES Act Stimulus Did Not “Replace Lost Wages”

Just in Case You Needed More Incentive to Homeschool…

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By Linnea Johnson People choose to homeschool for a variety of reasons. I began homeschooling in the fall of 2012 when after a year in public kindergarten, it became apparent my intelligent but immature son was going to have problems. He did very well at home, as did my daughter and younger son.   We lived in the Houston area when we began homeschooling, and most of the … [Read more...] about Just in Case You Needed More Incentive to Homeschool…

The Family Fades as Governments Subsidize Daycares and Nursing Homes

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By Gor Mkrtchian Human life is given meaning and sustenance by various forms of community: the church, the nuclear family, the extended family, fraternal organizations, businesses, etc. But as the state has grown, civil society has shrunk. The state over the centuries has absorbed an increasing share of the resources, functions, and moral authority of these other … [Read more...] about The Family Fades as Governments Subsidize Daycares and Nursing Homes

How Consumer Sovereignty and Entrepreneurship Work Together

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By Per Bylund Listen to the Audio Mises Wire version of this article. In Human Action, Mises takes two strong positions that are seemingly contradictory. On the one hand, he clearly takes the view that production, and especially the entrepreneurial production by promoters, is the “driving force” of the economy. But, on the other, he argues that consumers are sovereign in … [Read more...] about How Consumer Sovereignty and Entrepreneurship Work Together

California Now Wants to Tax People Who Live in Other States, Too

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By Gary Galles California’s government has become infamous for abusing its citizens, from steep taxation to burdensome regulations to arbitrary covid impositions. But less noticed is how it is also trying to abuse other Americans as well. As reported in a December 28 Los Angeles Times editorial, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), which … [Read more...] about California Now Wants to Tax People Who Live in Other States, Too

Minimum Wage Hikes Kick in Across the Country—at the Worst Possible Time for Small Businesses

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By Brad Polumbo 2020 was one of the worst years in modern American history for small businesses. And now, thanks to a wave of minimum wage legislation that kicked in on January 1, things are about to get even worse. Make no mistake: small business owners are already seriously hurting. When state and local governments responded to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the spring … [Read more...] about Minimum Wage Hikes Kick in Across the Country—at the Worst Possible Time for Small Businesses

Why Lockdowns Offer the Perfect Opportunity to Teach Kids about Liberty and Government

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By Kerry McDonald It’s always worthwhile to share the ideas of liberty with young people, but right now, during widespread government lockdowns, it is more important than ever. In some places in the US, individuals are prohibited from inviting friends or family members over to their private homes or, if they are granted that privilege, attendance is capped. In still other … [Read more...] about Why Lockdowns Offer the Perfect Opportunity to Teach Kids about Liberty and Government

Why Most Fell for the Lockdowns, While a Few Stood for Liberty

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By Dan Sanchez 2020 will be remembered for many things: COVID-19, nationwide riots, a divisive election. But the rise of pandemic lockdowns will go down as the most momentous. Never before have the day-to-day lives of so much of humanity been so radically upended. And, outside of wartime, never before has there been such a widespread and extreme rollback of human … [Read more...] about Why Most Fell for the Lockdowns, While a Few Stood for Liberty

Fifteen Signs You’re in an Abusive Relationship with the Government

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By Lucio Saverio Eastman and Micha Gartz Fully 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February, with only 8% of resolutions kept year-long. After the holidays, many people endeavor to eat healthier or exercise more. It’s as simple as committing to floss or exercise daily. That is until you run out of floss and forget to buy more… or are too sore for exercise the next day. … [Read more...] about Fifteen Signs You’re in an Abusive Relationship with the Government