Counter Markets

Financial Newsletter for Free Marketeers and Libertarian Entrepreneurs

History

Radical Decentralization Was the Key to the West’s Rise to Wealth and Freedom

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By Ryan McMaken It is not uncommon to encounter political theorists and pundits who insist that political centralization is a boon to economic growth. In both cases, it is claimed the presence of a unifying central regime—whether in Brussels or in Washington, DC, for example—is essential in ensuring the efficient and free flow of goods throughout a large jurisdiction. … [Read more...] about Radical Decentralization Was the Key to the West’s Rise to Wealth and Freedom

Why Edith Hamilton Feared the Decline of Individualism More Than Atomic Bombs

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By Lawrence W. Reed “People hate being made to think,” the educator and classical scholar Edith Hamilton (1867-1963) once said. Laziness of mind is indeed easy to find, even more so today than in her time. It shows up in vapid social media posts, flippant political rhetoric, superficial media coverage, knee-jerk but sanctimonious opinions, and the widespread absence of … [Read more...] about Why Edith Hamilton Feared the Decline of Individualism More Than Atomic Bombs

Looking For Common Sense In A Senseless World? The New Thomas Sowell Documentary Delivers

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By Art Carden If I were to rank post-World War II public intellectuals and social theorists, the Hoover Institution’s Thomas Sowell would take the top spot. There could be a real debate about who is #2, but it would take place a long way from the top of the mountain, where Sowell would sit alone. Sowell is a brilliant economist and a beautiful writer who believes, above all, … [Read more...] about Looking For Common Sense In A Senseless World? The New Thomas Sowell Documentary Delivers

When Financial Markets Bubble, There’s Something for Everyone

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By Joakim Book Thomas Levenson of MIT has written a timely book: Money For Nothing: The South Sea Bubble and the Invention of Modern Capitalism. As many assets on the world’s financial markets rise and rise and rise, and many pundits call for an inevitable collapse that never seems to arrive, looking at bubbles of the past provides the very perspective that financial … [Read more...] about When Financial Markets Bubble, There’s Something for Everyone

Lessons on Economic Freedom from Ancient Greece

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By Lipton Matthews Economic freedom isn't a modern invention. Throughout history, we find time and time again that those areas with the most economic freedom were the most prosperous. Activists in favor of economic freedom often limit themselves, however, to only a few times and places, and most lean on modern studies showing the benefits of the marketplace. It is possible … [Read more...] about Lessons on Economic Freedom from Ancient Greece

The Past Is a Nice Place to Visit. You Wouldn’t Want to Live There.

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By Art Carden “Wouldn’t it have been nice to live in the past, when things were so much simpler? When we were rooted and connected? When we lived in harmony with one another, with nature, and with the generations that came before us?” You’ve probably heard someone say that or something like it. Nostalgia for “the good old days” puzzles me because quite frankly, they were … [Read more...] about The Past Is a Nice Place to Visit. You Wouldn’t Want to Live There.

Stateless in the Walled City of Kowloon

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By Peter C. Earle Twenty-five years ago, the most successful 20th-century experiment in liberty — begun inadvertently, as always — came to an end. In April 1994, demolition of the taxless, unregulated, autonomous capitalist enclave known as the Walled City of Kowloon was completed, ending nine decades of an unparalleled experiment in utter statelessness. Similar to the … [Read more...] about Stateless in the Walled City of Kowloon