By Nicholas West As regular readers of Counter Markets might remember, in Issue 9 I covered some of the new trends in secession and the rising desire for independence from the State that have been emerging in various forms. One of the more offbeat trends I noted was "seasteading." For those unfamiliar, proponents of this movement have been looking to international waters … [Read more...] about Seasteaders Facing Prison or Death For Pursuing Freedom in International Waters
Government
We Should All Regulate Facebook and Google
By Max Gulker Our economy depends on the continued forward march of technological progress. But with this growth come new problems and, inevitably, new regulation. We must ensure that this regulation does not stifle tomorrow’s innovations, whose details we cannot predict in advance. In a recent New York Times op-ed, Kara Swisher zeroes in on the way the large tech … [Read more...] about We Should All Regulate Facebook and Google
How Big Government Politicians Cause the Inequality They Claim to Fight
By Daniel Kowalski With the 2020 presidential election on the horizon, there are currently over 15 serious Democratic contenders competing for the party’s nomination. Some candidates, like Andrew Yang, have detailed policy proposals they are consistent about. Others seem to keep maneuvering left with their positions in order to outflank their competitors, while a few seem … [Read more...] about How Big Government Politicians Cause the Inequality They Claim to Fight
Name ONE TIME A Government Program Accomplished Its Goal
By Joe Jarvis Illinois has the worst credit rating of any state. It has $8 billion in outstanding bills and a $3.2 billion deficit in just next year’s budget. But the worst part is the $250 billion they need to pay their state pensions… When you or I have debt, the first thing we have to do is tighten the belt. We save money and cut expenses. But imagine if … [Read more...] about Name ONE TIME A Government Program Accomplished Its Goal
Alberta in Canada has Tried a Carbon Tax — It’s Been a Disaster
By Robert P. Murphy The Fraser Institute in Canada recently released my study critiquing the province of Alberta’s approach to carbon pricing. My analysis for Fraser confirms what I’ve been arguing on the pages of IER for years: in the United States, conservatives and libertarians should run from any “carbon tax deal” that promises to shrink the size of government while … [Read more...] about Alberta in Canada has Tried a Carbon Tax — It’s Been a Disaster
The Reasons Behind The Relentless Ideological Onslaught Against Free Markets
By Brandon Smith I sometimes think that the free market concept is treated like The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’s Quasimodo in the long novel of global economic history. It is considered ugly and undesirable by most people who judge it at a mere glance without bothering to understand it. It is a bogeyman; a scapegoat for numerous societal problems that it has nothing to do with. … [Read more...] about The Reasons Behind The Relentless Ideological Onslaught Against Free Markets